I'm not sure if it's a result of this kind of protectionism or not, but in general meat and fruit especially is much higher quality than what I had when I was l

I'm not sure if it's a result of this kind of protectionism or not, but in general meat and fruit especially is much higher quality than what I had when I was living in the US. For fruit, the size of the individual fruits is smaller in general, but much more flavorful. The yields are lower (and thus price more expensive), but that's what happens when fruit is bred for flavor rather than volume. I imagine meat has something to do with the diet. I don't think Japanese farmers are feeding their cows human candy.