Meals in Japan were consistently good, often built around a few simple flavours perfected with care.
It was difficult to find a bad meal in Japan. We ate at all kinds of places, and the food was consistently good.
Perhaps it is because so many cuisines have been perfected there. Another thing I noticed was how often a dish focused on a simple, singular taste rather than trying to make everything complex.
That simplicity takes confidence. When a meal does not rely on layers of competing flavours, the ingredients and the care behind them have nowhere to hide.