Layover Purgatory in Japan

It's been quite a few years since I had the pleasure of transiting through Tokyo's Narita Airport where I am sitting now. The airport authority has drastically enlarged the shopping choices since I was last here but they've payed particular attention to keeping all of these alternatives well outside my range of interests. They've added a McDonalds but they have six items on the menu and the only non-meat item is french fries - and you can't buy them without buying a meal set that includes meat. No, I'm not going to spend $8 to buy a meal set and throw half of it away.

All the other eateries in the airport are Japanese - even the ones that call themselves "Western". You have all the choices of cold noodles, fish thingies, and pickled vegetables you want. I don't. I've retreated to the airline lounge and am subsisting off of a spongy substance they call cake. Only five more hours of layover left to go.