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JAPANESE CULTURE

Enjoying the old and welcoming the new

Japanese rice field (Photo courtesy of AFLO)

The rice-centered food Closely tied to annual festivals, evolved following the introduction of wet rice meticulously-prepared cultivation from Asia more than 2,000 years “Washoku” uses diverse fresh ago. The tradition of rice served with seasonal ingredients given from the nature to present vegetables and fish and other marine the beauty of changing seasons, thus products reached a highly sophisticated form enriching the culinary culture in Japan. In in the Edo period (1603-1867) and remains 2013, "Washoku, traditional dietary cultures the vibrant core of native Japanese cuisine. In of the Japanese, notably for the celebration the century and a half since Japan reopened of New Year" was inscribed on the to the West, however, Japan has developed UNESCO's Representative List of the an incredibly rich and varied food culture that Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, for includes not only native-Japanese cuisine but being an important social custom to be also many foreign dishes, some adapted to preserved by the community. Japanese tastes and some imported more or less unchanged. Traditional , “”

1 JAPANESE FOOD CULTURE Japanese-inn meal High-class Japanese inns (ryokan) generally serve sumptuous multiple- course -style meals such as the one shown here. (Photo courtesy of AFLO)

Origins

In the centuries following the introduction of shellfish—developed in Edo (now Tokyo) in Buddhism to Japan in the 6th century, laws the early 19th century. The of that and imperial edicts gradually eliminated the period was sold from stalls as a food, eating of almost all flesh of animals and fowl. and those stalls were the precursors of The vegetarian style of cooking known as today’s sushi restaurants. shojin ryori was later popularized by the Zen sect, and by the 15th century many of the foods and food ingredients eaten by Japanese today had already made their debut, Naturalized imports for example, (shoyu), , , and other products made from . Around the same time, a formal and Japan’s first substantial and direct exposure elaborate style of banquet cooking developed to the West came with the arrival of European that was derived from the cuisine of the court missionaries in the second half of the 16th aristocracy. Known as honzen ryori, it is one century. At that time, the combination of of the three basic styles of Japanese cooking Spanish and Portuguese game frying along with chakaiseki ryori (the cuisine of the techniques with a Chinese method for tea ceremony meal) and kaiseki ryori. cooking vegetables in oil led to the With an emphasis on the artistic development of , the popular presentation of fresh, seasonal ingredients, Japanese dish in which seafood and many the tea meal married the formalities of honzen different types of vegetables are coated with ryori to the spirit and frugality of Zen. Kaiseki batter and deep fried. ryori developed in its present form in the early With the reopening of Japan to the West 19th century and is still served at first-class in the mid-19th century, many new cooking Japanese restaurants known as ryotei and at and eating customs were introduced, the traditional Japanese inns. While retaining the most important being the eating of meat. fresh seasonal ingredients and artful Although now considered a Japanese dish, presentation of earlier styles, kaiseki meals —beef, vegetables, tofu, and other have fewer rules of etiquette and a more ingredients cooked at the table in a broth of relaxed atmosphere. is drunk during the soy sauce, (sweet sake), and sugar— meal, and, because the Japanese do not was at first served in “Western-style” generally eat rice while drinking sake, rice is restaurants. Another popular native dish served at the end. Appetizers, (sliced developed in this period is , deep- raw fish), suimono (clear soup), yakimono fried breaded pork cutlets. Created in the (grilled foods), mushimono (steamed foods), early 20th century using Indian curry powder nimono (simmered foods), and aemono imported by way of England, (dressed salad-like foods) are served first, rice (kare-raisu) became a very popular dish; followed by , (pickles), it contains vegetables and meat or seafood in rice, Japanese sweets, and fruit. Tea a thick curry sauce that is served over rice. concludes the meal. Although most Japanese people have few opportunities to experience full-scale kaiseki dinners, the types and order The contemporary of foods served in kaiseki ryori are the basis dinner table for the contemporary full-course Japanese meal. The sushi that most people are familiar The ingredient choices available at with today—vinegared rice topped or supermarkets and other food stores in all but combined with such items as raw fish and the most isolated rural districts of Japan are

2 JAPANESE FOOD CULTURE Sushi Some of the many types of nigirizushi, in which hand-molded portions of vinegared rice are topped with slices of raw fish, shellfish, and other ingredients. A small dab of (Japanese horseradish) is usually placed between the rice and the topping. (Photo courtesy of AFLO)

so varied that on any given day a home- cooked dinner could contain an incredible variety of dishes of various national origins. Even so, native Japanese food is still the the conveyer belt in front of you or call out a norm, and a “Japanese meal” at home will special order if you do not see what you want generally have white rice, miso soup, and on the belt. Unlike Japanese restaurants tsukemono pickles. The multiple dishes that abroad, which often serve a range of different accompany these three vary widely types of Japanese food, restaurants in Japan depending on the region, the season, and generally specialize in a single type, such as family preferences, but candidates include sushi, tempura, shabushabu (thin slices of cooked vegetables, tofu, grilled fish, sashimi, beef cooked at the table by dipping into a and beef, pork, and chicken cooked in a simmering broth), sukiyaki, unagi (grilled eel), variety of ways. and noodles, etc. The main Popular alternatives to native Japanese exceptions to the specialization rule are the fare include Chinese-style stir-fried meat and chains of family restaurants, which usually vegetable dishes and Korean-style grilled serve a range of Japanese, Western, and beef and pork. More adventurous cooks may Chinese dishes. try their hand at American, French, Italian, Two types of restaurants which are found and other ethnic dishes. Selections in large numbers all over Japan but which are particularly popular with children include not considered “native Japanese” are spaghetti, hamburgers, and the curry rice and restaurants. Ramen restaurants mentioned above. serve generous helpings of Chinese-style While many families continue to eat ramen noodles in large bowls with broth home-cooked meals every night, the greatest (flavored with soy sauce, miso, salt, etc.), change taking place in eating habits in recent roast-pork slices, and various vegetables decades has been the replacement of home- (bean sprouts, scallions, etc.), and many cooked dishes with food prepared outside the people also order gyoza (Chinese dumplings) home. Sushi, Chinese and Japanese noodle to accompany their ramen. At yakiniku dishes, and Japanese-style box lunches restaurants, which are based on Korean-style () have long been available via home barbeque, guests cook bite-sized pieces of delivery (demae) in towns and cities, and now beef, other meats, and vegetables over a pizza and many other dishes can also be charcoal or gas grill at the table. Most large ordered. In addition, supermarkets have many cities also have a considerable number of prepared foods such as sushi, tempura, and other foreign-food restaurants serving French, fried chicken to purchase and take home, and Italian, Indian, Chinese, Korean, and other the spread of convenience stores into all but cuisine, and in Tokyo an almost unlimited the most remote areas of Japan has made a selection of the world’s food is available. wide variety of pre-cooked bento-type meals At the opposite end of the price spectrum available to almost everyone. from elegant kaiseki ryotei and French restaurants are the food stalls that are still a familiar sight in some urban districts and at festivals and other outside events where Dining Out many people gather. Some of the most popular stalls are those serving (fried soba noodles), (grilled chicken Japan’s most famous contribution to global pieces on a ), (pancakes food culture—sushi—is generally eaten at with vegetables and a variety of other sushi restaurants where customers sit at the ingredients), frankfurters, and buttered baked counter and call out their orders item by item potatoes. to a sushi chef. There are also very popular chains of “conveyer-belt” sushi restaurants where you grab small plates of two sushi off

3 JAPANESE FOOD CULTURE Soba Known as zaru soba, the cold soba dish shown here is eaten by first dipping the long noodles into a to which wasabi (Japanese horseradish) and green onions are often added. (Photo courtesy of AFLO)

Culinary Cultural Exchange

As mentioned above, Japan has been actively by 300 percent in the past 5 years. According “importing” foreign cuisines for more than 100 to the MAFF statistics, less than 10% of all years, but for much of that time there was Japanese restaurant owners in America are little movement in the other direction. Over of Japanese descent. Many of the Japanese the past couple decades, however, growing restaurants found in malls and shopping recognition of the importance of a healthy diet centers across America serve sushi but their to maintaining overall good health has other selections generally resemble stir-fried contributed to an unprecedented Japanese- Chinese food more than genuine Japanese food boom overseas, with explosive growth in food. the number of Japanese restaurants in major With little oil and fat content, Japanese cities worldwide. The majority of Japanese foods are becoming popular in the world at restaurants abroad serve sushi, and most the advent of health consciousness. In also offer a variety of other choices such as Japanese restaurants, Japanese foods no tempura. The number of restaurants longer mean just the traditional sushi or specializing in lower-cost noodle dishes such elegant course meals of kaiseki. Foreign as ramen and soba are also growing. chefs, for example, apply Japanese According to July 2015 statistics by the seasoning, such as soy sauce, soy bean Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, paste or Citrus junos, on local cuisine to give there are about 89,000 Japanese restaurants it a taste of Japanese foods. doing business in the world -- about 25,100 in To give young French and Japanese North America, about 45,300 in Asia and chefs an opportunity to learn from each other about 10,550 in Europe. An image of and to help the French chefs to learn and Japanese cuisine being "healthy" and master the characteristics of Japanese "nutritionally well-balanced" as well as making cuisine as it is prepared in Japan, since 2005 good use of seasonal foodstuff has been the Japanese Culinary Academy has held cultivated. The total number of Japanese Japanese Culinary Fellowships in Kyoto and restaurants in the United States is said to Osaka. While studying in the kitchens of first- have increased by 150 percent in the past 2 class Kyoto restaurants, the visiting French years, and the number in the United Kingdom chefs are also able to experience many food- related aspects of traditional Japanese culture. Many tourists say that Japanese food is their main reason for visiting Japan. Actually, more 70% of visitors to Japan do so "to eat Japanese food." They particularly enjoy sushi and fish, saying it is "delicious" and of "excellent quality." According to an official survey, about 90% of foreign tourists who ate Japanese food said that they were "satisfied."

(Reference) "Result and Survey of Consumption Trend Survey for Foreigners Visiting Japan: Report from July 2017 to September 2017“ http://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001206329.pdf

A meal at home A typical home meal consists of a bowl of rice, miso soup, a main dish (fish or meat), a few other side dishes and pickles.

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