A decrease in eating barnyard millet in Iwate prefecture: A literature review of Iwate no Hoken (hygiene in Iwate)

Abstract

Although it is not used today, barnyard millet and foxtail millet were staples, especially for people living in the cold and mountainous areas in Japan. The Northern part of Iwate prefecture was the largest area for barnyard millet production, but its production had almost disappeared up to the late 1960s during the high economic growth period. The disused process and how people felt along with the mood during that time are not well examined. Articles in Iwate no Hoken (hygiene in Iwate), a local journal that was published by the Iwate prefecture National Health Insurance Organization from the mid-1950s to the late 1960s, were examined. This journal was mainly composed of a reader's column or letters about every aspect of daily life, such as medicine, family problems, diet, education, culture, business, and readers' autobiographies. Many articles indicated that people hid the fact that they ate millet. The rapid shift from millet to rice was accompanied by a change in their community from a self-sufficient society to a consuming society. The pleasure of eating white rice seemed to be fully suppressed by their financial problems regarding buying electric products, agricultural equipment, motorcycles, and food. Many laborers had to work outside of their hometown and the younger generation, especially girls, left their community. The editorial office concluded that the self-sufficient society had become a consuming society.