What Matters to Japanese Udon Noodle Tourists? A Phenomenological Approach

Abstract

This chapter examines the nature of domestic tourists’ on-site experiences of food consumption in one of the three major udon noodle tourism destinations in Japan from a phenomenological approach. In-depth interviews with 26 domestic Japanese tourists were undertaken in Mizusawa udon village in Gunma Prefecture, and they had travelled purposefully to sample Mizusawa udon noodle in situ. The essences of the experiences of Japanese udon noodle tourists were predominantly focused on embodied multisensory experience, emotional appreciation and cognitive consumption and appraisal of noodle production. Liminal experience associated with escapism and refreshment was as important as the aforementioned.