Traditional and Modern Eating in Japan

Abstract

In order to understand the Japanese food culture, the past and present eating behaviors of Japanese were discussed from the viewpoints of what and how they have eaten in their life. Although rice has not been a staple food in the nutritional sense, it has held a symbolically important role for almost all Japanese in the past and present. Fermentation by fungus specific to Japan, namely Aspergillus oryzae, characterizes Japanese food culture and its typical products sake, miso, and soy-sauce. Personalization of chopsticks and eating utensils, together with the ritualistic behavior before and after the meal, also characterizes Japanese eating behavior. Although saying “Itadakimasu” before a meal and “Gochisosama” when a meal ends are ordinary and common ritualistic behaviors today, these behaviors seem not to have traditional base. Focusing on Okinawa, where a modern diet characterized by high fat and high calorie was rapidly introduced after World War II, the possible relationship between a modern diet and health deterioration is discussed. Ever since the dawn of history, the Japanese diet has undergone three major changes: the period from prehistoric to ancient ages, the latter half of the nineteenth century, and after World War II. Despite such changes, the Japanese attitude and mentality toward food appears to have been relatively stable. Nevertheless, food globalization and denationalization are in progress in Japan and it is important to distinguish between the true tradition and the idealized and/or invented tradition.