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Roots in the natural environment

Japan is a long island about 3,500

km in length from north-east to south-

west, situated in the Pacific Ocean

to the east of the Eurasian bloc. The

surrounding sea is a mixture of warm

and cold streams, giving abundant

varieties of fish. The Japanese climate

is characterized by warm monsoons,

although the northern region is temperate

and the southern islands subtropical.

As a result, distinct changes over four

seasons are experienced, which has been

an important factor in Japanese cuisine.

There are two rainy seasons in Japan.

One is in June (Tsuyu: plum rain) and

the other is in September (Akisame:

autumn rain). The annual rainfall

averages 2,000 mm, so fresh water is

abundant. This water provides benefits

to Japanese agriculture, al lowing

cultivation of rice, vegetables and fruit.

Thanks to its widespread availability,

extensive water use is characteristic of

Japanese cuisine.

About 70% of the land in Japan is

mountainous, with very few plains. The

mountains are covered with deep forest.

Religious taboos against killing animals

made it unpopular to raise and kill cattle,

sheep and pigs for food until the mid-

19th century. However, after the opening

of the country to the world in 1854, meat

dishes and dairy products were accepted

and rapidly became popular. Sukiyaki

and shabu-shabuwere created as distinct

Japanese dishes, and production of

high-quality meat in the form of Wagyu

(Japanese beef) was developed.

Thus, meat eating culture has existed

since the Meiji era (1868-), but the

traditional Japanese food culture is based

on rice, fish and vegetables, which are

considered to be gifts of nature.

Raw ingredients

A primary characteristic of Japanese

cuisine is the enjoyment of the raw taste

of food, without using strongly-flavoured

sauces. Typical examples are sashimi

(raw fish slices) and sushi (vinegared

rice topped with raw fish). Sashimi is

prepared simply by cutt ing fresh fish.

Freshness is ensured by various methods

and hygiene is carefully maintained.

Cutting methods were also developed

specifically to maintain good taste.

The knife used to cut sashimi is a

long knife beveled on one side. The

sharpness of the edge and the slicing

method involves pulling the knife on the

fish, which does not damage the tissues,

maintaining its umami (savouriness).

Itamae (specialist chefs of Japanese

cuisine) make the technique look

easy, but it requires extensive training.

Sushi is similar, maintaining the tissue

fluid in the slices of fish, so its taste in

combination with the sushi rice can be

appreciated.

Shoyu (soy sauce) enhances the flavor

of the raw fish. Shoyu is made from soy

fermented for a long time. To enjoy the

fresh taste of seasonal products, Japanese

cooking time for roasting and broiling is

kept relatively short. In contrast, shoyu

Characteristics ofeating culturein J apanIsao Kumakura

President, Shizuoka University of Art and Culture

Director, Hayashibara Museum of Art

Sakizuke, appetizer in Japanese cuisine

Sashimi, raw fish slices, soy sauce (right),

and chopsticks (lower edge)

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and miso (fermented soybean paste)

require long fermentation times, from 3

months to more than a year, to mature.

Umami (savouriness) is a characteristic

taste of Japanese food. Taste bud sensors

for sweet, sour, salty and bitterflavours

have been known for a long time. (Spicy

hotness is felt by pain sensors, so are not

included as scientifically defined tastes).

The umami receptor was discovered and

confirmed by Japanese researchers. The

main components ofumami are glutamic

acid, inosinic acid, and guanyl acid, that

are abundant in kelp seaweed (kombu),

dried bonito fish flakes (katsuo), and

dried mushrooms (shiitake) . The

umami provided by kelp and bonito are

fundamentals of Japanese cuisine, and

are used in various ways in soup, broiled

vegetables, sushi, etc.

The arrangement of dishes is another

important factor in Japanese cuisine.

Colorful dishes arranged according toa traditional pattern are beautiful and

stimulating to the appetite. Plates and

bowls are carefully presented to make a

visually attractive combination with their

contents to express seasonal feelings.

Japan is also known for having a large

variety of plates and bowls in different

sizes and designs.

Rice and miso soup

A typical Japanese meal basically has

four components: rice, miso soup, the

main dish(es), and pickles. Rice is the

staple component and lies at the core of

Japanese food culture. Japanese rice is a

sticky Japonica species; when steamed

it has a characteristic taste with a slight

sweetness. It contains many of the

necessary nutritional elements, so the

addition of suitable amounts of animal

protein and fat make for a complete diet.

Soup is usually sipped slowly throughout

a meal. Miso soup is made by dissolving

miso in dashi-jiru (a soup stock rich in

umami). A small amount of seaweed or

various seasonal vegetables are added;

sometimes fish heads, shrimp or clams

are used. Rice and soup in bowls form abasic pair.

Side dishes support the main bowl

of rice. Three kinds of side dishes are

prepared at home: fish, vegetables and

pi ck les. Social ch anges ha ve led to

the number of dishes increasing, and

consumption of rice decreasing, such

that the distinction between the main

dish and side dishes has become unclear

J a p a n e se p i c k l e s a r e f e rm e n t e d

vegetables, and there are different

kinds such as bran pickles, salt pickles,

an d sakekasu (Japanese wine lees)

pickles. A suitable weight is applied

to the vegetables during fermentation,

decreasing their water content and

improving theirumami and flavor.

Ko-no-mono refers to pickles with

good flavor, which clean the mouth and

stimulate the appetite.

These characteristic components of rice

(the main staple) together with ichi-ju-

sansai (miso soup and three side dishes)

thus form the basis of traditional home

cuisine.

Eat J apanese cuisine

The characteristic way of eatingJapanese cuisine is to alternate between

eating the rice, soup and side dishes.

This is the normal way of eating daily

at home; in Japanese restaurants, food

is served course-by-course in forms

such as kaiseki, with rice and miso soup

usually appearing last, making the eating

order similar to western cuisine.

Hashi (chopsticks) are the implements

used for ea t ing . Japanese a t t ach

importance to cleanliness, so disposable

chopsticks are used in most eateries.

Individual chopsticks are used at home,

some of which are beautifully made

from wood and decorated with lacquer

paint. Japanese chopst icks are shor t

with thin ends compared to ChineseMacchaand yokan, Green tea and Japanese sweet made from redbean paste covered by soy bean powder

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ones. Some Korean chopsticks are made

from metal, but Japanese chopsticks areusually made from wood or bamboo or

plastic. Chopsticks are very convenient

for picking up small things and breaking

up large things into smaller pieces.

Japanese cuisine is made to be eaten

using chopsticks, so foods are typically

cut into small pieces before serving, or

broiled until soft to allow them to be cut

using chopsticks.

Spoons are not generally used in

Japanese cuisine, so miso soup is

generally sipped directly from the edge

of the bowl. The soup is very hot, so one

should carefully sip a small amount at

a time. Holding the bowl in one hand

and sipping directly from it is correct

etiquette in Japan.

Japanese consider sharing a meal to

be an important part of the hospitality

shown to guests. In this case, not only

the taste of the meal, but the designand decoration of plates and bowls to

express seasonal beauty is important.

Appropriate selection of food and

plates can be used to express a sense of

celebration, or of sorrow. Decoration of

the room, with flower arrangements and

paintings selected tofi

t the atomosphere,is also important in the sharing of a meal

with guests. This is all to say that eating

plays an import ant ro le in Japanese

culture.

To express gratitude to the host, a guest

will say ita-daki-masu before eating,

and gochi-so-sama after finishing a

meal; these are basic manners even at

home that include thanks not only to

people, but also to nature, for providing

the meal.

Epilogue

Japanese cuisine is nutritionally

well-balanced and healthy, which has

resulted in the longevity of the Japanese

population. From a health perspective,

green tea and Japanese cakes are

also noteworthy. Green tea contains

antioxidants such as catechin; Japanese

sweets do not contain butter and cream,so they are ideal as part of a low calorie

diet. These are served as a dessert after

a Japanese course-based meal. Japanese

sake (Japanese rice wine) is also a good

appetizer and enhances the mood during

eating.

Knowledge of and interest in Japanesecuisine exists throughout the world.

The increasing number of Japanese

restaurants in the world is welcomed

because Japanese cuisine is not only

healthy and tasty, but also emphasizes

communication between host and guest.

In contrast, young people in Japan today

exhibit poor eating habits under the

influence of globalization, such as eating

excessive amounts of high energy foods

with bad nutritional balance.

The Japanese Government passed

the Shokuiku Basic Act in 2005 to try

to maintain traditional cultural eating

habits. Many NGOs are collaborating in

the education of young people to enable

them to select foods wisely.

World wide prob lems, such as

environmental change, lack of energy

and water resources, increasing obesity,

etc. have grown more serious in recentyears. The global spreading of the low-

calorie, healthy diet offered by Japanese

cuisine could contribute to resolving

some of these problems.