Japanese cuisine has been registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and is popular overseas as a "healthy food."

Do you know how the Japanese cuisine we eat on a daily basis today came about?

When talking with foreigners, the topic of Japanese cuisine may come up.

You may not think about it too deeply when you are in Japan, but by deepening your understanding of Japanese food culture and expanding your correct knowledge and education about Japanese cuisine, you can broaden the scope of your communication with foreigners.

Here, we will explain the history of Japanese cuisine, tracing the history and eras of Japan, with the theme of "Japanese food."

Jomon period

During the Ice Age, when temperatures were still low and it was difficult to secure plant-based food, it is believed that the Japanese people ate large animals such as mammoths and giant deer.

As global warming progressed and sea levels rose, plant growth conditions changed, and nuts such as acorns became edible.

The emergence of earthenware as a cooking tool

When food supplies became stable and people had more time, tools were invented.

Pottery was made, cooking by heat changed people's sense of taste, the range of foods that could be eaten expanded greatly, and the concept of food preservation was born.

Additionally, Jomon ruins contain shell mounds filled with piles of eaten shells, which indicates that the abundant shellfish were cooked and eaten in earthenware.

It seems that the Jomon people had already tasted the delicious flavor of shellfish when cooked.

Rice cultivation also begins

It is believed that agriculture began during the late Jomon period, and in some areas rice cultivation in paddy fields also began.

However, it seems that rice was only used to make up for the shortage caused by hunting.

Yayoi period

Paddy rice cultivation developed, and a food culture of eating rice as a staple food with side dishes began in earnest.

Based on Yayoi period ruins, it is estimated that side dishes at the time included shellfish, fish, birds and animals, wild vegetables, and mushrooms, and it also appears that fruits such as peaches and persimmons were eaten.

The Chinese historical book "Wei Zhi Wa Jin Den" records that people started eating raw fish, i.e., sashimi, from this time onwards.

Asuka and Nara periods

In 675, Emperor Tenmu issued a "ban on eating meat," which remained in effect until 1871 (Meiji 4), approximately 1,200 years later.

This long period of prohibition, lasting approximately 1,200 years, led to the development of a food culture that is exceptionally healthy on a global scale, with animal protein coming from fish and plant protein coming from soybeans and rice.

Furthermore, when fish and plant-based ingredients alone were not enough, they were supplemented with the ingenuity of dashi, which contributed greatly to the development of Japanese food culture.

It seems that around this time, his attention to the visual beauty of his food also began to grow stronger.

Heian period

This was a time when aristocratic culture was at its height, and a style of cooking called "daikyo ryori" developed, in which nobles would entertain guests.

This style is heavily influenced by Chinese food culture.

Kamakura period

Minamoto no Yoritomo, who founded the Kamakura shogunate, disliked the luxury seen among the nobles and court nobles, and so ushered in an era of "simple frugality," a stark contrast to the Heian period.

It was during this period that Zen Buddhism was introduced to Japan and monks popularized shojin ryori, a type of vegetarian cuisine made only from plant-based ingredients.

Muromachi, Sengoku, and Azuchi-Momoyama periods

During the Muromachi period, honzen ryori, a style of hospitality used by samurai to entertain guests, emerged, and the etiquette for this was extremely strict.

The taiko banquet cuisine of the Heian period was heavily influenced by China, but honzen cuisine can be said to be the perfected form of Japanese-style ceremonial cuisine.

The use of dashi stock made from kelp and bonito flakes began, and the cuisine became even more profound.

During the Azuchi-Momoyama period, Sen no Rikyu established the tea ceremony, which gave birth to kaiseki cuisine.

The attempt to enjoy food before tea, without being bound by the etiquette of honzen cuisine, led to the birth of kaiseki cuisine.

Edo period

A nationwide distribution network was established, food became more readily available, and restaurants where people could enjoy eating and drinking appeared and flourished.

It was during the Edo period that "kaiseki cuisine," which originated from Sen no Rikyu's tea ceremony, began to be served in traditional Japanese restaurants as a way to enjoy food and drinks separately from the tea ceremony.

In addition, cooking knowledge and techniques that had previously only been passed down to a privileged class were made available to the general public, and numerous books on cooking were published.

The modern habit of eating three meals a day became established during this period.

It was during this period that soba noodles, tempura, eel, and nigiri sushi, which are still very popular today, became very popular and firmly established.

Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods

What kind of history did washoku have after the end of the Edo period?

The spread of Western cuisine

From the end of the Edo period to the Meiji Restoration, Western restaurants began to appear, mainly in port towns, and meat consumption resumed in earnest. During the period of Westernization, there was a trend that could be called a Western boom, and dishes such as beef hotpot and modern-day sukiyaki became popular.

From the end of the Meiji period, vegetables of Western origin began to appear on the shelves of greengrocers, and the Westernization of eating habits progressed.

During the Taisho period, salarymen appeared, and among them the three major Western foods that are still very popular today - curry, croquettes, and tonkatsu - became popular.

A major feature of both beef hotpot and the three major Western dishes is that they have adapted food culture from overseas and adopted it as Japanese cuisine.

This sophisticated Japanese-Western fusion cuisine based on Japanese cuisine underwent great evolution during this period.

Developments in home appliances and transportation, new developments

During World War II, the trend was that "luxury is the enemy," and there were serious food shortages, which led to a temporary decline in Japanese food culture.

During the period of rapid economic growth in the 1950s, refrigerated transport and refrigerators became more widespread, and it became possible to suddenly obtain not only fresh meat, fish, and vegetables, but also processed meat and dairy products.

As gas became more widespread, cooking that required heat also became more widespread.

During the Showa era, instant foods, family restaurants, and convenience stores appeared, and Japanese cuisine underwent new developments that continue to this day.

Heisei era

Washoku has attracted attention from around the world, and in 2013 "Washoku: Traditional Japanese Food Culture" was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

summary

Looking back at the history of Japanese cuisine, it is clear that it developed due to the prohibition of eating meat.

By composing meals using ingredients other than meat, a Japanese food culture that is extremely healthy even by global standards has flourished.

Another major feature of Japanese food culture is that even when incorporating foreign ingredients, they always maintain a distinctly Japanese flavor.

Washoku, a food that Japan is proud of, has been registered as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Let's take a closer look at the development and history of washoku.

This article has been partially re-edited by KARUTA from an article originally published on "Nihongo Biyori."
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