I was having some issues with how to really channel my research in the right direction, especially since there weren't really as many sources as I had hoped for. After presenting to the class and getting some feed back on the project so far, I've altered my research topic a little.

Though I'd like to leave Kyushu as the main focus, I'd also like to in incorporate other areas of Japan, to use as a comparison. This way, I can expand geographically, spend less time on the extensive history of one specific area and look deeper into the actual foodways of that area. 

Another idea I'd like to touch on is the "imaged community" of Kyushu, which was also a suggestion from the class. I like this idea, because I think my original research topic was in some way the product of me getting sucked off into this imagined Kyushu (oh so beautiful and lush and traditional and etc...). In looking for sources I seemed to find phrases and hints of people referring to Kyushu as "Old Japan" and "nostalgic", but so far I haven't really been able to find anything more solid than that. So I've browsed the internet and found several sources that provide a shred of information, usually just support of this vague idea of "Southern/Nostalgic/Old Kyushu". Hopefully I can find more substantial information. Also, I will be working on gathering more information on Tokyo, a city that I think contrasts with the image of the deep South of Japan, and I'm thinking of looking towards Hokkaido, since it is the Northern most island of Japan and it is similar to Kyushu in the way that it has the aspect of "tradition" because of the Ainu people (but also the home of the "Western" practice of dairy production that has changed Japan). 

Hopefully I can find a couple foods (whether it is an ingredient or an actual dish) from each of these areas to focus in on even more (which was also another suggestion). 

An interesting thing is that there is a Japanese restaurant in Virgina called Kyushu and I saw that one of their dishes is called "Captain Crunch Roll" which is basically fish, asparagus, cream cheese in a roll - ALL FRIED. It looks yumm

Here are some sources I've browsed through so far:

Kyushu as Old Japan/ Deep south etc...

• (ramen tonkotsu in tokyo) http://whiteonricecouple.com/travel/tonkotsu-kyushu-ramen/
  
• (famous chef makes kyushu fried chicken) http://www.japanesefoodreport.com/2008/05/kyushu-style-fried-chicken.html
  
• (Japan for Inside Japan Centre) http://blog.japancentre.com/2012/07/09/jaff-japan-centres-third-japan-food-festival-27th-july-12th-august/
  

• Kyushu self promotion - http://www.welcomekyushu.com/area/kumamoto.html
  
• Kyushu shinkansen: http://www.shifteast.com/new-kyushu-shinkansen-targets-rural-nostalgia/
  
• Kyushu Tokyo comparison:http://books.google.com/books?id=iz06xSmiDqMC&pg=PA106&lpg=PA106&dq=Kyushu+and+Tokyo+regional+differences&source=bl&ots=7Zz_rsmNMk&sig=WcYusIg_4VotIUdGV7TCsZfzqpw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3-6JUMytGon10gHQm4GgCg&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Kyushu%20and%20Tokyo%20regional%20differences&f=false
  
• Geography of Japan: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_five_themes_of_the_geography_of_Japan
  
• Agriculture in Japan: http://factsanddetails.com/japan.php?itemid=941#02
  
• Kyushu geography/trade: http://www.jcie.org/researchpdfs/Kyushu/KyushuReport.pdf
  
• Kyushu Restaurant in Virgina: http://www.kyushujap.com/
  
• Urban area/rural: http://books.google.com/books?id=Bpxo8MxGqUkC&pg=PA129&lpg=PA129&dq=tokyo+foodways&source=bl&ots=2mSdG8rpR8&sig=6d0DmgfwreVXx0CpnffZ2fIguh4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=XeqKUJXAOs_J0AGRtIGADA&ved=0CCQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=kyushu&f=false
  
• food history: http://www.cambridge.org/us/books/kiple/japan.htm
  
• World Food Japan (lonely planet guide) http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1740590104/ref=sr_1_1?p=S00Y&keywords=Kyushu&ie=UTF8&qid=1351342726
  
• Kyushu “profile” (silicon island): http://www.kyukeiren.or.jp/english/profile/industrymaking.html
  
• Hokkaido, unique food culture: http://www.kikkoman.com/foodforum/thejapanesetable/10.shtml
  
• Hokkaido specific foods (connect city to countryside):http://www.nihonsun.com/2009/01/02/regional-foods-in-japan-hokkaido/
  
• Ainu Food culture (Traditional food systems of Indeginous Poeple: The Ainu in the Saru RIver Region, Japan): ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/012/i0370e/i0370e08.pdf
  
• Tokyo restaurants guide blog: http://tokyofoodie.com/category/cuisines/african/
  

Prehistoric Japan (14,000 BC to 300 BC) Neolithic culture, Jomon Period (when Japan was connected to Asia, after separation, Kyushu still remained the closest point with many small islands)

yayoi era (300 BC 250 AD) (originated in Kyushu from Korean Peninsula, spread throughout Japan, started agriculture)

Climate and Geography

• in contrast Tohoku people were called lazy because of the non productive winters (Kyushu as year round growing season)

Today: volcanoes, grasslands, forests, mountains (food tourism in Kyushu)

• Kyushu was feared in that past “unknown” and at the “edge of the known world”
• Miyazaki (where many myths, Nihongi/Nihonshoki sites)
• separate culture, “barbaric”, still a little of that left today allowing it remain the wild, agricultural area that it is
  

within Japan, Kyushu Mountains divide

Gateway to Japan (starting in 1200s) 

• Hirado: Mongolians, Chinese
• Portuguese (blown off course, currents of the water), Spaniards, Dutch, English
• Sweet potato was introduced, now traditional Japanese food (yakiimo)
• Dutch remained during Tokugawa
  

Kyushu Agriculture Today

• “Food Island” produces 1/5 of Japan’s agricultural goods
• hot springs (due to volcanoes)
• many natural resources (fresh water springs, for example)
• food tourism (Giant Daikon, Kuro buta, karashi mentaiko, hiyajiru, taco rice...)
• Ajisen Ramen, gyoza, Shochu (sweet potato in Kagoshima)
• Aso (largest crater basin in the world, beautiful, fertile, agricultural) 

SO SUMMARY:

• Begin with how geography and location of Kyushu has helped define it as the “gateway to Japan”. 
• Introduce history of Kyushu, prehistoric, neolithic (where agriculture became prominent). 
• Introduce Kyushu geography/climate as we know it today (volcanoes, mountains, islands, lowlands, seasides). 
• Mention Miyazaki as the site for landings of the Gods (such Amatersu). 
• Why Kyushu has been a little separated from Japan (preserve agricultural and older traditions due to mountains, island formation...)
• How many cultures were arrived at Kyushu (basically every foreign influence came through Kyushu). 
• How that influenced their food cultures (for example intro of the sweet potato, ramen...). 
• Kyushu: face of agrarian Japan “Food island” (rest of Japan doesn’t acknowledge despite the proof...) 
• How then Kyushu has embraced that and created identity from their food culture (Ajisen is Kyushu based, potato based Shochu, gyoza etc...) throughout Japan and even the world. 

THEORETICAL APPROACH:

Hopefully I can show how Kyushu has been a pioneer in the development of and stability of Japanese food cultures as we know it today through looking into: history (of why Kyushu is important), sociology - culture in Japan (why Kyushu is on the periphery), identity (roots in agriculture), current issues with agriculture, globalization (vs. regionalism in Japan and how regionalism is supported in Kyushu). 

METHODOLOGY:

1.) I’d like to begin with geography, what is significant? (location, water currents, change) which is directly related to...

2.) Importance of the Kyushu:

a.)the history is necessary to set up intro to agriculture also “flow” into Kyushu

  b.) mentioning that Kyushu (miyazaki) is origin/important in mythological history (due to its natural beauty - takachiho) 

  c.) foreigners through ports (due to geography), trade happened which leads to...

3.) Food cultures: 

a.) look into the importance of the open (and later closed) ports and affect on the food culture

b.) Kyushu developed with strong agricultural ties, supporting a lot of regional food cultures also influenced by the contact with foreigners.

c.) Japan doesn’t really recognize Kyushu on these terms (rather more of a preservation of agrarian Japan?) 

d.) Despite this, Kyushu has made a print on Japan and even the world - whether anyone realizes it or not (Ajisen Ramen, for one example). 




SOURCES NOW and ONWARD:

found some information in books though it is difficult to find anything specific to Kyushu (since it is so overlooked!). However there is a lot on the internet, city promos, regional pride etc...

Hopefully I can find more specific examples of how exactly food got from kyushu to the rest of Japan. 

How has the geography and climate allowed Kyushu to flourish agriculturally and how has that affected food cultures in Japan? 




1. Propose a methodology for conducting research on your topic. Write a statement of a few sentences on how you plan to gather information and what you think you might do with that information. (Revisit this after you perform the steps below to make sure that they all jive.)


For my method of research I’m thinking of gathering information from several different areas of study and bringing them together in the common goal of "food culture". I hope to establish the influences and events that created the Kyushu we know today. I also hope to find information on specific regions of Kyushu and how those have managed to develop over time. I believe that the geography (for instance the fact that it is a small island, that it has a warmer climate, a variety of land formations including volcanoes etc...) is what has helped to guide the foodways there. I plan to look at a variety of topics; cultural development, identity, history of Japan, history of Kyushu, general ideas of regionalism, geography and lifestyle, trade, religion, current agricultural practices and, media. It seems really broad but I think some wont have much depth (like media, perhaps) but I can use it to support other larger  ideas like regionalism and cultural development. 

Basically the order I’d like things to go is: Geography-> Kyushu History->  outside influence-> agricultural development-> influence on Japan as a whole -> established foodway of Kyushu/support of “Japanese” identity (and its future). 

1. Identify terms for library and web searches. Make a list, with the most important terms at the top.

Japanese agriculture, Kyushu, Japan Geopolitics, Japan’s Geography, Kyushu Folkways, Japan regionalism....

I know those are rather broad, but usually you can see a variety of things and then pick and choose the ones that are truly relevant. It was difficult finding sources on Kyushu specifically which is why I searched just “Kyushu” for any kind of result. 

I also just was browsing areas in the library that had to do with Japanese culture...m

3. Identify books and journals/articles that might be useful. 

• Daifuku, Hiroshi. “The Early Cultures of the Island of Japan”. Southwest Journal of Anthropology, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Autumn, 1949), pp 253 - 271
  

<http://www.jstor.org/stable/3628505?&Search=yes&searchText=hiroshi&searchText=daifuku&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Ddaifuku%2Bhiroshi%26acc%3Don%26wc%3Don&prevSearch=&item=4&ttl=105&returnArticleService=showFullText>

• Long, Hoyt. On Uneven Ground. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2012. Print. 

• Japanese Studies. Nosco, Peter. Denver: The Center for Japan Studies at Teikyo Lotetto Heights University, 1997. Print.

• Cobbing, Andrew. Kyushu: Gateway to Japan. Folkstone: Global Oriental LTD, 2009. Print

• Pedlar, Neil. The Imported Pioneers. New York: St. Martin’s Press, Inc., 1990. Print. 

• Van der Meer, Cornelis L. J., Yamada, Saburo. Japanese Agriculture: A comparative economic analysis. New York: Routledge, Chapman and Hall. Inc., 1990. Print. 
• Shimamura, Takanori. “Cultural Diversity and Folklore Studies in Japan: A Multiculturalist Approach”. Nanzan University, 2003. October 4, 2012.
  

          <  http://www.jstor.org/stable/30030286>

• The Future of the Countryside. Dir. Andy Walker. BBC Education, 1994. Film.

    <http://obis.oberlin.edu/search~S4/?search&searcharg=andy+walker+countryside&searchscope=4&sortdropdown=-&SORT=DZ&extended=0&SUBMIT=Search&searchlimits=&searchorigarg=Xandy+walker> 

• Yamaguchi, Hirofumi & Okamoto, Masafumi. “Traditional seed production in landacres of daikon (Raphanus sativus) in Kyushu, Japan”. Euphytica, Kluwer Academic Publishers, May, 1997. 4 Oct, 2012. 

      <http://journals.ohiolink.edu/ejc/article.cgi?issn=00142336&issue=v95i0002&article=141_tspilodsikj>