In my paper I’d like to reveal how an ideal of Kyushu has been intentionally constructed through culinary tourism, and with comparisons to other areas of Japan. 1.) Intro of Kyushu, mentioning of Tokyo, Hokkaido and, Okinawa as other culinary tourist hot spots 2.) Relationships of food and foodways, imagined identity, and culinary tourism - Use Culinary Tourism by Lucy M. Long
- Japanese Foodways, Past and Present Eric Rath
- imagined “community” and identity *****
- media/internet’s role...**** (blogs...possibly Ramen Connoisseurs by Fukutomi )
3.) Kyushu brief history****** 4.) Kyushu Tourism Promotion Organization (2005) http://www.welcomekyushu.com/about/index.html - clientele - metropolitan people, foreigners
- hiding industrial Kyushu (takes away from the image) NOWish
5.) How has Kyushu been a good example of application of culinary tourism NOW- (in talking about the impact of tourism on cultures) “Renewed interest in local culture, appreciation for local traditions, and an improved sense of cultural worth can result.” (6) Culinary Tourism
- Nations will look to future foods (after discovering new ideas about food and shifting) because these are “marketed as foods that a civilized, environmentally aware nation will move toward adopting as s standard part of its cuisine in the future, while simultaneously identifying foods with a preindustrialized, romanticized tribal past.” (28) Culinary Tourism
- farmers markets, agricultural promotion in regions/communities ****
- festivals
6.) How Kyushu’s foodscape compares to Tokyo’s foodscape **** 7.) The product: Kyushu’s identity - nostalgic, old, traditional****
- specific foods reaching far and wide****
- sweet potatoes, tonkotsu ramen, chanpon, kurobuta...?
- community building through the processes of food NOW
- Taste For Civilization (Flammang), Culinary Tourism (Long)
- becoming Kyushu
LAST: So I’ve been changing my topic a lot...but basically I seemed to find more evidence that Kyushu wasn’t what I was necessarily trying to prove, but more a carefully constructed image by tourist organizations, the people and, tourists themselves. Therefore I’m trying to use three basic ideas: culinary tourism, foodways and, identity. They seem to work together to create the ideal of Kyushu. Sections 2 and 3 are basically introducing what I’m going to be discussing, the three ideas that I mentioned before and a brief intro of the place (Kyushu) as an island with history where this construction has taken place. 4 is about the tourist organization, why they came about, what their goals are and who they are trying to attract (the audience for this “show”). 5 is therefore the application of this and how it has worked well. I then take that image and compare it Tokyo, just so that we can see where Kyushu stands in the nation (they are near opposites in the what they stand for...) so that builds more to the identity of Kyushu. 7 is just going to be trying to consolidate everything - pulling examples of how Kyushu has seeped into the realm of tourism as a commodity in itself (a restaurant called Kyushu, adding Kyushu to the beginning of dishes etc...). I’m just not at all secure about this right. It’s something I’m very interested in, but I feel like it will be a lot of me trying to fill in the blanks with my own theories and what not...
 http://www.shifteast.com/new-kyushu-shinkansen-targets-rural-nostalgia/ New Shinkansen Targets Rural Nostalgia “JR is here helping to create buzz about the new railway service by building up a digital community. Interestingly, by getting people from the different regions to upload pictures it connects remote groups together in much the same way as the actual train will do.” “The appeal for the locals is evident enough: being able to see snapshots of their homes celebrated and shared. But Tokyo users are of course also free to upload pictures they took when visiting the area and no doubt these campaigns stimulate a kind of sentimental pique, even if the practical benefits of the new line are not primarily affecting them. Nostalgia is a powerful market force!” My thoughts: Since I’m just collecting little blips to support my overall idea, I was relatively pleased to stumble across this one. Not only does it bring up contrast between Tokyo and Kyushu again, but it brings up NOSTALGIA which is another point I think could be very powerful. The idea of old Japan that I’ve mentioned before is linked with this nostalgia for rural Japan. It is fairly recent that people have run away into the cities and are able to live this double life by occasionally paying visits to family in the countryside (perhaps collecting hand made treats, home grown vegetables etc..., just enough to keep them linked to their childhood or parents’ lives). The first quote also I feel supports the idea of the imagined community. This kind of came up in the ramen article we read. The “Gendered Space in Virtual Consumption” section supports this idea of communities. I feel that there is a difference between virtual and imagined, however, the internet acts as a place for this imagined community to be defined and created, virtually. 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=falseKey Geography New Places (Geography textbook Key Stage 3 (11-14 yr olds)) In a cartoon of a section called “Recent Changes in Kyushu” (where the reasons of late industrial boom of Kyushu during the 1980s are explained etc...) there are tourists from Tokyo sayings things about their experience in Kyushu: “The air is cleaner and the sky is clearer then in Tokyo.” “I want to the see the active volcanoes in the National Parks.” “I want to see the cherry blossom in early Spring and the changing leaves in Autumn.” “The climate is warmer in winter and more healthy all year than in Tokyo.” “I want to visit the health spas and bathe in the hot sands.” Two Regions Compared: In this section there are comparisons such as the difference in “Childhood Years” (Tokyo, parents don’t come home until late, they don’t spend much time outdoors and resort to games/tv while in Kyushu, most people are farmers and children are therefore raised by grandparents and spend a lot of time with bugs and what not) there is also a chart for “Marriage” (in Tokyo it is expensive to get on your feet so usually people marry later while in the country young women go away to the cities for work so there is a shortage). My Thoughts: I think first of all, the fact that we are comparing Kyushu and Tokyo is interesting because Kyushu is an entire island with 7 prefectures while Tokyo a single prefecture (though a major one). For the purpose of making a clear cut distinction of the difference between rural and urban Japan, I suppose it makes sense (especially since this is a textbook for middle school children). This does support where this imagined Kyushu might originate. I believe this is a European textbook, but it doesn’t really matter - what does matter is the Kyushu is already being cast as a generally agricultural area, preserved ideas due to the Japan’s historical spiritual connection to nature. Though this has little to do with food by words alone, we can assume that the children raised by their grandparents in the countryside as they spend time outdoors will be the ones to eat more basic, earthy meals made with produce from their home or nearby versus a Tokyo child who has little access to much other than the endless supply of restaurants at their fingertips - immediately changing the way in which a child will view foodways in their lives. Perhaps as a Kyushu child will grow up with treats of regional ikinaridango, hakata ramen, karashi lenkon, Kagoshima’s pork and more - that are specific to that area for the most part - while a child from Tokyo will know of general food items like okonokiyaki, tonkotsu ramen (hakata), sukiyaki, ramen etc...without any pride/definition to where it belongs in the foodways. Rather, Tokyo is the hub for generalizations in food - with little access to the smaller delights from other regions (making food tourism very appealing OR unappealing). http://www.cambridge.org/us/books/kiple/japan.htm The Cambridge World History of Food Japan: Rice and Staple Food “Peasants living in mountain areas with low rice productivity, along with poor people in general, formerly mixed millet with rice. The sweet potato, introduced in the eighteenth century, also became popular as a staple in the south of Japan, where it supplemented a low yield of rice. However, even the poor cooked pure boiled rice and pounded rice cake from pure glutinous rice for important meals.” “Noodles made from flour as a light lunch or snack became popular during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and consumption increased considerably after the seventeenth century, when a processing technique for buckwheat noodles (soba) was developed in Edo, now Tokyo. Since then, soba has become popular mainly in eastern Japan, where Tokyo is located, whereas udon noodles (made from flour) have always been popular in western Japan (Ishige 1991a).” ‘Paddy-field rice cultivation was then under way except in the northern Ainu-dominated region of Hokkaido and in the southern Okinawa islands, an island chain between Kyu¯mshu¯ (the southernmost main island of Japan) and Taiwan.”
My Thoughts: I’m thinking that for picking specific foodways for each area, this might help a little. I feel that the sweet potato is very linked to Southern Japan, so I will try and make that my Kyushu food to hone in on. Possibly soba for Tokyo? In some ways, though, I'd like to make a point that the Kanto region is more of a mix. http://blog.alientimes.org/2012/02/yaki-imo-roasted-sweet-potatoes-provide-iconic-tastes-textures-colors-and-sounds-of-japanese-autumn-and-winter/Yaki Imo Provide Iconic tastes, textures, colors, and SOUNDS of Japanese autumn and winter “Here in Japan, sweet potatoes ( SATSUMA IMO) are a major part of the food culture, and culture in general- especially important in autumn and winter.” “Harvested in late October and through November, it is common for the Japanese to hold sweet potato roasting events- using the fallen leaves as fuel! Wrapping the freshly harvested spuds in aluminun foil, and gazing into the fire amid the swirling smoke is one the classic ways of celebrating autumn.” “The name SATSUMA IMO (薩摩芋) directly translated means the SATSUMA DOMAIN`S POTATO, and this sheds some light on the story of how this food came into Japan. The Satsuma Domain ( what is now Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyushu) once controlled the Ryukyu Islands ( Okinawa), to which the sweet potato had arrived, after having been first cultivated in the foothills of the Andes Mountains ( or perhaps somewhere in Mexico) thousands of years ago....It was the Satsuma Clan which soon after, introduced it to the rest of Japan in the late 16th or early 17th century.”“ After the Meiji Restoation of 1968, there was a huge YAKI IMO boom, which seems to have lasted up to the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. In 1905, there were 900 establishments in the capital specializing in them.” “After reconstruction, a craze for everything modern and especially foreign set in, and for a long while roasted sweet potatoes were considered too rustic, and old fashioned- in other words CORNY.” “As I have mentioned above, with the hardships of the war, the SATSUMA IMO came back again to regain its former prominence.” “And of course. t here are many other ways that the sweet potato is prepared in Japanese cuisine besides roasting. One of my favorites is called DAIGAKU IMO- with large french- fry shaped slices or chunks, coated with a sugary glaze and a dash of sesame seeds.” “In Tsukuba, we are lucky to have an abundance of high grade locally grown sweet potatoes. Not only can you get them from the traditional trucks, but there are some specialty shops – extremely atmospheric, which sell ONLY sweet potatoes!” My Thoughts I feel that despite the fact that this is a blog with some misspellings and what not, it provides some pretty good information. First of all, this blog is about “Culture, Food, Health, History, Life in Tsukuba” (which is a city in the Kanto Region) and therefore makes the foodway relationship of Kyushu/Kanto more interesting. Especially when as in the last quote, it has in fact become a local specialty in Tsubaka. Though this food was brought through southern Japan, it is now a delicacy throughout Japan. I also think that the “come back” that satsumaimo made could be connected to the feeling that Japan was growing apart from its “traditional” rituals (like shokuiku). Also, I have to say I love daigaku-imo, and the only context I really saw it in was at Kaitenzushi. Therefore, sweet potatoes have changed their fast food ways similarly to sushi! I still need a lot more info on Hokkaido and to develop more on the Kanto region. As general form of the paper and the three areas I'm thinking that I will point out geography, bring up a certain food, explain the foodways there then discuss how these foodways are supported/created by the imagined community of the area. Hopefully it works out...
 http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/eat/40-tokyo-foods-we-cant-live-without-09064840 Tokyo food we can’t live without by Melinda Joe, W. David Marx, Darryl Wee and Misha Janette My Thoughts: This is a little annoying because basically it names a bunch of food including basashi, tempura, tonkotsu style ramen, and satsuma-age (all that are technically Kyushu originated foods). Other foods on the list include foods that are widely considered “Osaka” and “Okinawa” foods. However the title of this is “Tokyo Food”. Basically, food that can be found in Tokyo but so many foods that have deep ties to elsewhere in Japan, places that are very conveniently ignored. I think that since Japan is so small in comparison to at least the USA, it is easy to write off Japan embodied in places like Tokyo and Osaka. However, the size of Japan doesn’t really seem to have changed the variety in culture and all the regions that are spread through the country. How people can so easily generalize an entire country boggles me. http://whiteonricecouple.com/travel/tonkotsu-kyushu-ramen/ KYUSHU STYLE RAMEN: IN THE EHART OF TOKYO Todd and Diane Blog “Kyushu style ramen is notibly different from other style of ramens because of it’s rich, cloudy and hearty broth that’s mostly done with Tonkotsu (pork bone) broth and sometimes combined with a chicken and/or vegetable broth. Kyushu broth is deep, flavorful and it is balanced nicely with a beautiful sheen of fat on top. The depth of flavor and richness of Kyushu ramen broth is definitely for the hungry and the hearty. Each sip of the distinctly heavier and flavorful Kyushu ramen broth was a fuel for our souls, especially after shaking off the jet lag and walking for about 2 hours in the flamboyant Shibuya district.” “Although we were in Tokyo, (Kyushu is Japan’s most southern-western island) the man who opened this shop was a Kyushu local and brought his homeland specialty to Japan’s thriving epicenter of Tokyo. What a treat for us to be able to experience such a delicious regional specialty in the heart of the street fashionably-stylish Harajuku. Old Japan meets new Japan. Thanks Chika, for the great tour, wonderful company and delicious ramen experience.” My Thoughts: Kyushu doesn’t ever seem to make it past the sidelines in the mind of the Japanese who live elsewhere. There are always these references, like the one above, to it being “Old Japan” or agricultural or even “hillbilly”. In the above passages, it is nice to see Kyushu in a positive light. They recognize how it is “a treat” to be able to eat Kyushu style ramen in the heart of Tokyo. Then they say “Old Japan meets new Japan”, which is interesting because they are labeling both Tokyo and Kyushu. Just why exactly Kyushu is always referenced to as “old” is what I’m curious about finding proof of. http://www.japanesefoodreport.com/2008/05/kyushu-style-fried-chicken.html KYUSHU STYLE FRIED CHICKEN by Harris Salat (Japanese Food Report) (this is chicken nanban) “She [Takako Kuratani] just visited New York and one of the things she brought with her was a slender red notebook -- her own personal cookbook, where she records her recipes and cooking inspiration. While she was here, Takako planted herself in a kitchen, cracked opened that little red book and prepared a wonderful homey dinner for a bunch of friends. Her theme: the down-home cooking of Kyushu, Japan's own Deep South.” My Thoughts: This article is a little suspicious because I tried finding more information on this said “prodigious chef”, Takako Kuratani, and really couldn’t find anything else except for someone’s slideshow presentation that referenced this same a blog/article. So, I’m not so sure what to think... however, I would like to use the quote about the “Deep South” just because it supports the idea of everyone vaguely referencing to Kyushu as the country, the south, the old japan etc.... http://blog.japancentre.com/2012/07/09/jaff-japan-centres-third-japan-food-festival-27th-july-12th-august/ Japan Centre JAFF: Japan Centre’s third Japan Food Festival (Kyushu is absolutely Yokaromon) “Kyushu has been selected as JAFF’s special region for a number of reasons: it is home to breath-taking and very diverse scenery, which includes ancient forests, sandy beaches, sweeping mountains and active volcanoes . These volcanoes are the reason why Kyushu is often referred to as the hot spring capital of Japan. Thanks to its moderate climate and fertile soil, the island is also rich in fresh produce. All this, together with the island’s long history as a centre for international trade has made Kyushu a true culinary melting pot.” My Thoughts: This is promoting Kyushu’s food cultures for the Japan Food Festival, so it pin points some of the main traits of Kyushu (geography, the volcanoes, long history, trade etc). I can probably just use this as support the image of Japan, but this is with more attention to the actual details that are often ignored in the generalization of Kyushu.
 Captain Crunch Roll at Japanese Restaurant "Kyushu" in Virginia 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...
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.
 Minamiaso Area 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). - 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>
How has the geography and climate allowed Kyushu to flourish agriculturally and how has that affected food cultures in the region?
There are certain aspects that I’d like to go into with with this topic...
I think focussing in on changes in more recent times, snapshots of 300, 200, 100 years ago and now might be an efficient way. I think also seeing the specific crops that have developed in certain areas in those times (like areas with volcanoes vs. areas by the sea) and how that has affected the food culture there, in Kyushu and, possibly all of Japan. With that, I think seeing how agricultural processes has developed and affected food cultures and how that might be at a risk with
the lack of interest in the young generation.
For resources and backgrounds materials I’d like to find information on early agriculture in Kyushu and the regional specialities and how they came about. If it is at all possible maybe personal accounts. I was thinking of contacting some people I met in Japan and seeing if it is possible to get more of their family history in the area of agriculture. Despite some of the things we have read, I still believe that Japan is very agriculturally based and even partly preserved in those lifestyles - though not necessarily just around one crop (rice).
 anpanman! Which of the questions you’ve posted (if any) would lead to a research project that is (1) interesting and (2) feasible?
1. Rank the top three in order. (If you don’t like three, come up with enough new ideas to fill a standard size-3 idea satchel.)
2. Next to each, note briefly:
• (a) what disciplines or areas of study this project might fall under;
• (b) what might be resources for gathering information on this topic; and
• (c ) how you might either expand or narrow the parameters
Top three questions:
What is the future of Japanese agriculture and its effect on the culture of food?
a.) Agriculture, technology, environment, ecology, economics
b.) Articles such as Agriculture in Japanese History: a general survey by K. Asakawa in 1929 could then be compared to more recent articles like the article Japan’s Rice Farmers Fear Their Future Is Shrinking by Fackler in 2009. Also, statistics on imports and exports and movement of people away from rural areas. I also think I can draw comparisons to U.S. agriculture. I might also be able to interview a farmer in Japan on his feelings about agriculture now and how it is affecting him today.
c.) I might try to incorporate my other question, “ How does the landscape of Japan translate into the Japanese food cultures?” into this question. I could talk about how the landscape has channeled agriculture/culture in one direction and how those ways are being further shifted due to influences from technology, environmental changes, economics, culture and how that essentially affects Japan’s food culture.
How does the landscape of Japan translate into the Japanese food cultures?
a.) I think this would ideally be a part of question 1, but standing alone I think it would be looking into the history of Japan, ecology, environment and its changes and how this has played a role in affecting how certain regional food cultures have developed over time into what they are “represented” as today.
b.) A good place to start might be this book, The Conquest of Ainu Lands: Ecology and Culture in Japanese Expansion, 1590 - 1800 by Brett Walker. Hopefully I could find some more specifically food related pieces and broader books/articles on Japan’s history in landscape/boundaries, then relate between and create my own “map” of food through time.
c.) Once again I think it would be nice to combine this with question 1. However, if I was going to make this separate I might expand on the idea of landscape and compare it to other countries of similar landscape and see how they developed similarly or not and if it was the landscape that made those differences happen.
How does food culture play a role in the arts of Japan?
a.) I could look into art history and music history to find evidence of food. Also maybe going into the kaiseki idea more, because that is an art form in itself and studies on popular culture evolution...
b.) Now that I’m looking it is kind of difficult to find examples of food used in art through history, since that was more popularly nature and food in the arts appears to be a more recent phenomenon. Therefore I could look at the pop culture today; the anime, pop artists, manga, lyrics, music videos, cute characters (anpan man etc..) and fashion and then draw my own ideas for how this happened and how it affects the actual “food culture” surrounding this.
c.) I think I might have to not only look at food in pop culture/arts but also how this influences body image/eating habits of Japanese (especially young people) and how it has really helped to change the food habits of Japanese today.
1.) How does food play a role in Japanese pride and identity? Also, how does it play a role in protecting identity?
2.) What are the ideas behind the symbolism in Japanese food culture?
3.) How does the landscape of Japan translate into the Japanese food cultures?
4.) What is the future of Japanese agriculture and its effect on the culture of food?
5.) What are the ideas of pride, identity and regional differences in Japan through both culture and food?
6.) How is the organic movement affecting the food cultures in Japan?
7.) How does food culture play a role in the arts of Japan?
8.) How does the evolution of food affect the older generation in Japan?
9.) What is the role of globalization and the food cultures of youth in Japan?
10.) What problems is Japan facing with food and health and why
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