[By Isao Kumakura, President of the National Assembly on the Preservation and Continuation of Washoku Culture]
Isao Kumakura
Three years have passed since washoku, traditional Japanese dietary culture, was listed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. In February 2014, the National Assembly on the Preservation and Continuation of Washoku Culture was launched to promote the culture. One of its main activities is to hold washoku tasting events on Nov. 24, designated as Washoku Day, at elementary and junior high schools nationwide. This year, some 3,000 schools participated, up 50 percent from a year before.
On the other hand, most of the questions we receive continue to be “What is washoku?” In order to answer the question, we have published a booklet titled “What is washoku?” But no matter how we try to explain it in simple words, it is still difficult to convey what it is exactly.
In an effort to clearly define the meaning of washoku, we have come up with a draft of an explanation for the term. We would like to hear people’s opinions before deciding on the final version. Here is the draft.
Bringing the community and the people together
“Washoku is Japanese people’s culture and lifestyle that uses fresh ingredients produced in various regions, associated with an essential spirit of respect for the blessings of nature from season to season, bringing together communities and people.
Washoku is the Japanese dietary habits made up of rice served as staple food and various side dishes, soup and pickles that go well with rice. It also includes table manners of using chopsticks and bowls properly.
Washoku cuisine is based on ‘umami,’ a savory taste of ‘dashi’ soup stock, and is cooked using such traditional seasonings as soy sauce, miso and vinegar. In this respect, foods made from flour, including udon and soba, are also part of washoku. Washoku also includes sushi, local dishes and other foods that are nurtured, passed down and have taken a firm hold on the Japanese people’s lives.
Washoku dishes, most of which are low in fat, have contributed to the Japanese people’s health and longevity.”
In the draft, we first mentioned the spirit of washoku. As was written in the beginning of the Japanese government’s proposal made to UNESCO, washoku does not only represent certain dishes but a culture that is associated with Japanese people’s sense of respect for food. Moreover, by saying washoku uses “fresh ingredients produced in various regions,” we recognize that although we value locally-produced foods, washoku cannot be made without depending on foods from around the world.
Which dishes can be called washoku?
Then we describe in detail what comprises washoku. Washoku culture is a meal basically made up of four elements – rice, soup, side dishes and pickles – and manners associated with the meal. Foods made from flour and those served on special occasions can also be called washoku, as they are based on umami, a flavor unique to Japan. The issue is whether we should include foods that are introduced to Japan more recently. Can we call foreign dishes washoku if they have evolved in a unique way in Japan? We believe that we can call them washoku if they have taken hold in Japan for three generations, or since around 1960 to be more specific.
We welcome your ideas and suggestions to refine the draft.
<Profile> Born in 1943 in Tokyo, Isao Kumakura graduated from the Tokyo University of Education, predecessor of Tsukuba University. He currently serves as the president of the National Assembly on the Preservation and Continuation of Washoku Culture and director of Miho Museum in Shiga Prefecture. He has published a book on the history of Japanese cuisine.