Why Washoku is Part of Japanese Culture

Japan is surrounded by the sea, has mountainous areas that occupy 75% of the country, and is blessed with a mild and humid climate and natural features. The rich nature of Japan brings us various blessings from the sea, villages, and mountains through out all four seasons. In rich and sometimes harsh natural environments, the Japanese nurture a spirit of gratitude for nature, which has become the foundation of Japan’s unique dietary culture.

Japan’s land is long from north to south, and the seas, mountains, villages, and expressive nature are sprawling, so a variety of ingredients rooted in various regions are used in various places. In addition, cooking techniques and tools that utilize the taste of the ingredients have also been developed.

Some vegetables distributed in modern Japan are imported from abroad and are easy to eat due to improvements in breed, but traditional vegetables (indigenous vegetables) that have been produced in Japan continue to be cultivated in the ancient form and shape, and are loved by locals.

Water is also an object of faith and has played an important role in shaping Japanese dietary culture. Japan’s water is soft and does not contain many minerals. However, soft water is able to extract the Umami (delicious taste) from dashi (soup stock) materials, such as kelp and Katsuobushi (dried bonito).

A remarkable feature of Washoku is that it makes the most of ingredients with minimal seasonings, such as miso, salt, and soy sauce, but in particular, it uses Umami to successfully produce delicate tastes that are unique to Washoku. Umami is recognized around the world as one of the five basic flavors along with sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and bitterness, and is gaining in popularity around the world.

The basic form of Washoku is adding some side dishes to rice, soup, and Kounomono (pickles). It is said that this basic form was created at the end of the Heian period. Washoku combines rice as the staple food, with fish, meat, and vegetables. Adding dashi (soup stock) and fermented seasonings helps to create a balanced diet. By making good use of the umami (delicious taste) of dashi and fermented seasonings, you can have a satisfying meal without animal fats and oils such as meats, and you can easily create a low-calorie diet.

This feature expresses the beauty of nature and the changing of the four seasons during a meal. You can enjoy a sense of the seasons through your dishes being decorated with seasonal flowers and leaves, or using seasonal furniture and tableware.

In Japan, people usually eat with just hashi (chopsticks). Japan is the only country that dines only with chopsticks and does not use spoons. In addition, another feature of Japan is that each family member has their own chopsticks. There are two types of chopsticks: “Shokubashi” used for eating and “Saibasi” used for cooking. They are crafted from  various materials such as wood, bamboo, and lacquerware.

In the past, everyone ate meals on their own Ozen (four-legged tray for festive food). This caused people to get into the habit of eating while holding their bowl because it was far from the Ozen to a mouth. Since heat is not transmitted through wooden lacquerware, you can even hold hot soup with your hands, put it in your mouth, and drink it.

There is a special Hare No Hi (Celebrative Occasion) in Japanese life. The annual events that roll around in the same seasons are part of this. Japanese people have felt the spiritual existence of “God” in nature in an unconscious state since ancient times. Food and drinks are always provided for the “feast” where “God” and people interact, and the people pray for Gokokuhojo (bumper crop) and Mubyosokusai (state of perfect health).

Eating round rice cakes which are symbols of of the soul of Toshigami-sama in the New Year means to be given the power of God. Ozoni is a dish made by simmering mochi (rice cake) and local ingredients, and it has a variety of features by regions, such as ingredients, seasonings, types of soup stock, shapes of mochi, and methods of cooking the mochi.

In Japan, “rites of passage” for celebrating and exorcizing evil spirits have been held not only at the turn of the seasons, but also at turning points in life. In the past, there were many children who lost their lives when they were young, so their families used to prepare red rice and a small feats, and ate them together to wish for stable development and a long life. Okuizome is held on the 100th day after a child's birth, with the wish of “never having to worry about food as long as they live”. The children's parents prepare one soup and three dishes with whole grilled sea bream. They also prepare a “teething stone” as a ritual for strong teeth.