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Introduction
Multiculturalism is the defining feature of the culinary scene in contemporary
Japan. It is reflected in the daily food choices of every Japanese. An
average day may begin with a Western-style breakfast of toast, coffee and
fried eggs, or a Japanese-style breakfast of rice, miso soup, pickles and
grilled fish. Lunch may be either a Japanese-style obentō (a boxed meal of
rice and several small side dishes), prepared at home or purchased at
specialized obentō kiosks, or a quick bite at one of the ubiquitous fast-food
restaurants, noodle shops or an array of other lunch establishments. Many
factories and schools operate their own canteens in which indigenous fare
prevails, but with strongly pronounced Chinese and Western influences.
A dinner may be taken at home or enjoyed in one of many restaurants.
In practically every town, a selection of Japanese, Chinese and Korean
eating places, along with American restaurant chains such as Skylark and
Denny’s – commonly labelled ‘family restaurants’ (famirii resutoran or
famiresu for short) – cater to diners of every age, sex and degree of
affluence. Moreover, larger urban centres also offer a choice of fancy
French and Italian bistros and a variety of ‘ethnic’ (esunikku) eateries that
claim to serve food from such exotic places as India, Vietnam, Malaysia,
Afghanistan and Ethiopia. 1
At home, a Japanese-style dinner centred on white boiled rice
accompanied by soup and side dishes, all served at the same time, still prevails.
It is, however, by no means free from foreign influences. In 1997, on
the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of its launch, the leading television
cooking show Kyō no ryōri (‘Dishes for Today’) conducted a survey among
6,000 of its regular viewers asking them to list their most favourite side
dishes appropriate to be served at a Japanese-style dinner. The top ten
included (in ascending order) hamburger, fried gyōza dumplings, miso
soup with tōfu and seaweed (wakame), soy-stewed chicken with vegetables
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