When the East meets the West... or, When the East makes the West into the East

Have you ever wondered about all of the food in Japan that looks like it should be Western... but isn't? Have you ever wondered about triple-decker triangle-cut sandwiches without crusts and with strange combinations... like strawberries, whipped cream, and nutella chocolate? Or how about those hamburger patties with raw eggs on top? Or maybe you'd be more interested in eating a shrimp hiding inside of the meat patty itself?

A Quick Survey of Yoshoku

Yoshoku is composed of the character for 'Western' and 'food.' Basically, the word Yoshoku means 'Western food that is served in Japan'. It is not just called 'Western food' or 'food' because it is a category to itself: it is food imported from the West and repackaged into something that tastes new, different, and attractive to the local palette.

The tradition of remodification is well-established, and among more than just Western foods. Asian foods have been taken in, too, and even gone on to become among some of the most globally-known examples of 'Japanese food'.

But what about famous, popular products such as 'ramen,' that are (or perhaps more accurately, were) not really Japanese in the first place? The word ramen is written in the katana script, ラーメン, which expresses that the word has foreign origin and pronnunciation. Indeed, ramen has origins in China. But the Japanese interpretation of the noodle is distinct, and ramen stands of a sort even existed in Meiji period. So, for over a hundred years, ramen has been weaved into the eating culture of Japan. Since the 1950's especially, ramen has boomed in popularity first in Japan, and later internationally. Japanese ramen has developed many regional variations, and has gained many, many 'followers.' In 2002, a government count of restaurants in Japan made it clear that no matter the origin, ramen reigned supreme: the ramen-ya is more pervasive than any other type of restaurant, with (at the time) over 200,000 shops/restaurants across the country. Does this make ramen Japanese?

Taking into hand the concept of yoshoku, along with other derivative 'foreign' foods of a closer geographical origin, it's apparent that 'foreign' foods play a significant role in the Japanese restaurant market.

But the agriculture of Japan itself remainds highly domestic. And Japan still only eats Japanese rice.

From this, one might think that perhaps Yoshoku has nothing to do with Washoku, or with Japanese rice. But what sort of a role does rice play in modifying a dish? Can it turn anotherwise completely Western dish into Yoshoku? Can it turn an otherwise Yoshoku-teki dish into a food that more closely appreciates Wa-shoku, or a Japanese traditional dish? I'd suggest that it has a role in influencing the categorization of the food, and that it does so in many different ways. And I'm planning on going to several different restaurants to test my theory, and blog each report.

Here are the business and food products that I will be investigating:

1. Mos Burger (Mitaka station, North Side)
   I will focus on the history and ingredients of the 'Rice Burger'
   
2. KaitenSushi (Koenji station, North Side)
   I will be talking to the chef about his shop special, "Hamburger Sushi'
   
3. Gusto (Musashisakai area, Tohachi Highway)
   I will be looking at the construction of set meals with rice
   
   

After reading this blog entry, I'd like to open up the comment box to discussion again...

What do you think of Yoshoku? What do you think of the Japanese reinterpretations of foreign foods? Do you think that it's an expression of Japanese identity, or do you think it's a sign that Japanese are 'losing their identity'? I'm interested in your thoughts!


Sources:

New York Times. Julia Moskin. Here Comes Ramen, The Slurp Heard Round The World. 11/10/2004.

New York Times. Norimitsu Onishi. Spaghetti Stir-Fry and Hambagoo: Japan Looks West. 3/26/2008.

The History and Culture of Japanese Food. Naomichi Ishige. 2001. Kegan Paul Limited. Columbia University Press. New York, NY.

To those curious, the ramen picture was taken at Guutara ramen in Mitaka.