Food Representations in Japanese Media

Abstract

Since the period of modernization in the Meiji era (1868–1912), changes in lifestyle have brought about significant shifts in Japanese dietary habits and have also influenced how food is portrayed in the media. In contemporary Japanese society, food culture has always been closely intertwined with the media. Following a period of rapid economic growth beginning in the 1960s, the country has experienced various food trends, and people have constantly sought out information on new foods. Consequently, the act of eating and drinking has become a form of entertainment in its own right. The same principle applies in the realm of fiction. In Japanese media, for instance, representations of food fulfill a practical function as sources of information, as seen in cookbooks and gourmet guides, while also reflecting social dynamics. This chapter provides an overview of the development and key characteristics of food representations in Japanese popular media from three perspectives: “what to eat,” “where to eat,” and “who prepares and who eats it.” When referring to “media,” while the term is generally used to refer to a wide range of communication technologies and cultural forms, in this chapter it is used more specifically to refer to popular cultural media through which representations of food are produced and circulated in Japan. For analytical purposes, materials are broadly categorized as fictional media, such as literature, manga, and films, or nonfiction media, such as magazines and television programs. Food has not only circulated as information relating to consumption and lifestyle, but has also functioned as a cultural representation that shapes and reproduces social norms, such as notions of the family and gender roles. Meanwhile, in narrative media such as manga and films, food is used as a device to express characters’ psychology and interpersonal relationships. Since around the 2000s, it has also played a role in relativizing traditional norms through the depiction of diverse family structures and minority groups at dining settings. The diverse representation of food in Japanese media serves not only to reflect social norms but also to constitute a cultural practice that visualizes the rigidity of such norms, their shift alongside changing times, and both the reinforcement and subversion of those norms.