Elements
Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese, notably for the celebration of New Year
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Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright Manage No EE00000193 Country Japan ICH Domain Oral traditions and representations Social practices, rituals, festive events Knowledge and practices about nature and the universe Traditional craft skills Address The element is practiced all over the territory of the State. The element has basic common characteristics but has great diversity from Hokkaido in northern Japan, to Okinawa in southern Japan, responding to the wide range of geographical conditions and the differences of historical background. Use of diverse kinds of seafood, agricultural products and edible wild plants in the element created regional diversity, where local people have fostered the kind of traditional dietary culture unique to each region all over Japan.
| Description | WASHOKU is social practice based on a comprehensive set of skills, knowledge, practice and traditions related to the production, processing, preparation and consumption of food. It is associated with an essential spirit of respect for nature closely related to the sustainable use of natural resources. WASHOKU has developed as part of daily life and with a connection to annual events and is constantly recreated in response to changes in human relationship with natural and social environment. Basic knowledge, social and cultural characteristics associated with WASHOKU are typically seen in New Year’s cerebrations when Japanese people immerse themselves in their tradition transmitted from generations to generations, thus reaffirming their identity and continuity. WASHOKU in New Year’s celebrations are regionally rich in diversity, given that each province has its own historical and geographical specificity. People make various preparation to welcome the deities of the incoming year; pounding rice cakes, preparing special meals such as beautifully decorated dishes called Osechi, Zoni and Toso, using fresh locally available ingredients each of which has a symbolic meaning. These dishes are served on special tableware and shared by the family members, or shared collectively by the community members, ensuring peoples’ health and social cohesion. This provides an occasion for elderly persons to teach the meanings contained in this social practice to the children. In daily life, WASHOKU has important social functions for the Japanese to reaffirm identity, to foster familial and community cohesion, and to contribute to healthy life, through sharing traditional and well-balanced meals. |
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| Social and cultural significance | Through sharing culturally, socially and nutritionally appropriate meals that other Japanese people consume and that their ancestors enjoyed, Japanese people strengthen their feelings of belonging, thereby reconfirming their identity as Japanese. For example the tastes and smells of rice cake, stock (Dashi) or fermented seasonings often used in special meals for New Year’s celebrations are symbols of Japanese traditional diet, providing a valuable opportunity to reconfirm Japanese tradition and sense of identity. In terms of social and cultural functions, the element fosters familial and social cohesion among families and communities which includes the very elderly and handicapped. Food preparation for various events by community cooperation and mutualism such as rice pounding for New Year’s celebration is an example to strengthen the feelings of solidarity and fellowship. By sharing mealtime and appreciating nature-gifted ingredients together, people strengthen the bonds of family or community members. The element thus has laid the foundations for development of social capital such as the spirit of solidarity shared among farmers in the production of WASHOKU ingredients. The element also contributes to a healthy life, long life expectancy and prevention of obesity among the Japanese. Since it requires intake of various nature based and locally supplied ingredients such as rice, fish, vegetables and edible wild plants, meals offered in the element are nutritionally well balanced and culturally meaningful to Japanese. Additionally, knowledge and practice related to Dashi and fermented seasonings with their rich savory flavor contributes to lowering caloric intake and prevents obesity by replacing animal fats. |
| Transmission method | The basic knowledge and skills related to the element, such as proper seasoning of home cooking and its spiritual and wholesome aspects are called “Ofukuro-no-aji (taste of mother’s cooking: home cooking)”. They were handed down from parents or grandparents to their descendants at home. Elderly people in local communities have transmitted their own dietary culture to the younger generations. These spiritual and wholesome aspects, cultural knowledge and skills have been transmitted mainly by means of oral tradition and practice, while sharing mealtime and events together. Grassroots groups also transmit the knowledge and skills to children and to younger generations by means of formal and non-formal education (e.g. lectures on traditional dietary culture in school or cooking class) or providing experiences (e.g. demonstration of and offering local specialties). In addition, school teachers have been transmitting knowledge and skills about the element in school curricula and also with school lunches by giving pupils opportunities to experience traditional local dietary culture. Cooking instructors transmit them at cooking schools or some events in urban contexts. Furthermore, specialized knowledge and skills of the element handed down to trainees through an apprentice system that contributes to transmitting the specialized knowledge of the element to the general public. This knowledge and skills are constantly recreated in response to changes of the social environment such as influx of diverse cultures or technological development, but their underlying spirit and functions continue to prevail. Thus, the element provides a sense of identity and continuity to the Japanese. |
| Community | The practitioners of the element are all of the Japanese people. The bearers of the element are; 1) Families Parents or grandparents transmit the element to their descendants at home. They teach children basic knowledge of the element including spiritual and health aspects and related manners. For example, to celebrate New Year, all members of a family get together and share Osechi. Each item of Osechi has a specific health related virtue and has an auspicious meaning, and elderly persons teach these to the children. 2) Local communities In local communities, elder persons or experts who have skills and knowledge about the element are the bearers of the tradition who transmit the element by means of leading community members in activities such as pounding rice cakes. 3) Grassroots groups Many grassroots groups have been established in order to preserve local dietary culture. They sometimes assume the role of transmitting the element on behalf of communities and the parents, especially in rural areas where the bond of local communities has been weakened, and in the urban context where opportunities to transmit at home are decreasing because single-family households are increasing. 4) School teachers and Cooking instructors School teachers, play a significant role in teaching the health related virtues of the element and supporting the transmission of the element to younger generations. In urban contexts, cooking instructors play a similar role. 5) Craftsmen Craftsmen, who create utensils and special tableware used to serve WASHOKU, are also bearers of the element. |
| Type of UNESCO List | Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
| Incribed year in UNESCO List | 2013 |