July 31th, 2013(Wed)

〔Application of Japanese food culture to be registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage〕

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Rikifusa Satake

①     What is food culture?　

Food culture includes all the processes and other components all the way from preparing the dishes to eating.

(E.g. Cooking, tableware, decoration, clothes, service and hospitality)

②     Expected effects after registration

・Our country will approve food as one of its cultural assets

・Reinvigorate the food culture in Japan

・Introduce true Japanese food culture to all over the world

・Increase in number of tourists from other countries

③Schedules from the application of the Japanese food culture to successful registration
　Jul – Nov 2011   :   Committee Consideration for Japanese Food Culture application to UNESCO (4 times)

  　 National support for the application (e.g. by questionnaire)

  Jan – Feb 2012   :  Discussion in Cultural Affairs Commission (3 times)

　Mar 2012        :  Submission of the application to UNESCO

　Sept 2012        :  Decision for “WASHOKU” to have the nation highest priority
 
　Nov 2013        :  ※Announcement of a prior evaluation result by subsidiary institutions

      (Evaluation Committee consists of experts (e.g. cultural anthropologists) from six countries (Spain,

　　 　Czechoslovakia, Peru,   Nigeria, Morocco and Japan) from the Intergovernmental

　　　 Committee (Intergovernmental Committee consists of 24 countries from 148 member countries (as of 　 　　　
　　　 February, 2013)

    Dec 2013             :    ※Decision of the registration by Intergovernmental Committee

（1）We can be proud of Japanese food culture.                                            99.2%

（2）Japanese food culture is essential for Japanese people life.                  98.2%

（3）It is important to protect and pass down to next generation.                98.4%

（4）We support the registration of Japanese food culture as
UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage.                                                91.8%

⑤Essential requirement for the application

・Registration contents

・Protection steps

・Social consensus

※All Commercialism is prohibited

⑥World intangible cultural heritages

・French gastronomy (Registered in2010)

・Mediterranean cuisine (Registered in 2010)

・Traditional Mexican cuisine (Registered in 2010)

・Turkish tradition of Keskek (Registered in 2011)

⑦Registration contents

WASHOKU：Traditional Japanese food culture

1)      Variety of fresh ingredients with emphasis on natural flavor

・     Using various fresh products of the sea and land according to each season

・     Bringing out potential and natural flavor of food and making them look better

2)      Healthy diets with good nutritional balance

・     Meals are composed of nutritional food such as rice, miso soup, fish, vegetables, and edible wild plants.

・     Not much use of animal oil and fat contributes to long life and prevents obesity.

3)      Expression of beauty of nature and change of seasons

・     Beautiful food decoration by using seasonal leaves and flowers

・     Use of seasonal tableware and room arrangement

4)      Close relation with annual events

・     Annual events are closely related to Japanese cuisine, for example New Year food. By spending time eating together, it helps strengthen family and community bonds.　

Furthermore, there are three characteristics of WASHOKU.

1.      Rice as a staple food with one soup (miso soup) and three side dishes (main dish, side dish, and pickled vegetables)

2.      Combining the flavor of dishes together in the mouth while eating

　　　　Triangular eating：Meal is clearly divided into a main dish, side dishes and soup and eaten alternately.

3.      Japanese people sometimes hold dishes and eat directly from them, for example when they slurp soup.

　　　The tableware is made of wood, contrasting with South Korea that utilize metals.

We entitle “WASHOKU：Japanese traditional food culture” and suggest that it is a “social culture” relating to meals, which embodies Japanese ways of thinking and belief of the “respect for nature”.

⑧Protection steps

<Actions by community and local authorities>

・Providing local dishes in school meals and community events in order to let children

learn about “WASHOKU”.

(E.g. KIRISHIMA Food Education Workshop, IHINOSEKI Rice Cake Promotion Meeting, TSURUOKA-City Food Education/Local Food Production and Consumption Conference, SABAE-City)

・Conducting food education for all generations and positions under cooperation with

  families, schools, food producers, and private organizations.

(E.g. SHONAIHAMA Culture Missionary Association, KOGOTA Community Vegetarian Food Meeting, OBAMA-City, FUJINOMIYA-City)

・Create a registration system of people who have knowledge and skill about traditional

local “WASHOKU”.

(E.g. JA AKITA YAMAMOTO, HOKKAIDO, KAGAWA, ONO-City)

・Various food culture exhibitions in local symposiums and seminars

(E.g. SHIGA Food Culture Workshop, Agricultural, Mountain And Fishing Villages Research Council, Edible Wild Plants Culture Workshop)

<Other actions>

・Conducting various surveys and studies to accurately record and understand function

and importance of local “WASHOKU”.

(E.g. Local Housekeeping Society, Japan Food Education Society, OKINAWA Nutritionist Society,

Japan Traditional Food Workshop)

・Establishing institution of higher education to train cooking experts and researchers

who support inheritance of WASHOKU culture.

(E.g. KYOTO)

<Government’s support>

・Diffusing lifelong food education and supporting activities for inheritance of food

  　culture by basic food education promoting plan

・Introducing protective systems of geographical indication in order to protect food and agriculture, forestry and fishery 　　

　 products

・Holding new food exhibition and participating in the Milan International  

  　Exhibition in 2015

・Supporting monitoring actions
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