Modern Japanese Cuisine

Katarzyna Cwiertka, lecturer in Japanese studies at Leiden University, presents in this book a history of the development of modern Japanese cuisine (i.e. from the Meiji revolution to the present day). She focuses on the social and political factors that affected the eating habits of the Japanese people, arguing that what is regarded as traditional Japanese cuisine is to a great extent a product of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century imperial policies. She also argues that a great deal of what is regarded as properly Japanese cuisine is in fact of Western (European and American), Chinese, and Korean origin. Of especial interest is her documentation of the extensive role that military catering played in the creation of a homogeneous national cuisine. A postscript looks at the developments Japanese cuisine has undergone outside Japan. The book is clearly written and accessible to non-academics, with a bibliography that provides English-language sources whenever possible. This is an excellent book that should be of interest to anyone interested in Japanese cooking or Japanese culture.