In recent years, Japanese food has become popular both at home and abroad. This won the hearts of foreign athletes at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Tourists to Japan seek out and visit food places that even the Japanese never know.
What is the secret of this popularity?
Japan is in the Food Heaven
Expanding Tourists to Japan Year by Year
The number of tourists visiting Japan is more increasing. According to Euromonitor International‘s report, Tokyo and Osaka were ranked 4th and 16th in the Top 100 City Destinations Index 2023, focusing on the big rises from the 20th and 46th. Also, Japan was the best country in the 2023 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.
Recently, the reason of this popularity would has some of fundamental factors. The strongest one is that guests can exchange into Japanese yen very cheap. If they selected Japan as their trip destination, they could have much more experiences than expected.
One of their experiences is the Food Culture in Japan
Now, the most famous experience in Japan is their local food culture. Japanese people have been abnormally inquisitive and open-minded about food since ancient times. A lot of people might have a strong image of Japan as Sushi. However, once they visited, they would be forced to change the impression to Japan dramatically.
First, we want to consider why Sushi is recognized around the world. This is an achievement by Japanese sushi craftsmen who spread the Japanese sushi culture to the world. How did they succeed? They did not export the Japanese Sushi. They created “New Sushi” for the people of the country to love, arranging the ingredients and flavors to suit their own favorite such as California Rolls in the United States.
Would the same be true in any other country? No, it would not. It can be assumed that, in most countries, their food is tailored to the tastes of their own ethnic and religious groups. So, this is one of the reasons why most people struggle with food when they travel abroad.
Delicious and Diversified
Deep interesting, many tourists who have visited Japan say today:
“Japanese food was so incredible”
“Nice hospitality”
“We’ll come back to Japan someday”
Generally speaking, Japanese people are shy, and their language skills are even more difficult. So, in the past, tourists have sometimes avoided Japan as a travel destination. Now, it seems to be different, because most of these communication issues can be solved by digital technologies.
However, it would be infinitely impossible for such highly digital technologies to absorb the differences in taste preferences based on ethnicity and religion. In other words, it can be imagined that the Japanese food is very outward-looking and diversified, contrary to the inward-looking temperament of the Japanese people, who has been raised in a single ethnic group.
It is the Japanese Identity
Omotenashi Spirit
It can be assumed that this strange phenomenon was caused by one identity that Japanese people have possessed since ancient times. This identity is named “Omotenashi-Spirit” by the Japanese people.
It isn’t easy to translate this word into English or other. General translators would translate this word to the hospitality, the service, or the manner, but they are all right and not right. Omotenashi is a unique concept born in Japan and is more historical and significant than we can imagine.
The origin of this concept is not certain and there are various theories. The most popular theory is said to be found in the first constitution enacted in Japan by Prince Shotoku in A.D.604. This constitution had 17 articles and the first article has a well-known phrase that is still transmitted to the Japanese people through education. This phrase is:
Wa-wo-motte-tohtoshi-to-nasu
(Cherish the harmony among people)
Japan in this period was engaged in active exchanges with the Eurasian continent, including China, but at the same time had many conflicts with these foreigners. He probably considered that these conflicts would not be beneficial to his country, Japan. It can be imagined that “Wa” in this phrase would mean not only to stop confrontation, but also to respect and harmonize different values without denying them. The Japanese food would be one of the few cultures that have continued to realize the “Wa” for a long time.
Omotenashi has born Creativity
This identity of “Omotenashi” embracing diversity has made the Japanese food a generous food culture, which has born various creativities. A famous food creativity is “Tempura”, batter-dipped deep-fried seafood and vegetables.
In fact, it is said that this cooking method was introduced from Portugal in the Muromachi-period (1336-1573) along with guns and named after “Tempero”, seasonings in Portuguese. Tempura has evolved in its own unique way in Japan, and now, as one of the most famous Japanese soul foods, it is very popular among a lot of Japanese people and tourists from abroad.
“Ramen“, which was a Chinese dish originally, has now spread throughout the world as a casual Japanese food. “Curry Rice“, also, has taken its own evolutionary path, quite different from that of authentic India. Furthermore, in Japan, when you order coffee, you will be asked “Ice or Hot?”. This would never happen in Europe or South America. “Iced Coffee” is a uniquely Japanese creativity born in the climate of high temperature and humidity.
Today, there might be no other country in the world where you can enjoy cuisines from all over the world and their originality as much as in Japan, and the world is beginning to realize the appeal of Japanese food. These facts prove that “Omotenashi” is more than just transient hospitality and manners.
