Regional Cuisine of Japan-Hokkaido

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Introduction

Every nation has its cuisine, which is specific only to a certain geographic territory. Hokkaido is a Japanese island, located in the north part of Japan. It is important to understand that cuisine does not exist separately from the culture, customs, attitudes, nature, geographical location, and demographics of the region. This paper provides the description and the history of Japan-Hokkaido cuisine, which is vital for Japanese heritage and culture. The factors as a change agent, culture, topography, flora, fauna, and demographics have a significant impact on the characteristics of the cuisine and its special features. The influence of these factors on the cuisine development is analyzed to understand how Hokkaido’s cuisine was in the past and will be in the future.

Historical Background

Firstly, it is critical getting a historical background of Japan-Hokkaido cuisine. Hokkaido attracts tourists by the plethora of seafood dishes (“Japan National Tourism Organization” par. 1). Foreigners get the opportunity to try Ishikari-nabe: the fundamental idea of the dish is to utilize the whole salmon in the preparation (“Japan National Tourism Organization” par.2). The origin of this dish comes from the 1800s when the Ainu people cooked this soup with salmon and vegetables on the regular basis (“Japan National Tourism Organization” par.2).

Secondly, it has to be mentioned that Hokkaido’s dishes also include other types of fish and seafood (“Japan National Tourism Organization” par.1). The crab is one of the key elements of Hokkaido’s dishes. Another important dish is the Genghis Khan nabe: it is mutton roasted in different vegetables (“Japan National Tourism Organization” par.3). This dish is influenced by Mongolian cuisine.

Thirdly, Miso Ramen is another exceptional dish of this region, and now Ramen chefs tend to argue about who has the most delicious Ramen and create a lot of fuss about it (Parrish par.1). Speaking about the history of Ramen, it originally comes from China, but it was popularized in Japan during the times of World War II (Brickman par.4). Furthermore, importing flour from the Western countries became inexpensive (Parrish par. 5). This fact also encouraged the fame of ramen in Hokkaido. Speaking specifically about Hokkaido cuisine, Shio is the winter ramen, which uses sea salt in it (Parrish par. 8). It was originally introduced in Hokkaido and still, the Hokkaido region is famous for its ramen noodles. The preparation process is simple and does not consume a lot of time.

In addition, tourists like to try corn and potatoes in Hokkaido (Mason 1). These products are present and considered as traditional features of Hokkaido’s dishes. Potatoes and corn were the vegetables, which came from the west and became a vital part of Hokkaido’s festival’s cuisine. They are widely used in Hokkaido and are associated with its culture, cuisine, and heritage.

Moreover, it can be said that the phenomenon of the influences of other countries on Japanese cuisine can be considered as a paradox. The key reason for that is the fact that Japan was isolated or did not maintain contact with other countries for the most part of its history (Goodman 32). However, Hokkaido was able to establish a distinctive cuisine.

Change Agent

As for the change agent, China always had a vital involvement in the culture, ideology, and attitudes of Japan (Cwiertka 139). It has to be mentioned that Japan also borrowed some ideas and dishes from the West (Cwiertka 139). The combination of Japanese, Western and Chinese culture makes Hokkaido’s culture unique and exclusive.

It has to be mentioned that Hokkaido’s dishes were also slightly influenced by Mongolia. The presence of the Genghis Khan nabe as a traditional Hokkaido dish proves this statement. Moreover, Japan was also under the strong guidance of the United States of America. Consequently, the buildings in Hokkaido’s capital remind of the western city (Mason 1). The presence of potatoes and corn in Hokkaido’s cuisine is the result of western influence.

However, the essential event, which had a significant impact on Hokkaido’s cuisine and culture, is the Second World War (Brickman par.4). During the war times, ramen was widely known since Japan needed to save financial resources for the army supply and the ingredients needed for the ramen production were rather cheap (Parrish par. 5). It helped the government of Japan to prevent starvation in the country and keep the soldiers equipped for the battles. Moreover, Japanese canneries, which were established earlier, were rather common during the war times (Cwiertka 63). The seafood, specifically salmon, was easy to catch and utilize for food manufacturing and consumption. Although, it has to be mentioned that Hokkaido’s consumption of canned salmon was not as common in Japan as it was in Europe during the war (Cwiertka 63). A significant amount of canned salmon was meant for export. However, it was also used to feed Japanese soldiers. The products were easy to transport, and the soldiers were not dependent on the delivery of food supplies anymore. These facts explain the attractiveness of Japanese canned food in European and Japanese society.

Geography and Topography

The geographical location of Hokkaido is rather special since it is located in the northern part of Japan near Russia. The Sea of Okhotsk, the Sea of Japan, and the Pacific Ocean surround Hokkaido (“Yale Center for International and Area Studies” par.1). Since the water surrounds the island, the presence of seafood in Hokkaido’s cuisine is not surprising. Moreover, this fact also explains the presence of sea salt in Shio. It makes it unique and unusual only for this part of Japan.

The topography provides a detailed and precise description of Hokkaido’s Island. Hokkaido island is rather big and has an “area of 31,200 square miles, is very close to the size of Austria” (Irish 9). The island occupies the fifth part of Japanese territory. Nevertheless, it is not as impressive as the population in the other parts of Japan. The island is in the seventh place in the country regarding the amount of population (Irish 9). Hokkaido has a significant amount of rivers, and they can be considered the longest in Japan (Irish 9). The presence of water around and on the territory of the island explains the existence of fish in the majority of Hokkaido’s dishes.

At the same time, the island’s surface is covered with mountains, seismically active areas, and volcanoes (“Yale Center for International and Area Studies” par. 7). Two main volcanoes, which are situated in Hokkaido, are Rishiri and Rebun (Goss 57). Living in a seismically active area is dangerous as eruptions or earthquakes might occur at any moment. This fact explains the necessity of the ability to prepare the food quickly by using the seafood and the other ingredients, which are always available. The combination of these geographical characteristics explains the simplicity of the recipes of Hokkaido’s dishes. All of them are rather simple and fast to make and consist out of ingredients, which are always locally available.

The winter climate in Hokkaido can be referred to as cold with a high level of snow (Irish 12). However, the cherry blossoms and other beautiful plants and flowers encourage the appearance of the spring (Irish 12). After the warm time, the autumn starts earlier and brings the cold back. In relation to Hokkaido’s cuisine, as the cold seasons occupy more time of the calendar year than in the rest of Japan, Japanese favor hot stews to stay warm. Ramen and Ishikari-nabe are hot dishes. It is the primary cause for the dishes to continue being popular and helpful in this part of Japan.

Culture

Hokkaido’s culture is dramatically different from the other parts of Japan, even though it is a crucial part of it. Until modern times, Hokkaido was under the influence of the Ainu people’s culture, which inhabited the territory. However, Ainu’s culture was existing separately and was not strongly attached to Japanese culture (“Musee Japan” par. 3). At the beginning of the 1800s, Japan started the development of the modern state. The fall of the Tokugawa shogunate was the preeminent reason for the urbanization and fast enlargement of Hokkaido (“Musee Japan” par. 3). During the ruling of the Matsumae clan, it was allowed to sell kelp, shells, and other local products, but no rice was sold or distributed (“Musee Japan” par. 12). Consequently, the absence of rice in modern cuisine could be explained by the trading policies in the past. Moreover, fish and sea products were always in favor of Hokkaido.

In terms of culture and arts, the Japanese believe in various fantastic creatures as dragons and ghosts (Brown and Brown 88). In addition, the Japanese have a tendency to give a lot of attention to the different meaningful aspects of their culture and make them widely acceptable and cherished. Nowadays, there is numerous amount of different movies, animes, and mangas, which have various beasts present as negative or positive characters (Brown and Brown 88). Japanese kitchen from all parts of Japan is rapidly becoming familiar and famous around the world with the help of blogs, cartoons, and other social means of the Internet. This fact dramatically affects the preparation and the outlook of modern Hokkaido cuisine, and the products become more personalized and special.

Another crucial aspect of Japanese culture is the status of Japanese animated series and movies (Kehr par.2). Anime is a Japanese cartoon; it applies multiple genres (Kehr par.2). Japanese anime directors present and implement various ideas with the help of animation. One of them is the intention to increase the demand for ramen around the world (Hern par.5). Having various campaigns helps to boost the importance of Japanese ramen. This cultural feature increases awareness of Japanese dishes. It can be beneficial for Hokkaido’s cuisine in the future.

Speaking about the attitudes towards space, in Hokkaido, people have more private space. However, even in Hokkaido, they tend to think that a large amount of private space is a luxury (Iijima, Mather, and Pradyumna 36). This fact clearly explains Japanese eating and cooking habits since they prefer to have rather small portions and the table setting does not take a lot of space. Moreover, ramen and salmon can be easily stored and prepared.

Hokkaido is known as a common tourist destination. People from different parts of the world come and get inspired by its natural beauty. There is numerous amount of festivals, which attract people from all over the globe. Sapporo Snow Festival is one of them (Mason 1). Hokkaido does not look like the rest of Japan as it has elements of Western architecture (Mason 2). Furthermore, Mason emphasizes, the presence of potatoes and corn “strengthens the foreign flavor” (Mason 1). This fact implies that Hokkaido combines features of different cuisines to persist uncommonly.

Innovation

Innovation is an influential part of the world’s development process. The Internet is a vital instrument to receive and share information with other people. With the growth of the internet, it became easier to cook traditional Japanese dishes at home. Previously, it was necessary to “order ramen books from Japan and wait weeks for them to arrive”, to prepare ramen or any other dish from Hokkaido (Hern par.5). Now the process is not special anymore. Everyone can check the recipe on the internet, buy all the required ingredients, and prepare it at home without any difficulties. However, special products are needed to cook it more precisely. Consequently, Shio remains a unique dish of the Hokkaido region. However, the imitations of Shio could be easily cooked by anyone.

Additionally, globalization is another trend, which alters the technology of food production. Since the food-manufacturing systems are evolving, food production and distribution are becoming more saturated and diverse (Kennedy, Nantel, and Shetty 1). However, it eases the cooking and delivery of the products to people. Consequently, Hokkaido’s ramen and salmon can be produced and delivered to any country in the world. The accessibility of the Internet makes Hokkaido’s cuisine popular around the globe. Nonetheless, it is less special and dependent on Hokkaido’s territory and culture. As for a positive change, the food is now manufactured in the factories. It makes the method of meal preparation more automatized and easy to use. Anyone in the world can buy ramen noodles in the supermarket.

Future Trends

Since the technology is rapidly developing there are some future trends, which will dramatically change the food industry. There were already some cooking innovations introduced in 2014, for example, holographic chefs and smart knives (Fleming par. 4). The future of food development is rather unpredictable as the innovations appear and are implemented continuously. It might be assumed, that food cooking and production will be even more automatized, and smart machines and robots will replace the real chefs. The food preparation and consumption will not be as exciting and emotional as it is now, however, it will be available worldwide. This fact will also affect the popularity of Hokkaido’s food in a positive way. Moreover, the cooking process will need less time, but it will make Hokkaido’s food less special and exceptional.

Since the population is rising, the world might soon experience a food shortage (Fox par.1). Consequently, scientists and researchers are looking for possible alternatives to replace normal food. One of them is insects. Some people in Africa and Asia already actively consume them on the regular basis (Fox par. 2). Another action that can be done to save the world population from starvation is “edible packaging” (Fox 4). Food replacement with plant alternatives will help to decrease meat consumption in the world (Fox 6). If the population of Earth continues growing, eating traditional Hokkaido food might be impossible or difficult. These future trends will make Hokkaido’s special dishes luxurious and delicacy. This fact contradicts today’s internet positive effect on Hokkaido’s dishes, as people would be able to try it, but not to prepare.

Social Influences

Japanese population’s decision-making is highly affected by social norms. Social norms are the essential social influencers, which have a dramatic impact on the behavioral patterns of Japanese people. Japanese people have a tendency to care about other people’s feelings (Brown and Brown 43). Moreover, they do not usually show their emotions; it is impolite and disrespectful to disagree. Subsequently, the Japanese avoid giving negative replies to other people’s questions or offers (Brown and Brown 43). A combination of these facts has a strong impact on Japanese and Hokkaido’s cuisine. It could be said that even though Hokkaido’s dishes are rather specific and include precise ingredients, the meal still takes into account other people’s tastes. Additionally, it uses the basic products of Japanese cuisine to show politeness. It does not want to offend other regions’ feelings and taste preferences. However, different regions of Japan respect each other’s special dishes, and this fact is explained by the social norms.

Another trend in Japanese society, which affects the behavior of Japanese people, is conformity. People have a tendency to put society’s views and opinions before their own (Sugimoto 149). However, it has to be mentioned that Japanese society is rather paradoxical since there is numerous amount of movie directors, actors and models, who are highly individualistic (Mouer and Sugimoto 199). Moreover, it can be said that the popularity of individuality and a high sense of personality is growing in Japanese society. These facts have reflections on Japanese cuisine. The dishes are rather similar to each other in different parts of Japan. But yet they have a small piece of individuality in each of them, for example, Shio is a specific dish of Hokkaido. It is regular Japanese ramen; however, sea salt makes it different.

Contemporary Uses

The cuisine of Hokkaido is used in a modern way around the world since it is highly famous and available in every country. Nowadays, traditional ramen could be used and prepared in different ways. A ramen burger is an innovation in culinary history, which unifies the cuisines of completely different cultures in one dish (Trauntlein par. 2). As it was mentioned previously ramen was highly popularized in the world with the help of various campaigns and promotions. This fact brought the cooking of ramen to a completely modern and different level. Even though this burger represents classical ramen, it is just a beginning for the quickly excavating popularity of other Japanese dishes, especially, the ones from Hokkaido. It can be said that is just a beginning in the innovation, advancement, and integration of Japanese cuisine in the world. It has a promising future, as a majority of Hokkaido’s dishes are still unexplored. The example of the ramen burger presents the modern use of ramen in the world and its success story of the modern cuisine evolution.

Hokkaido’s fauna

Hokkaido’s fauna tends to be similar to American wild nature. There is a significant amount of wild animals present on Hokkaido Island: foxes, bears, squirrels, and many others (“Hokkaido Official Tourism Website” par. 8). The climate is different compared to the other parts of Japan. That is why these types of animals are live there in Hokkaido.

Moreover, it has to be mentioned that mutton is another animal, which lives in Hokkaido. Hokkaido’s population actively uses mutton in its traditional dishes such as the Genghis Khan nabe (“Japan National Tourism Organization” par.3).

Additionally, since Hokkaido is surrounded by water, there is a significant amount of fish, seaweed, and other sea animals present in the ocean. The impact of the seafood can be noticed in Hokkaido’s cuisine, as the central dish includes salmon. Moreover, sea salt is used as a specific spice. It is a key ingredient in Hokkaido’s ramen, Shio. Even though, Japan is located on the islands, for some reason Hokkaido’s cuisine uses seafood specialties. This fact of emphasizing fish as the major ingredient might be explained by the presence of long rivers on the territory of the island, which is full of fish and other animals.

Hokkaido’s flora

Hokkaido’s climate strongly affects the flora of the island. Since the time of the cold season has a predominance over the warm time, the coniferous trees occupy a majority of the forest. Hokkaido’s forest reminds of the forest of the United States: “The forests are truly primeval, consisting of huge trees of strange varieties, twined with numerous kinds of climbing vines, hung with parasitic ferns and lichens, and an undergrowth of dense shrubs and bamboo grass from five to eight feet high” (Irish 16). It can be said that since coniferous forests dominate, other plants and trees are in the minority. This fact has a reflection in Hokkaido’s cuisine as it does not have many natural plants present in the traditional dishes of the island. The cuisine is mostly focused on the presence of fish and ramen in the dishes. These characteristics make Hokkaido’s food different and dependent on the flora of the island.

Additionally, vegetables are actively planted in Hokkaido as farming is well developed in this region (Pradyumna 81). As a result, vegetables such as pumpkin and potatoes are widely used in Hokkaido’s dishes. Furthermore, tourists have the ability to try corn during interesting festivals in Hokkaido.

Hokkaido’s Demographics

The demographics present the data about the population, family size, and family traditions in Hokkaido. Hokkaido has a population of only 5.7 million people, which is the fifth of the in Japan population (Iijima et al. 9). The families tend to be small in Hokkaido (Kumagai16). Another critical fact about Japanese families is that the social conformity rules are also in respect there (“Japan” par 9). All family members should put in the priority a commonwealth of the family. Moreover, Japan experiences a decline in birth and an increase in the rapidly aging population (Kumagai 20). A majority of the elderly live individually and experience some problems regarding their living arrangements. However, they are still able to have an exciting and active life (Kumagai 35). Furthermore, it can be said that Hokkaido’s population responds to the all required characteristics, which will encourage them to save and protect Hokkaido’s cuisine.

Another interesting fact is that some of Hokkaido’s cities are disappearing, for example, Yubari. Yubari is the oldest city in Hokkaido. The meaning of the word “oldest” can be understood literally. The city is old historically and also can be referred to as the city of pensioners (Hendy par. 2). Since the population of Yubari is the elderly, the historical traditions are well respected and followed in this city. Traditional dishes as Ishikari-nabe and miso ramen are consistent with the traditional recipes. For this matter, the dishes remain well known and are respected as a part of Hokkaido’s heritage.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be said while analyzing the development and appearance of the cuisine, geographical location, topography, demographics, social aspects, flora, fauna, and other elements have to be taken into account. Speaking about Hokkaido’s cuisine, it should be mentioned that it combines Western, Japanese, and Chinese aspects. Additionally, it has a slight presence of Mongolian flavors in traditional dishes. This fact emphasizes the specifics of Hokkaido’s cultural advancement and cuisine. However, the combination of different cuisines is astonishing since Japan was always isolated from other countries.

Firstly, it is important to understand the historical background of Hokkaido’s dishes. It helps to follow the process of creation and enlargement. Secondly, the geography and topography of the area have to be discovered. These aspects provide the information and explanation of the main attributes of Hokkaido’s cuisine and their impact on the improvement of the dishes. The presence of fish, seafood, and techniques of the ramen preparation can also be explained by the climate, flora, fauna, and seismically active area.

In addition, the culture also has a certain impact on the cuisine’s changes of as a strong correlation between habits, attitudes, customs, and cuisine can be noticed. Hokkaido’s culture differs from the rest of Japan because of its location, territory, topography, and demographics. Hokkaido’s culture has a tendency to combine different flows. These influences can be strongly observed in Hokkaido’s cuisine.

The demographics have a significant impact on Hokkaido’s cuisine. The population of Hokkaido is rather specific and majorly consists of the elderly. This fact implies that it respects and values the traditions of Hokkaido’s island. It is one of the major reasons for the presence and the popularity of Hokkaido’s cuisine and its heritage in Japan.

The change agent, innovation, modern uses, and future trends were discussed in the paper. These factors provided evidence of the improvement of the dish in the past and future. It can be said that the popularity and internet access gives people from different countries and continents to explore Hokkaido’s cuisine. It has both negative and positive impacts on Hokkaido’s dishes. Hokkaido’s dishes are gaining popularity around the world; this can be referred to as a positive trend. Finally, food preparation becomes easier and less time-consuming. However, with the development of technologies and innovations, the cooking process becomes less special and specific. It can be said that by becoming famous worldwide, Hokkaido’s dishes lose their certain features and uniqueness.

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