Ingrained habits: the 'kitchen cars' and the transformation of postwar Japanese diet and identity
| Autor: | Nathan Hopson |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Cultural Studies
Social Psychology Cold War 05 social sciences 0507 social and economic geography Identity (social science) Gender studies 06 humanities and the arts 050701 cultural studies Transformation (music) Politics nutrition 060105 history of science technology & medicine Japan dietary transformation nutritional improvement Political science wheat Cold war Public Law 480 0601 history and archaeology Kitchen cars Food Science |
| Zdroj: | Food, Culture & Society. 23(5):589-607 |
| ISSN: | 1552-8014 |
| Popis: | This article explores the history and politics of American-funded food demonstration buses (“kitchen cars”) in postwar Japan. Their express mission was to transform the Japanese national diet. I make two primary arguments. First, at least in the short to medium term, the kitchen cars were a win-win for both the United States and Japan. On the one hand, Japan benefited because the kitchen cars taught Japanese women how to cook cheap, nutritious, mostly easy dishes to improve the health of their families and the nation. On the other hand, these menus were planned specifically to increase consumption of American agricultural products, especially wheat, soy, and corn. For US agricultural and political interests, in addition to supporting the economic recovery and political stability of a Cold War ally, the kitchen cars – along with the school lunch program – were instrumental in teaching Japan to accept and consume American produce. My second argument concerns the reasons for the kitchen cars’ success. I identify the following two factors: staffing by mostly female professional nutritionists, who combined authority with approachability for the kitchen cars’ main audiences of middle-aged, married women; and the kitchen cars’ mobility, which allowed them to reach even remote villages and hamlets. Published online: 16 Oct 2020 ファイル公開：2022/03/16 |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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