Shelf Life

Bridging Cultures Through Cuisine: Aya Kagawa’s Japanese Cookbook and Post-war Diplomacy

Japanese Cookbook (1949), written by Aya Kagawa, is a part of the series of traveling guides started by the Board of Tourist Industry in 1934. It is a cookbook written for Westerners as a traveling guide to Japan during the newly aged alliance between the United States and the Japanese following the events of World War II. The cookbook itself shows an approachable and simplified concept of Japanese food to appeal to Americans. Unlike the fusion of traditions we consider America to be now, during the later half of the 20th century America had less knowledge of foods such as sushi, tempura, or tofu that we have familiarized ourselves with nationwide. Through food rationing crises, adaptations from America, and gastrodiplomacy, America and Japan developed a unique culinary relationship that reshaped Japanese foodways but also introduced Americans to Japanese cuisine.

Food Rationing and the Westernization of Japan’s Post-War Diet

Food rationing played a significant role in shaping Japan’s post-war diet. With farmlands destroyed and food supplies severely limited, the Japanese government during World War II implemented strict rationing policies to distribute scarce resources fairly among the population. Rice, the staple of the Japanese diet, was in such short supply that people were forced to rely on alternative grains like barley, millet, and even wheat imported from the United States. The American occupation played a significant role in correcting the crisis, supplying food aid and foods including meat and dairy. These foods contributed to a shift in perception between the nations, as wheat, meat, and dairy, considered the "bread and butter" of American cuisine, were not only culinary staples but also integral to the militarization of bodies, believed to be essential for fostering physical strength and resilience. As a result, Japanese diets began incorporating more Western-style meals, such as bread, milk, and processed foods, which were previously uncommon in traditional Japanese cuisine.  In Japanese Cookbook, an integration of udon noodles, a wheat based noodle, are prominent in several recipes showing a change in the typical diet of rice dominant meals.  School lunch programs, influenced by American nutritional standards, further reinforced these dietary changes by introducing milk and wheat-based products to younger generations. While these adjustments were initially driven by necessity, they ultimately contributed to a long-term shift in Japanese food culture, blending Western influences with traditional Japanese cooking. This period of food scarcity and adaptation not only reshaped Japan’s eating habits but also strengthened the culinary exchange between Japan and the United States, laying the foundation for a more interconnected global food culture.

American Influences on Japanese Cuisine in the Late 1940s

In the late 1940’s, American adaptations of Japanese cuisine were influenced by the limited availability of traditional Japanese ingredients and the need to make Japanese food more palatable to Western tastes. Dishes were often simplified or altered to incorporate familiar American ingredients, leading to the creation of fusion-style meals. For example, soy sauce was sometimes replaced with Worcestershire sauce, and Japanese curry was modified to have a thicker consistency, resembling American stews. In Japanese Cookbook, one can see this practice. Many dishes’ ingredient lists include substitutions for ingredients native to Japan, one can assume it could either be replacements for harder to gather ingredients or a replacement that would be found more appealing for the West. Alternatively, in Japan, the introduction of wheat and dairy products brought by United States’ food aid led to more wheat based dishes such as wheat based ramen or udon noodles and in some instances (referenced in Japanese Cookbook) macaroni. Additionally, early attempts to popularize Japanese cuisine in America often featured modified versions of dishes, like teriyaki-style meats with a sweeter glaze or rice-based meals that incorporated American proteins such as Spam. These adaptations not only made Japanese food more accessible to Americans but also set the foundation for the widespread popularity of Japanese cuisine in the United States in the decades to come.

Gastrodiplomacy and Cultural Bridges

Gastrodiplomacy played a crucial role in shaping the perception of Japanese cuisine and strengthening ties between Japan and the United States. Gastrodiplomacy is the use of food as a cultural and diplomatic tool to foster international relations, promote national identity, and create mutual understanding between nations. As part of post-war rebuilding efforts, the U.S. sought to promote cultural exchange through food, introducing American products like white bread, milk, and canned goods into Japanese diets while also encouraging Westerners to explore Japanese cuisine. The publication of cookbooks, like Aya Kagawa’s Japanese Cookbook , presented a simplified and approachable version of Japanese food tailored to American tastes. Japanese Americans, who during the war were incarcerated, played as intermedians that spreaded traditions in areas like Los Angeles, furthering the multicultural exchange. The efforts of the Japan Travel Bureau in publishing Japanese Cookbook and the quick shift of enemies turned allies,  illustrates the growing interest in Japan. Through gastrodiplomacy, food became a powerful tool not only for rebuilding Japan’s international image but also for strengthening the cultural bridge between Japanese and American communities in the post-war era.

 

For Further Research:

Kagawa, Aya. Japanese Cookbook. Tokyo, Japan, Japan Travel Bureau, 1949. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Bestor, Theodore C., 'Washoku, Far and Near: UNESCO, Gastrodiplomacy, and the Cultural Politics of Traditional Japanese Cuisine', in Nancy K. Stalker (ed.), Devouring Japan: Global Perspectives on Japanese Culinary Identity (New York, 2018; online edn, Oxford Academic, 19 Apr. 2018), https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190240400.003.0006, accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Cwiertka, Katarzyna J. Modern Japanese Cuisine: Cwiertka, Katarzyna J. Modern Japanese Cuisine : Food, Power and National Identity. London, Reaktion, 2006, accessed 24 Mar. 2025

Cwiertka, Katarzyna, and Miho Yasuhara. “Beyond Hunger: Grocery Shopping, Cooking, and Eating in 1940s Japan” in Japanese Foodways Past & Present, Edited by Eric C. Rath and Stephanie Assmann,  pp. 166 - 182. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025

Solt, George. “Ramen and U.S. Occupation Policy” in Japanese Foodways Past & Present, edited by Eric C. Rath and Stephanie Assman, pp. 186 - 201, 2014.

Matsumoto, Valerie J. “Apple Pie and Makizushi.” Japanese American Women Sustaining Family and Community, 2013. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.