Introduction to Japanese Culture by Daniel

Author:Daniel
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781462911530
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

In the past the taue rites were communal affairs involving the entire local community. Tree branches were sometimes placed at the minakuchi (sluice gates for irrigation of the paddy), and saké was offered to the tanokami, or field god. After the ritual offerings had been made, the actual work of transplanting began. In some cases, the entire process was regarded as a ceremonial act. Rhythmic drumming, exuberant rice-planting songs and considerable quantities of saké helped ease the labors of the field hands.

The samurai's annual rice allotment was measured out in koku. A koku was about 180 liters and was defined as the quantity of rice that would be eaten by the average person in one year. Since the days of the samurai, however, Japanese eating habits have changed steadily. The change in the consumption of rice is especially dramatic. Before World War II each adult in Japan ate an average of 135 kilograms of rice per year. After the war, dietary habits changed drastically. Bread was introduced as a substitute for rice. At the same time the consumption of meat increased. Consumption of rice and rice based products such as saké decreased. Annual per-capita consumption of rice fell to about 110 kilograms in 1965 and had dropped to about 70 kilograms by 1990. As a result, the government has accumulated vast stockpiles of rice.

One can be misled by these statistics, however. Rice still occupies a central place in the life of the Japanese people. Although rice is no longer the chief source of calories in the Japanese diet, it is the psychological and cultural "staff of life." No meal is considered complete without it. In the Japanese home, the simple, white grains of rice served in a bowl are likely to stir up images of the home and traditional things and of the happiness and health that arise from the simplicity and dignity of everyday life.

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