Japan, America, and Identity: A Culinary Triangle

概要

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Japanese cuisine has gained more attention and popularity than ever before. But one has to ask, What images come to mind when the suggestion to eat Japanese is made? Japanese food is representative of a traditional but hyper-modern culture containing a great deal of cultural capital (Bourdieu, 1978, 1991). This paper discusses qualitative findings related to the construction of identity through language use in Japanese restaurants. Questions the paper addresses are: (1) How is English used to make global Japanese food local?; (2) What Japanese text is used to allow Japanese cuisine to remain a distinct, ethnic eating experience?; (3) How does a Japanese restaurant fit into social relations between Japanese/Japanese, Japanese/non-Japanese, and non-Japanese/non-Japanese. The paper discusses findings from two different locations: the Lower East Side (Little Tokyo) of New York City and the Azabudistrict of Tokyo.