Abstract

Walking, Eating, Learning — A Fieldwork-Based Exploration of Kyoto’s Food Heritage
A cultural guide offering a panoramic understanding of Kyoto’s food traditions

Designated by UNESCO as part of the world’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, Washoku (Japanese cuisine) has its roots in Kyoto’s long and refined food culture. This book serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding that heritage — its history, development, and enduring character — through multiple perspectives and disciplines. Covering not only dishes and sweets but also the ingredients that sustain them — water, grains, vegetables, seafood, markets, and shops — this volume draws on extensive fieldwork and coursework conducted by the Department of Washoku Culture at Kyoto Prefectural University.

Structured into eleven chapters, it explores both traditional and contemporary aspects, comparing Kyoto’s food culture with that of other regions. From cultural insights to scientific perspectives, the book invites readers to walk through Kyoto themselves, experiencing and verifying its culinary culture firsthand. It is designed as a “fieldwork guide” for those who wish to learn about Kyoto not only through reading but through seeing, tasting, and walking.
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Contents
1. The Waters of Kyoto
2. Seasonal Foods
3. Markets, Shopping Streets, and Stores
4. Kyoto Sweets
5. Kyoto’s Fermented Foods
6. Rice, Beans, and Wheat
7. Fish of Kyoto
8. Kyoto Vegetables
9. Western, Chinese, and Coffee Culture in Kyoto
10. Kyoto and Other Regions
11. The Philosophy of Food

Author’s Information

Director of the Museum of Natural and Environmental History, Shizuoka; Visiting Professor, Kyoto Prefectural University Research Center for Washoku Culture; Recipient of the Kyoto City Cultural Merit Award. Born in Wakayama Prefecture in 1952. Ph.D. in Agriculture. After graduating from Kyoto University, he held academic positions at Kochi University, the National Institute of Genetics, and Shizuoka University, later serving as Professor and Deputy Director at the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature. He has also been Professor at Kyoto Sangyo University and Kyoto Prefectural University. Dr. Sato is widely known for his research on the origins of food and agriculture and for his interdisciplinary work connecting food culture, ecology, and history.