The addition of "washoku" to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage has government and food industry officials hoping the recognition will provide a boost to traditional Japanese food not just overseas but also at home, where its popularity is waning.
"The biggest issue was that washoku may be fading from our psyche, and I felt a sense of alarm," said Isao Kumakura, president of Shizuoka University of Art and Culture and head of the panel of experts advising the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry on Japan's campaign for the UNESCO listing.
"My wish was that the listing would create a chance for the Japanese to refocus on Japanese food and culture," said Kumakura, who specializes in Japanese cultural history and the history of the tea ceremony. "We are eating less rice, and less domestically produced ingredients. We should eat more domestically produced foods."