Lara Fischer, Arian Malek und Nicole Risto have interviewed three Japanese entrepreneurs who run eateries in Berlin. The video the students have produced, presents these interviews and gives insights into their migration experience, their work and their everyday life in Berlin. Please watch the video here:

by Jennifer Li and Maxime Barbasetti

As part of our methods course, we practiced participant observation by visiting the Japanese cafeteria ‘Shokudō’ at Freie Universität Berlin. In order to find out how Japanese is represented in the cafeteria, we wanted to focus our observation on the cafeteria’s interior design and the food on offer. We began our observation at the food counter. Slowly but surely, the queue at the food counter filled up, as it was lunchtime. Normally, Shokudō serves mainly vegetarian and vegan dishes, but the day we were there, they happened to have a meat ‘special’, so one of us chose spare ribs with roasted Japanese sweet potatoes and coleslaw with coriander.

Although this dish was delicious, it would not generally be described as an ‘authentic’ Japanese dish, and this was also true of the other dishes on offer. However, what all the dishes on the menu had in common was that they always included Japanese ingredients such as udon, miso or, in this case, Japanese sweet potatoes, or that the dish was inspired by Japanese classics such as Japanese curry or katsudon. Another example of this was the salad bar, which used many ingredients from Japanese and East Asian cuisine such as miso, kimchi, shiitake mushrooms, umeboshi, yuzu, sesame or seaweed in its seasonings, dressings or as garnishes. This also applies to the desserts, which are based on European recipes such as panna cotta, but have a Japanese touch. Another aspect that struck us about the dishes was that, although minimalist, they were presented or garnished in a visually appealing way. The cafeteria also features a kiosk selling Japanese treats like mochi, matcha and yuzu cheesecake which is very popular in Japan but also overseas. In summary, while there are Japanese influences in the choice of ingredients, the way of preparation as well as the dishes, the menu could be best described as Japanese-Asian-European fusion cuisine.

On our way to the tatami room, which is located at the back of the cafeteria, we passed the larger dining room. Here, sudare (Japanese wooden blinds), wooden windows and lanterns, created a very cosy atmosphere with Japanese flair. The use of wood in interior design continues throughout Shokudō. In the passage that connects the main dining area with a smaller dining area and the tatami room, there are many wooden counters and seating areas. While blue is the dominant color in the main dining room, the passageway connecting the two dining rooms is painted red and, with its red pillars and lacquered stools, is reminiscent of Japanese izakaya or ramen stalls.

The element that we think is most clearly associated with Japan is the painting of the sun rising behind Mount Fuji, which is hard to miss as you enter the cafeteria. Behind it is a tatami-style room that combines several elements of Japanese interior design. Although the tatami room does not have real tatami mats, the low tables and seat cushions give the impression of entering a traditional Japanese tea room. Another element is the step that leads to the tatami room itself, as it is reminiscent of a Japanese entrance area, where you place your shoes in the entrance area before entering the living room. Other decorative elements include imitation plants reminiscent of Japanese reeds, koi fish paintings on the wall and, again, wooden lanterns.

However, our observation did not go unnoticed and presented us with an unexpected opportunity: While we were taking notes in the cafeteria, Esko Niggemann, responsible for Shokudō’s concept, approached us and asked what we were doing. After explaining, he offered to do an interview with us the next day. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity, so we accepted immediately. When we arrived at 9.30am the next day, we were greeted by an eerily empty canteen, with only the distant sounds of the kitchen, very different from the bustling, noisy place it usually is. There were a few staff going in and out of the kitchen, preparing for service time, but apart from them, there were just us and Mr Niggemann. We started by asking how the concept of the Japanese „Mensa“ came about. Mr Niggemann told us that the Japanese cafeteria was the brainchild of the Berlin Student Union, who wanted to integrate popular Japanese dishes such as udon, sushi and rāmen into the refectory system. As the old vegetarian cafeteria was considered obsolete due to the inclusion of vegetarian dishes in the entire system of university cafeterias in Berlin, the Studierendenwerk decided to transform it into the new Japanese cafeteria.

Mr Niggemann became Shokudō’s Operations Manager. His concept for the cafeteria was shaped by his experiences as a chef in many countries, particularly in Asia. Together with a committee, he created a menu that would bring a taste of Japan to Freie Universität. The dishes had to be affordable for students, locally sourced, organic and sustainable, and mostly vegan or at least vegetarian. However, at the request of the Students‘ Union, some meat or fish dishes have been added – up to 4 times every 5 weeks. The dishes are designed under the supervision of Mr Niggemann and the other cafeteria chefs to find new ways to create Japanese dishes, using local ingredients to replace unavailable or too expensive ingredients, and vegan solutions to create a variety of Japanese fusion dishes. Some of these may be a departure from ‚authentic‘ Japanese cuisine and tradition, but they create a fun interplay of different cultures and inspirations, such as Thai curries, which inspired Mr Niggemann to create one of his dishes. At the end of the interview, we were allowed to try the maki sushi and the sauces that had been developed to accompany it, bringing the familiar tastes of wasabi and soy sauce to sushi in the cafeteria.

As for the interior design, we did not get many answers because an interior design firm was commissioned to do it. However, Mr Niggemann likes the interior design and was able to explain the mysterious circular object in the tatami room that had puzzled us. It turned out to be a lamp, inspired by the moon. Mr Niggemann also told us an anecdote about the tatami room.  Prior to the opening of the new cafeteria, students had the opportunity to participate in its creation by suggesting names to the committee. One of the funniest was „Barfußmensa“ – a reference to the tatami area where you’re supposed to take your shoes off. The interview gave us a lot of information that we could not have gathered by observation alone. We would like to thank Esko Niggemann for his spontaneous, open and informative interview and for his kind hospitality.

by Cosmo H. and Jasper Domanowski

When we were assigned to visit Japanese restaurants as part of our course on Japanese cuisine in Berlin, we decided to visit Mulackstrasse instead of the more obvious choice of Kantstrasse. A smaller side street that branches off the main road near Hackescher Markt, Mulackstraße is much quieter than its bustling surroundings. We made Café Mamecha and the adjacent green tea shop, aptly named Mamecha no tonari, about halfway down the street, the focus of our research. The question we wanted to explore was whether and how these places tried to create a „Japanese atmosphere.“ Especially since there are a lot of Asian restaurants in Berlin, selling everything from sushi to pho, we wanted to see how a specifically „Japanese“ atmosphere was created, as opposed to just a vaguely „Asian“ one.

First, we visited the tea shop Mamecha no tonari. The door opened into a cozy room with wooden shelves. The color palette of the entire store was subdued: darker browns contrasted with light walls, green and light blue splashes throughout the store from the bouquet that adorned the counter and from the various ceramics that were sold. Above all, the visible wood grain of the high shelves gave the store a somewhat rustic feel. Upon closer inspection of the tea selection, we noticed that the teas were labeled with German names and descriptions. In addition to the tea, you could also buy a ceramic bowl for mixing the matcha powder and matching tea sets. Everything seemed to indicate that if you were looking for an authentic Japanese green tea in Berlin, this was the place to go. This assumption seemed to be confirmed when a customer came in and asked the cashier specifically for recommendations for matcha latte, as she had been enthusiastic about her previous recommendation. Hearing this, we wanted to try the matcha latte for ourselves and went to the café next door.

Mamecha is a bright and inviting café, with natural woods and light colors used for the interior. Just inside the entrance was a display case showcasing the various matcha-themed cakes and sweets for sale. The drink menu on the far wall listed a wide variety of green teas in English and German, while the displays in the case also listed the names in Japanese, mostly in katakana. We arrived around noon, so we decided to order their lunch options – a bento box and a curry with rice – and a piece of matcha crepe cake for dessert, all of which were delicious. As we ate, we felt like we were back in Japan – the smell of matcha, the staff chatting in Japanese, the soft music playing in the background – the whole atmosphere was just right. This sentiment was echoed by a customer who told us that she had visited Japan a few times, and whenever she felt „homesick“, she came to Mamecha for „a little piece of Japan.“

At the end of our visit, we had a chat with the owner of Mamecha and Mamecha no tonari, who turned out to be the woman we had seen earlier behind the counter of the tea shop. She told us that the clientele was quite diverse. However, there were a considerable number of regulars, including Japanese nationals living in Berlin, who came from far away specifically for Mamecha’s matcha. We asked if it was intentional that Mulackstraße had several businesses related to Japan and Japanese cuisine, as there was not only a ramen shop but also a Japanese hairdresser on the same street. It was apparently a coincidence, she told us, as the other shops opened independently in the 15 years after Mamecha had opened. Although she did not know any of the owners personally, she recalled that the ramen shop was owned by a Vietnamese couple who employed a Japanese cook. She said, that it makes her happy to see that other people were so interested in Japanese cuisine and culture that they would open a restaurant dedicated to it. When the nearby ramen shop hired a Japanese chef and worked with him to create new vegan recipes for their restaurant, it showed to her that they really appreciated Japanese cuisine. It does not matter to her if someone was Japanese or not if they worked so hard to bring Japanese cuisine to more people.

Both the green tea shop and the café successfully constructed a feeling of truly being in a Japanese space through subtle choices in their interior design. Instead of garish wall art of Mount Fuji to force the association, they evoke the feeling of being in a traditional Japanese tea shop through wooden furnishing and modest decoration in natural colours. The products are allowed to speak for themselves and gain a certain level of prestige by being associated with tradition. Additionally, both the café and the tea store being fully staffed by Japanese speakers adds to the perceived authenticity, which may well be something considered important to customers looking for Japanese green tea in particular.

Cosmo H. and Jasper Domanowski are students in the BA program „Japanese Studies“ at Freie Universität Berlin.

von Aika Marcinkowski, Michelle Naumann, Phillip Perschke, Richard Han, Sarah Fäth

In einer Gruppe von 5 Personen haben wir uns gemeinsam auf den Weg gemacht, um japanische Restaurants in Berlin zu entdecken und zu erforschen. Dabei haben wir uns vor allem auf die “Japanizität” der Restaurants konzentriert und darauf geachtet, wie die einzelnen Restaurants ausgestattet sind. Außerdem haben wir in einem der Restaurants gegessen und uns mit dem Chef des Restaurants unterhalten, um einen persönlichen Einblick zu bekommen. Am Dienstag, den 11. Juni 2024 trafen wir uns um 18:30 Uhr am U-Bahnhof Wilmersdorfer Straße und fuhren direkt von dort aus los. “Gohan”, ein japanischer Imbiss, war unser erster Stopp. Leider hatten wir uns vorher nicht über die Öffnungszeiten informiert, so dass wir zu spät ankamen und der Imbiss bereits geschlossen war. Danach ging es direkt weiter zu unserem nächsten Ziel: Mido Sushi! Mido Sushi ist ein eher schickes Fusion-Restaurant, das sich auf Sushi spezialisiert hat. Neben japanischem Essen gibt es aber auch vietnamesische Hauptgerichte. Wir sind nicht hineingegangen, konnten aber von außen durch die großen Fenster gut in das Innere sehen. Die Inneneinrichtung bestand aus dunklem Holz, dem Bild einer Geisha, einem hängenden Sakura-Baum und war allgemein recht minimalistisch gehalten.

Gegen 19:15 Uhr besuchten wir unseren dritten Stop: Kame Bakery. Leider kamen wir auch hier nach den Öffnungszeiten an. Es hatte zwar geschlossen, jedoch konnten wir trotzdem einige Informationen sammeln. An der Eingangstür befinden sich nämlich einige Sticker, die zum Beispiel auf Takeout, einen behindertengerechten Laden, vegane Optionen sowie vielem mehr hindeuten. Einige von uns waren selbst schon mal vor unserer Schnitzeljagd in der Kame Bakery, weshalb wir wissen, dass die Besitzerin eine Japanerin ist und es eine schöne Tatami Ecke, Wandverzierungen und eine Möglichkeit das Go-Spiel zu spielen gibt. Es werden nicht nur süßes Gebäck und Getränke angeboten, sondern auch herzhafte Gerichte wie Miso-Suppen und Onigirazu angeboten.

Schließlich kamen wir am Heno Heno an. Es war 19:25 Uhr und wir beschlossen, dort zu essen. Bevor wir bestellten, dokumentierten wir das Aussehen des Etablissements. Es gab einen Außen- und Innenbereich. Was uns sofort auffiel, war eine Vogelscheuche ähnelnde Puppe draußen auf der linken Seite, mit dem aufgemalten Gesicht, das aus japanischen Hiragana besteht, welche den Namen von dem Restaurant widerspiegelten, Heno Heno Mohe (へのへのもへ). Als wir den Laden betraten, fielen uns die verschiedenen japanischen Einrichtungsgegenstände auf, welche dem Laden nochmal mehr Authentizität verliehen. Fischlampen, Daruma und weiße Regenpuppen an der Decke, die für gutes Wetter sorgen sollen, dekorierten den Innenbereich. Insgesamt war die Einrichtung eher schlicht und minimalistisch gehalten. Es herrschte dennoch eine angenehme Atmosphäre.

Während wir auf unsere Bestellung warteten, schauten wir uns weiter im Restaurant um. Auf jedem Tisch stand Kikkoman Sojasauce, Salz und Chilipulver. An diesem Tag arbeitete nur japanisches Personal im Laden. Als unser Essen nach ca. 10 Minuten kam, wusste der Kellner sofort, zu wem welche Bestellung gehörte, was uns positiv überraschte. Wir bestellten hauptsächlich donburi, da wir uns in unserem Forschungsprojekt damit beschäftigen. Einige von uns bestellten gyūdon (Rindfleisch auf Reis) und andere vegetarische Varianten mit z.B. Tofu als Topping. Eine Person bestellte zusätzlich Lachs-Onigiri (Reisbällchen mit Füllung) und eine andere probierte Inari Sushi (Sushi-Reis in Tofuhülle). Zum Essen tranken wir Tee wie mugicha oder genmaicha.

Während unseres Besuchs im Heno Heno hatten wir auch die Gelegenheit, mit dem Chef des Restaurants zu sprechen. Auf die Frage, was typisch japanisch an dem Restaurant sei, antwortete er uns, dass es in Berlin hauptsächlich japanische Restaurants gibt, die Sushi, Tempura oder japanisches Curry anbieten. Er selbst wollte aber unbedingt ein Restaurant eröffnen, das japanische Alltagsküche anbietet. Er erzählte uns, dass hauptsächlich Japaner in seinem Restaurant arbeiten. Auf die Frage,  welche Gerichte er besonders empfehlen könne und welche sich am besten verkauften, empfahl er uns alle Gerichte und sagte, dass sie im Laufe der Jahre verschiedene Gerichte ausprobiert hätten und die Gerichte auf der Karte die beliebtesten und besten seien. In letzter Zeit seien vor allem die vegetarischen Gerichte sehr beliebt. Zuletzt wollten wir wissen, wer seine Kunden sind. Er sagte, dass die japanische Kundschaft eher einen kleinen Teil der gesamten Kundschaft ausmacht, und dass viele Japaner in Berlin vielleicht nicht genug Geld haben um regelmäßig in dem Restaurant essen zu gehen. Wir bedankten uns für das Gespräch und beendeten unsere Schnitzeljagd.

Aika, Michelle, Phillip und Sarah sind Studierende im BA-Studiengang „Japanstudien“ an der Freien Universität Berlin. Richard studiert im MA „Global East Asia“ (MAGEA) an der Freien Universität Berlin.

von Lara Fischer, Nicole Risto und Arian Malek*

Im Rahmen von Frau Reihers Kurs zu den Arbeitstechniken und Methoden im sozialwissen-schaftlichen Bereich der Japanologie haben wir Anfang Juni 2024 eine “ethnologische Schnitzeljagd” nahe der Kantstraße in Berlin-Charlottenburg durchgeführt. Als wir das erste Mal von der “ethnologischen Schnitzeljagd” hörten, dachten wir, dass Frau Reiher für uns Hinweise und Rätsel vor Ort verstecken würde, die wir dann mit Hilfe unserer Kenntnisse und Fähigkeiten lösen müssten. Ganz so ist es am Ende nicht gekommen, trotzdem war es eine bereichernde Erfahrung, die japanischen Restaurants und Cafés in Berlin, die in den letzten Jahren stetig zugenommen haben, nicht nur aus Sicht des Gastes, sondern als Sozialwissenschaftler zu erforschen. Aufgabe war es, neben dem Aussehen, der Kundschaft und dem Menü der Restaurants auch das eigene Verhalten während der Feldarbeit zu beobachten und zu reflektieren.

Wir haben uns streng an Frau Reihers Vorgaben gehalten und sind am U-Bahnhof Wilmersdorfer Str. gestartet. Von dort mussten wir uns erst mal zwischen all den Baustellen zurechtfinden, um schließlich beim Gohan anzukommen, an welchen wir fast vorbei gelaufen wären, da es eng zwischen den angrenzenden Gebäuden liegt. Das Gohan ist ein yatai ähnlicher Imbiss, in dem verschiedene donburi (Reisschüssel mit Beilage) angeboten werden. Da der Imbiss in Berlin liegt, hat er sich hinreichend an seine Kundschaft angepasst und neben Varianten mit Hühnchen gibt es auch viele vegane oder vegetarische Gerichte. Nicole kannte die Kantstraße namentlich nicht und war beim Anblick vom Gohan sehr überrascht. Tatsächlich war sie nämlich vorher schon einmal dort gewesen und hatte auch etwas zu Essen bestellt. Zwar erinnert sie sich nicht daran, was sie bestellt hatte, aber daran, dass es ihr sehr gut geschmeckt hatte.

Lara fragte auf Japanisch die Mitarbeitenden um Erlaubnis, Bilder von dem Restaurant machen zu dürfen, woraufhin sie sich hinter der Theke versteckten, damit sie nicht auf den Bildern zu sehen sind. Das fanden wir irgendwie sehr putzig, und verdeutlichte einerseits wie viele Umstände sich das Personal für die Kundschaft macht, als auch wie wichtig das eigene Recht am Bild für Japaner*innen ist, was einige möglicherweise in Zeiten von Influencern und Social Media zu vergessen geraten und auch wir uns für unsere zukünftige Arbeit an unserem Video für diesen Blog merkten.

Unser nächster Halt war die “Kame Bakery”, die Lara bisher einmal zuvor mit einer Freundin in der Filiale in der Linienstraße besucht hatte. Ähnlich wie in Mitte, war auch die Stimmung in der Kantstraße sehr entspannt. Passend stand in der Bücherecke ein Kinderbuch mit dem Titel “Donguri mura no panya-san (Die Bäckerei im Eichenwald)“ und die Theke wartete mit vielen kleinen okashi auf: Matcha Brownies, yuzu) Cheesecake, Sesam Cookies und Himbeer mochi. Auch hier ließ sich eine interessante Mischung aus japanischer Tradition und westlichem Charme feststellen, der in Berlin bestimmt ein breites Publikum anspricht. Ähnlich waren auch die Angestellten in allen von uns besuchten Restaurants irgendwie “Freigeister”, die ihren eigenen Weg außerhalb von Japan in einer etwas lockeren Atmosphäre wie der von Berlin zu suchen und gefunden zu schienen haben. 

Im Heno Heno”, dem vorletzten Restaurant auf unserer Route, begrüßte uns draußen bereits die verkleidete henoheno moheji Puppe mit einem Grinsen. Hier entschieden wir uns dazu, etwas Rast zu machen, und aßen alle jeweils Soba oder Udon Nudeln. In den Lokalen davor hielten wir uns jeweils nur für ein paar Minuten auf, so dass es schwer fiel Veränderungen in der Kundschaft oder der Atmosphäre festzustellen, was uns aber erst im Heno Heno bewusst wurde, da wir hier mehr Zeit verbrachten. Wir liefen ebenfalls an der Sake Sushi Bar vorbei, die sich auf der anderen Seite des Blocks befand. Anders als die bisherigen Restaurants schienen die Betreiber hier nach einem luxuriöseren Stil zu streben, der eine gehobenere Atmosphäre vermittelte. So gehoben, dass wir ehrlicherweise zu eingeschüchtert waren, die Bar zu betreten, ohne etwas zu kaufen, sodass wir letztendlich nur Bilder von außen machten. Die “ethnologische Schnitzeljagd“ machte uns somit auch auf unsere Schwächen aufmerksam und resultierend daraus bewusst, an welchen Stellen wir an uns arbeiten müssen. Sie war allerdings auch in dem Sinne hilfreich, dass sie eine gute erste Erfahrung war, wie es in etwa ist, Feldarbeit durchzuführen. Insbesondere auch an belebten Orten, an denen man sich im ersten Moment vielleicht etwas unwohl fühlt, in die Sphäre anderer Menschen einzudringen, etwa durch das Notizenmachen oder Fotografieren.

Hier noch unsere subjektiven Eindrücke der ethnographischen Schnitzeljagd:

Spannend war auch zurück im Unterricht zu hören, dass viele durch ihre Beobachtungen und Nachfragen doch irgendwie den Besitzer*innen oder Mitarbeitenden aufgefallen sind, und so viele interessante Gespräche zustande kamen. Am Ende hat die “ethnologische Schnitzeljagd“ mich wohl am meisten gelehrt, dass, wenn man aus diesem Unwohlsein herauskommt und sich traut, verschiedene Menschen anzusprechen, jeder irgendwie etwas Wichtiges zu erzählen hat, dem sonst möglicherweise viel zu wenig Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt wird.

~ Lara

Natürlich ist die Theorie wichtig, um sich erst mal ein Fundament aufzubauen, mit dem man dann arbeiten kann, die Praxis allerdings ist der wirklich spannende Teil, in welchem man Antworten und vielleicht ganz neue Fragen entdeckt. Im Unterricht kann man immer viel reden und planen, aber nichts ist so “erleuchtend“ wie die praktische Feldarbeit.

~ Arian

Für mich war dies eine sehr fundamentale Erfahrung. Mir wurde bewusst, dass man sich für die Feldforschung nicht selten in unangenehme Situationen begeben muss. Dies ist zwar nicht dringend notwendig, jedoch birgt die Feldforschung eine gewisse Schwierigkeit für eher introvertierte Menschen. Nichtsdestotrotz ist die Feldforschung eine Art der Forschung, welche es erleichtert, bestimmte Informationen aus nächster Nähe und meist ungefiltert zu erlangen. Daher sehe ich sie für den weiteren Verlauf meines Studiums als äußerst wichtig. 

~ Nicole

* Lara Fischer, Nicole Risto und Arian Malek sind Studierende in den BA und MA Studiengängen Japanstudien und Japanologie an der Freien Universität Berlin.

by Cornelia Reiher

This year’s first joint interview took place on June 28. After the course participants had gained their first interview experience in Japanese through online interviews with students from Seikei University in Tokyo, the first interview with an owner of a Japanese restaurant in Berlin took place. During the course, the students had already started working on their own projects on Japanese cuisine in Berlin and went on excursions to restaurants and the Japanese canteen at the FU. The resulting questions became the inspiration for the questions we wanted to ask Mr. Tsuchiya from Tokyo Gohan. A student had invited Mr. Tsuchiya and he had agreed to visit us in Dahlem and bring onigiri, the specialty of Tokyo Gohan.

As more students are participating this year than usual and the level of Japanese is very different because some are still studying in the lower semesters of the bachelor’s program, we decided that not all course participants would ask questions. Part of the group observed the interview and the interactions between interviewer and interviewee and gave feedback afterwards. When Mr. Tsuchiya arrived at the institute with a huge cooler with onigiri, everyone was quite excited. The interview went well and was very informative. After an official part where students asked questions one by one, we ate onigiri together with Mr. Tsuchiya and chatted casually. Mr. Tsuchiya also had questions for us and was happy that so many students were interested in Japan.

We learned that Mr. Tsuchiya, a 29-year-old from Tokyo, founded Tokyo Gohan in Dresden in 2021 together with a friend. In 2022, they opened a second restaurant in Berlin. Mr. Tsuchiya originally aspired to a career in soccer in Germany, but switched to the culinary world after training in an onigiri store in Tokyo. He saw a niche in the German market for onigiri and chose Dresden for its affordable rents and relaxed atmosphere. In Berlin, Tokyo Gohan offers popular flavors such as shake (salmon) and vegan onigiri and has now grown to a team of six employees. The store serves a wide customer base, from young families to older customers, and uses social media and delivery services such as Wolt and Uber Eats for its marketing. Mr. Tsuchiya uses mainly local ingredients and is constantly adapting the menu.

After the interview, we reflected together on the course of the interview and talked about possible improvements. Overall, however, students were satisfied with the interview. The next task is to transcribe a part of the interview. The interview was a wonderful opportunity to practice Japanese, learn more about the Japanese foodscape in Berlin and taste the delicious onigiri from Tokyo Gohan. Thank you, Cosmo, for inviting Mr. Tsuchiya, and thank you, Mr. Tsuchiya, for coming all the way to Freie Universität in Dahlem.

by Tadahiro Nakamura and Hinata Takemoto

In May 2024, students from Seikei University and FU Berlin met for online interviews about food culture and everyday eating practices in Japan. While the experiences of the Berlin students were summarized in the previous blog post, two students from Seikei University report on their experiences in this blog post.

Tadahiro wrote:

First of all, I would like to thank my interviewers, Sarah and Michelle, Prof. Reiher, and Prof. Kawamura for giving me such a wonderful opportunity. I was delighted to talk with German students online. It was particularly interesting to learn about the difference between westernized Japanese food and Japanese food which we enjoy in our everyday life.The interview was conducted in Japanese, so that I could relax and answer the questions. When I was asked about how we appreciate foreign cuisines in our daily life, I realized that Japanese people like to have international cuisines such as Italian, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Thai, and so on, both outside and at home. Moreover, here in Japan, the ingredients and flavors of such international cuisines are often “Japanized” to make such dishes easier to cook and taste. Sarah told me about the time when she ate foreign food in Japan that was not the same as the authentic food, but it was tasty. I found out that the same thing happens when Japanese food is exported. The case of California rolls is typical. Throughout the interview, I realized that the world is closely intertwined with food culture. The recipes, seasonings, and preparation methods are not necessarily the same, but they keep their “originality” and are accepted in the respective country. My speculation is that globalization and its consequences such as immigration and other social trends are creating this mechanism.

Hinata wrote:

I am very grateful to have taken part in this interview project. I had a valuable experience with my interviewer, Richard. It was pleasant to talk with a foreign student studying Japanese language and culture. Even when I mentioned the name of a Japanese food that is not well known to foreigners, he knew it. I was impressed by the fact that he has a strong appreciation of Japan. He was well prepared for the interview, so we were able to communicate easily. I was originally supposed to be interviewed by two students, but it turned out to be a one-to-one interview. Nevertheless, Richard and I had a great time together. He also made me happy by noticing my slight reference to Japanese anime in the interview, and we have kept in touch since the online session. From this autumn I will be studying in Scotland on an exchange program. While I am in Europe, I would like to visit Germany and meet him in person. Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity!

by Cosmo H.

As Professor Reiher’s methods course “Berlin’s Japanese Foodscape” was open to Bachelor students this semester, we had the opportunity to participate in the annual interviews with students from Seikei University. In the interviews we talked about our interview partners’ perception of Japanese food both in- and outside Japan and various aspects of Japanese cuisine that we only had limited knowledge of. This provided us with valuable insights into their perception of Japanese food and, to an extent, how German food is perceived in Japan.

As we had discussed questions in advance, we had a general sense of direction for the interview. The interview itself went smoothly, with only minor delays in our connection with Tokyo. Previous interview experience proved beneficial, as we tried to make our interview partner feel comfortable and willing to speak freely. We doubled our initial six broad questions over the course of the interview, gaining insights into our interview partner’s daily food routines and learned how his upbringing in northern Japan shaped his perception of a traditional Japanese breakfast. As our interview partner was affected by the travel ban inflicted upon Japanese students in light of the Covid-19 pandemic right before he wanted to study abroad, we could not talk so much about how Japanese food outside Japan differs from Japanese food in Japan. But instead, we discussed about his perception of European food across different regions.

Our main takeaway for future online interviews is to always let the speaker finish their thoughts, especially in a group setting. There were multiple instances where everyone wanted to get a word in on the subject in question, resulting in somewhat awkward moments. We were fortunate to have such a cooperative interview partner, but definitely will not take this for granted and recognize our need for improvement in this area. Finally, we would like to thank both Professor Reiher and Professor Kawamura for granting us this opportunity, as well as our interview partner for agreeing to participate. This course provided us with valuable insights into research methods that we would typically only encounter later in our studies. We hope more students can benefit from such classes in the future.

* Cosmo H. is a student in FU Berlin’s Japanese Studies BA program