by Cornelia Reiher

Spring has arrived in Berlin, the cherry trees are in bloom, and the summer term has just begun. This means that it is time for the next season of the methods course, „Berlin’s East Asian Foodscape,“ formerly known as „Berlin’s Japanese Foodscape.“ As always, I will teach social science research methods to students in the Master’s Programs in Japanese Studies and Global East Asia through hands-on learning. I will continue to do so by studying East Asian cuisine in Berlin, which will enable encounters with people who make, sell, and consume food from East Asia. Together with an international group of students with expertise in various East Asian countries and languages, we will explore new trends, interview participants in Berlin’s East Asian food scene, and attend food-related events to observe the global dynamics of Berlin’s culinary landscape. Since everyone loves to eat and talk about it, students can contribute their expertise, develop their own research projects, and, hopefully, create exciting videos or other formats by the end of the term. Stay tuned to see the results in October! In the meantime, we will share our experiences on this blog from interviews with Seikei University students in Japan, field trips, interviews with food producers, as well as the annual Ethnographic Schnitzeljagd (ethnographic scavenger hunt). I am looking forward to an exciting course with great projects, great encounters and great food!