Please check out this report on Isabell Frank’s and Nils Ohnesorge’s project about Japanese perspectives and lived culinary experiences in Berlin. Based on a qualitative survey of 20 Japanese people living in Berlin, they discuss Japanese stereotypes about German food and how these have changed during their stay in Germany.
Nils Ohnesorge is a student in the Master program Global East Asia at Freie Universität Berlin. Isabell Frank is a student in the Master program Japanese Studies at Freie Universität Berlin.
In their video, filmed in Korea and Germany, Lisa and Sarah compare experiences in convenience stores and Spätis in Seoul and Berlin. Please watch the video here:
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Lisa and Sarah are students in the MA program Global East Asia at Freie Universität Berlin.
Please watch the newest video created by our students Nai Harano Grey, Wai Yi Lam, Christoph Barann and Athanasios Samaras about the role of food and community for Japanese students in Berlin.
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by Ian “Nai” Harano Grey, Wai Yi Lam, Lisa Hetterling
For our class in Professor Reiher’s course we were tasked and paired up with a student from Japan to interview. Our group was lucky enough to interview Yurika Kudo, a student from Seikei University. We set up an interview on Zoom and spoke with her in Japanese about food cultures in Japan. Our objectives were to understand the globalization of food within the area Yurika lived within. For many of us, it was the first time conducting an interview in Japanese or even our first interview with a total stranger, making it a valuable hands-on experience.
Even though at first, we were a bit nervous we ended up becoming more and more comfortable the more we spoke. It allowed us to put into practice the theories we had learned in our methods class and served as a meaningful cultural and language exchange. The experience also helped us become more familiar with an interview setting and prepared us for future research. At the beginning, we worked to have more fun simple topics and added more complicated questions as the interview progressed.
After the brief self-introductions and some light-hearted small talk, we transitioned naturally into the conversation, which flowed effortlessly thanks to Yurika’s openness and the easy dynamic among all of us. Since she is originally from Akita, we first discussed the specialty food of the region. As we learned, Kiritanpo and Okomen are Akita’s specialties. Her favorite food is sushi, more specifically salmon sushi, and she enjoys Japanese cuisine a lot.
Talking with Yurika also offered us a glimpse into how culinary cultures appear in Tokyo. Korean food, for instance, is super popular among her peers. She especially loves tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and gejang (marinated crab) and likes to visit Shin-Okubo (Tokyo’s Koreatown) for new flavours. Indian curry, she noted, has also established itself as a simple yet tasty favourite. For all of Tokyo’s international options though, we reflected that foreign dishes often arrive more-or-less subtly reinterpreted, familiar in some ways, but distinctly local.
Similarly, when comparing notes on how Japanese food travels abroad, we came to an intriguing conclusion. California rolls for example, with their avocado and cream cheese filling, initially struck Yurika as very odd, but she saw them as part of a familiar pattern. We recognised that every culture and market tweaks more foreign flavours to their own palate and that of its consumers, whether that means toning down spices or adding familiar, local ingredients. With all of these fantastic exchanges we left the call feeling very energized about such a wonderful interaction.
This experience was not only a fantastic challenge, but also a great deal of fun! After the initial nerves we were able to have such a wonderful cultural exchange even though none of us were native in any of each other’s languages. Yurika was such a kind and high-spirited person and gave us really wonderful insights. Not only could we relate to so many aspects of foods that have travelled from Japan, but also the interview also showed how food does change when it travels. We all have a different connection to Japanese food and that connection was able to have us bond even upon first meeting.
When wrapping up we all were so happy and even took a screenshot to remember the moment. Interviewing in another language leaves some fear of misunderstandings or awkward miscommunications, but luckily even when there were complications, we were able to speak around the language gap to get to our points with haste. When both parties are willing to learn and exchange with each other it really makes for an energetic atmosphere. We are lucky that Yurika could foster that with us and are very thankful for such a wonderful experience.
Seit zehn Jahren führen Studierende der Japanologie in der „Forschungswerkstatt japanische Küche“ eigene Projekte zu japanischen Restaurants, Lebensmitteln und kulinarischen Trends in Berlin durch. Die Ergebnisse haben sie in Videos festgehalten, die während der Langen Nacht gezeigt werden. Neben dem Filmscreening werden Akteure der japanischen Foodszene in einer Diskussionsrunde miteinander und mit Studierenden über den Wandel der japanischen Küche in Berlin diskutieren.
Wir möchten alle Interessierten herzlich zur Veranstaltung der Japanologie im Rahmen der Langen Nacht der Wissenschaften am 28. Juni 2025 ab 17 Uhr einladen. In der Holzlaube bieten wir ein buntes Programm aus Filmvorführungen, Diskussionsrunden, Vorträgen und Mitmachangeboten. An verschiedenen Ständen können Besucher*innen mit Studierenden der Japanologie über Japan sprechen, origami falten, Einblicke in Kalligraphie und temari erhalten, onigiri herstellen oder ihre Fähigkeiten mit Essstäbchen erproben.
Ort: Holzlaube (Fabeckstr. 23-25), Raum 2.2058 und Raum 2.2059
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:
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Japanese food is very popular in Berlin, and certain Japanese foods even have their own festivals. In October, I attended the opening of Sake Week and a rāmen festival. Since both events were held on the same day, it was a very exciting day full of interesting sights, delicious taste sensations and exciting encounters with people who are passionate about Japanese food and drink. According to their website, Sake Week is organized by the Sake Embassy, an organization that describes itself as a „liquid meditation movement“. The last Sake Week was held in 2022 in five cities with 50 events, while Sake Week 2023 featured 100 events in nine cities in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Slovakia.
After we had climbed the stairs to the opening event at a brewery, we were greeted with a “Japanese Radler” made from beer, yuzu sake and lemonade. After a short welcome, we were able to participate in sake tastings from two import companies that offered sake from different prefectures in Japan. The audience that had gathered for the event included people from the restaurant and retail industries, Japanese cultural organizations and their friends and supporters. I met restaurant owners, chefs and sake sommeliers who told me how they pair dishes with sake. They all participate in Sake Week by hosting special sake-themed events at their restaurants and bars. One restaurateur told me that she likes sake because she finds that most of her customers are already attuned to wine and are more open with sake because they don’t know it as well yet. With sake pairings, she has more leeway and guests can make new discoveries.
With different types of sake, fusion finger food and interesting conversations, the two hours went by way too fast and like the sake entrepreneurs who packed up their sake to travel to the rāmen festival, we had to head there too. However, on the way to the rāmen festival, it had started to rain and by the time we arrived, we were completely soaked. Despite the bad weather, there was a long line of people waiting to buy a ticket. Fortunately, we had purchased our tickets online and were able to walk right in. The event was designed as an outdoor event with various booths. When we arrived, people were crowding the few covered seats. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was good and most visitors enjoyed the Japanese food and drinks under the temporary rain shelters.
Since we were already wet, we looked around first. In addition to three stalls selling rāmen, there were other Japanese dishes such as takoyaki, taiyaki and okonomiyaki, a sake stall and a stall selling various Japanese handicrafts. One booth was set up in the style of Hakata Yatai. These food stalls are typical of street vendors in Fukuoka, a city in northern Kyushu. The food offered was appropriately tonkotsu rāmen, a specialty from this area also known as Hakata rāmen. The soup broth is based on pork bones and the dish is traditionally topped with sliced pork belly. We got in line and got a seat right by the cart.
While we bravely took our seats outside, most of the guests ordered rāmen to go and ate it under one of the few canopies. We held the umbrella above us and although it was a challenge to hold the chopsticks in one hand and the umbrella in the other, the noodles tasted delicious. Maybe because I had never eaten ramen at a yatai in the rain before. Several young Japanese men and women were working at the stall. Two girls took orders and cashed up, while the other employees prepared the ingredients, cooked the soup and served it. We sat right in front of the containers of ingredients, like eggs and scallions, and I hope my umbrella did not drip into it.
Later it cleared up and more people came to the festival area. But since we were still wet, we decided to look for a dessert and call it a day. We were lucky and bought the last vegan taiyaki with matcha cream and cherries and headed back to the next S-Bahn station, passing supermarkets, gas stations and car dealerships. It was an eventful day, and I was amazed at how many people from very different backgrounds are fascinated by Japanese food and have come just to eat rāmen and other Japanese dishes. At the same time, there is a growing number of non-Japanese entrepreneurs working to promote Japanese food and drink in Germany and I would like to learn more about what drives them.
This blog is mostly about Japanese restaurants in Berlin, but since a Japanese-style cafeteria opened at our own university in December 2022, this post will feature Shokudō Cafeteria (shokudō means cafeteria in Japanese), which is inspired by Japan and offers fusion cuisine. It is located very close to the Institute of Japanese Studies and is in the same building as the former vegetarian cafeteria. So it still offers vegetarian and vegan dishes, but in a Japanese way. Although most Japanese dishes include dashi, a Japanese fish broth, all dishes are actually vegetarian or even vegan, according to the staff.
When I visited the new cafeteria for the first time with my colleagues, I was surprised at how much the place had changed. The interior design is heavily based on Japanese motifs, including a mural of Mount Fuji, koi, and pine trees. In one part of the cafeteria, there is a zashiki dining area, where customers sit on cushions on a platform with a tatami-like rug and eat from low tables. In Japan, this also means taking off your shoes before stepping onto the tatami mats, and most students do this, but not all are familiar with this custom. There are also regular tables, but the zashiki dining area is very popular, and we were lucky to find a seat. People seem to enjoy this different way of eating and also use it as a place to rest, chat with friends, or do their homework.
The food includes existing Japanese dishes such as different types of maki sushi, gyōza, rice or noodles like rāmen and udon, but also their own inventions like edamame burger or pumpkin gratin with edamame. Sometimes regular dishes are simply renamed to seem more Japanese, or an ingredient typical of Japan is added, such as pumpkin soup with soy sauce. While the salad bar is mostly unchanged except for the addition of wasabi dressing and kimchi, desserts are also inspired by Japanese food culture and often include matcha or sesame seeds, such as chocolate mousse with matcha. Because the cafeteria serves a large number of people every day and must offer vegetarian or vegan dishes at a reasonable price, the ingredients are quite different from those used for the same dishes in Japan. However, compared to the average cafeteria experience, the food was nice.
More than the food itself, the experience of eating with chopsticks, sitting on the tatami-like floor, and talking about the Japanese interior was a nice change from my usual lunch break. Still, many questions remain, such as: Why was Japanese food chosen as a theme for this cafeteria over all other popular Asian cuisines? Why was the interior designed this way and what do students think of this new cafeteria? How many different dishes can this cafeteria offer in the long run, or will it mainly offer noodle soup and sushi? I am looking forward to the course in the summer semester on Berlin’s Japanese foodscape and will definitely explore these and other questions with our students.
Over the years I have interviewed many people who work in Berlin’s Japanese foodscape. Most of them are Japanese and many did not come to Berlin to open a Japanese eatery or to work in one. The reasons for moving to Berlin and the life stories of Japanese men and women who own, cook or serve in Japanese eateries in Berlin are diverse. Few are trained chefs and even fewer had originally planned to work in or open a Japanese restaurant in Germany. What struck me is that many of my research participants came to Berlin to study art, work as artists or pursue a career in fashion or the music industry. Another interesting observation is that Berlin was often not their first place of residence abroad, but many had lived in other places like London, Paris or New York before coming to Berlin. In this post, I will introduce people who moved to Berlin to study or perform art and began to work in Berlin’s Japanese foodscape for various reasons, with diverse goals and for different periods of time.
Many of the Japanese cooks, restaurant owners, pastry chefs or service staff in Berlin’s Japanese eateries are (former) musicians, painters, dancers, designers, make-up artists or tailors. A Japanese waitress I interviewed this year came to Berlin to take dance lessons and look for a job as a dancer. She was interested in the work of Japanese artists living in Berlin and visited the city for a week in 2017 before moving here on a working holiday visa in 2022. She had previously lived in London, then returned to Japan during the covid pandemic, and when she finally decided to move to Berlin, the Japanese artists she already knew helped her find a place to live. To earn a living, she works as a waitress in a Japanese restaurant. She found the job through MixB (Mix Board Classified), a Japanese-language classifieds website in Germany that many Japanese restaurants use to post jobs. She had already worked in restaurants in Japan and the UK and perceives her job as a way to earn money, but also enjoys working and socializing with other Japanese people and learning more about Japanese cuisine.
A Japanese man I interviewed this year cooks in a popular Japanese restaurant. He is a painter and attended an art school in Japan. When he came to Berlin in 2019, it was his first time living abroad and he didn’t know German. His motivation to live in Europe was his interest in art. He wanted to visit museums and exhibitions and would have preferred to go to France or the United Kingdom, but the cost of living in Germany was lower. He applied for a working holiday visa, and when he arrived in Germany, he first took a language course. He also found a job and a shared apartment through MixB and began working in a restaurant on a working holiday visa although he had no previous experience working in a restaurant. But he was trained on the job and after two years now trains others. After the visa expired, his boss applied for a work visa and he now works five days a week, but wishes he had more time to paint. Working in a Japanese restaurant pays the bills, but he would rather have more time for his art.
While the two people I have introduced above try to find a balance between their jobs in the Japanese foodscape and their own artistic ambitions, there are also Japanese artists who have found a new profession in gastronomy. After a career as a musician or dancer, they have opened a restaurant or café and run it full-time. Some of these artists have completed additional training as chefs or pastry chefs in Japan, France or Germany. The different careers of Japanese artists in Berlin who work in a restaurant to finance their studies or artistic ambitions vary in terms of duration and outcome. While some stay in Berlin for only six months and then return to Japan, others stay permanently and a part-time job in a restaurant becomes a full-time job, while others give up art as a profession and start their own restaurants or cafes. In summary, the experiences of Japanese working in Berlin’s Japanese food landscape are diverse, and examining the relationship between the life course of Japanese migrants in Berlin and the city’s Japanese foodscape is an interesting endeavor to understand the city’s culinary dynamics.
