Food Consumption onboard the Railways of Japan: A Research on the Cultural Significance of the Shokudōsha and the Ekiben

This research provides new insights into Japanese society and the importance to food consumption onboard trains in Japan. Food and the consumption thereof play a part in every society. In the urban areas of Japan there is no getting away from the consumption of food, especially in and around stations. One of the most common products consumed onboard the trains during long journeys is the ekiben. Another service providing food onboard trains is the dining car (shokudōsha). While the ekiben continued to thrive, the shokudōsha were discontinued completely in 2002. This thesis explains why this difference in prosperity exists through an examination of the history of the shokudōsha and the ekiben. Thereafter, it explains how societal changes influenced the cultural significance of both services. The thesis concluded that there was a difference in cultural significance between the shokudōsha and the ekiben. This thesis aims to contribute to the comprehensive research of food culture in...Show moreThis research provides new insights into Japanese society and the importance to food consumption onboard trains in Japan. Food and the consumption thereof play a part in every society. In the urban areas of Japan there is no getting away from the consumption of food, especially in and around stations. One of the most common products consumed onboard the trains during long journeys is the ekiben. Another service providing food onboard trains is the dining car (shokudōsha). While the ekiben continued to thrive, the shokudōsha were discontinued completely in 2002. This thesis explains why this difference in prosperity exists through an examination of the history of the shokudōsha and the ekiben. Thereafter, it explains how societal changes influenced the cultural significance of both services. The thesis concluded that there was a difference in cultural significance between the shokudōsha and the ekiben. This thesis aims to contribute to the comprehensive research of food culture in Japan and to stimulate more English research into the shokudōsha to expand the knowledge of food culture in Japan.Show less

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Food Consumption onboard the Railways of Japan: A Research on the Cultural Significance of the Shokudōsha and the Ekiben