Patrick Terry

Chinese Agricultural Practices and Food adopted by Japan

General:
In historical times most of the influence has been across the straits from Korea, sometimes from China via Korea, and sometimes directly from China. This includes writing poetry, metal work, cooking methods and preferences that were introduced, assimilated, and made Japanese.

Foods & Agriculture:
Rice: Asian land mass has expressed itself in natural and cultivated flora; most important the rice plant which is the mainstay of diet since the 3rd century CE. Common with other Asian cultures the word for a proper meal is “boiled rice.”

Other crops secondary: millet, buckwheat. Recent crops include; sweet potatoes and wheat.
Other foodstuffs: Soy bean and all guises; curd (tofu), soy sauce (shoyu), and miso.
Methods of rice cultivation come form China.

Common Japanese eating utensil the chopsticks and bowl derive from China. However adoption not copying is the method of continuing Chinese traditions:
- Tea Ceremony
- Sushi, eating of raw foods
- Raw Sugar in Muromachi
- Buddhist foods and ceremonies, prevalent since seventh century.
- Demand for flower arrangement and use of sweet foods boosting confectionary industry. Kingship and other sweet foods originated form Tang China as karakudamono.
- Preference for Vegetarian products has evolved complex and elaborate vegetarian cuisines. Foundry of dishes from vegetarian tofu dishes to rich lengthy feasts.

Medicine:
Chinese medicine had been transmitted to Japan through the mid-Heian period.
Continued presence of Chinese physicians in Japan: e.g. Liangyuanfang/Rogetsubo and Hanzhang/Kansho who were in attendance of the Hojo family in the 13th century
Monk Shozen had huge access to medical knowledge written in Song and Yuan dynasties from books compiled, received in Kamakura. 273 different Chinese medical works in all.


Trade:
Major trade in sea port of Hakata from Ningbo. Freight was carried on Chinese ‘junk’ ships.
One ship recovered showed history: Crew made up of Korean and Chinese with a Japanese captain. All worked on 28 meter ship.  Most Kitchen utensils were Chinese, with some Korean and Japanese wooden clogs.
Initially monopoly of sea was China. By Ming and the closing of foreign commerce, sea travel and trade changes dramatically. By start of 15th century through letters between Emperor of China and Shogun Yoshimitsu Ashikaga trade resumed. Lots of money was made: e.g. one bolt of silk bought for 250 mon in China then sold in Japan for 5,000 mon.