Course Narrative:
Taken during my time at the Nagoya University of Foreign Studies (NUFS), this course gave me insight into Japan's food culture, helping me fulfill MLO 2. Through the course of the semester, we learned about the history of food in Japan, important cultural foods, modern westernized changes to diet, and even discussed the practicality and ethics of eating whale.
In addition to class time, we also went on a field trip to the ancient 八丁味噌(Hacchou Miso)factory, and completed two lab classes. In these classes, students were taught to make sushi and tofu. This course was presented as an English class for Japanese speakers, and consequently the content was slow and simple. The professor barely spoke English and read the class from a script. Even so the classes were very well organized and informative. I learned a tremendous amount about how food and Japanese society are related.
I also remember this class fondly because the professor was a kind person. On one particular occasion, an etiquette expert came in and explained polite Japanese eating etiquette. The strict rules she outlined made many of the international students uncomfortable, causing them to realize the number of cultural faux pas they made on a daily basis. After she had made her presentation the professor came forward and, without a script, explained his surprise. He had personally violated many of the previously mentioned rules, many of the things we had been strictly told not to do. By doing this, our professor showed us that in normal situations, the way we ate was fine. He wanted to make sure we knew that these rules were for fancy dining only, and wanted to ensure we knew food was for enjoyment, not ceremony. A sigh of relief settled over the class.
Taken during my time at the Nagoya University of Foreign Studies (NUFS), this course gave me insight into Japan's food culture, helping me fulfill MLO 2. Through the course of the semester, we learned about the history of food in Japan, important cultural foods, modern westernized changes to diet, and even discussed the practicality and ethics of eating whale.
In addition to class time, we also went on a field trip to the ancient 八丁味噌(Hacchou Miso)factory, and completed two lab classes. In these classes, students were taught to make sushi and tofu. This course was presented as an English class for Japanese speakers, and consequently the content was slow and simple. The professor barely spoke English and read the class from a script. Even so the classes were very well organized and informative. I learned a tremendous amount about how food and Japanese society are related.
I also remember this class fondly because the professor was a kind person. On one particular occasion, an etiquette expert came in and explained polite Japanese eating etiquette. The strict rules she outlined made many of the international students uncomfortable, causing them to realize the number of cultural faux pas they made on a daily basis. After she had made her presentation the professor came forward and, without a script, explained his surprise. He had personally violated many of the previously mentioned rules, many of the things we had been strictly told not to do. By doing this, our professor showed us that in normal situations, the way we ate was fine. He wanted to make sure we knew that these rules were for fancy dining only, and wanted to ensure we knew food was for enjoyment, not ceremony. A sigh of relief settled over the class.