Collecting fragmented local knowledge, connecting generations: 25 years of a culinary group in Northern Japan
Tracks
Kuranda Ballroom
| Wednesday, July 29, 2026 |
| 2:45 PM - 3:00 PM |
Speaker
Dr Yuko Sugiyama
Visiting Researcher
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hirosaki University
Collecting fragmented local knowledge, connecting generations: 25 years of a culinary group in Northern Japan
ISE Congress 2026 Abstract
This presentation, grounded in ecological anthropology research, focuses on the pioneering efforts of Tsugaru-Akatsuki-no-kai, a women’s culinary group in Northern Japan spanning over 25 years.
Under the influence of postwar economic growth policies, the subsistence structures of rural communities were fundamentally reconfigured. In response to the resulting erosion of ecological practices and culinary traditional knowledge, a group of female farmers initiated this project in the late 1990s. Guided by the principle that “Cooking and eating together is the only way of preserving local food culture”, this group has engaged in efforts to revive and preserve the seasonal culinary traditions embedded in the mutual relationship between the local communities and their environment. They revised set meals, which were once served on the occasions of communal meetings and annual rituals, and began serving those meals to guests from the surrounding areas.
A key characteristic of their practices lies in the self-managed procurement, preservation, and preparation of food resources. The expansion of these practices, occurring alongside the establishment of local farmers’ markets and the generational transitions within nearby farming households, has contributed to the revitalization of local agrobiodiversity and the seasonal foraging of wild and semi-domesticated plants as well as mushrooms. Reflecting the broader social changes, this group has gradually expanded to include members from more diverse social backgrounds, such as women from non-farming households and urban residents.
These developments reflect a broader re-engagement with local ecological knowledge and community-based resource management. Their efforts can be understood as a form of re-dwelling (Ingold, 2000)— a practical re-engagement with the land and seasons through skilled, embodied practices. This study examines how the group has collected and restructured fragmented knowledge and traditional practices, under the conditions of depopulation and the aging community, to create new systems for utilizing local resources.
Under the influence of postwar economic growth policies, the subsistence structures of rural communities were fundamentally reconfigured. In response to the resulting erosion of ecological practices and culinary traditional knowledge, a group of female farmers initiated this project in the late 1990s. Guided by the principle that “Cooking and eating together is the only way of preserving local food culture”, this group has engaged in efforts to revive and preserve the seasonal culinary traditions embedded in the mutual relationship between the local communities and their environment. They revised set meals, which were once served on the occasions of communal meetings and annual rituals, and began serving those meals to guests from the surrounding areas.
A key characteristic of their practices lies in the self-managed procurement, preservation, and preparation of food resources. The expansion of these practices, occurring alongside the establishment of local farmers’ markets and the generational transitions within nearby farming households, has contributed to the revitalization of local agrobiodiversity and the seasonal foraging of wild and semi-domesticated plants as well as mushrooms. Reflecting the broader social changes, this group has gradually expanded to include members from more diverse social backgrounds, such as women from non-farming households and urban residents.
These developments reflect a broader re-engagement with local ecological knowledge and community-based resource management. Their efforts can be understood as a form of re-dwelling (Ingold, 2000)— a practical re-engagement with the land and seasons through skilled, embodied practices. This study examines how the group has collected and restructured fragmented knowledge and traditional practices, under the conditions of depopulation and the aging community, to create new systems for utilizing local resources.
Biography
Yuko Sugiyama (Ph.D), Professor Emeritus at Hirosaki University, is a specialist in ecological anthropology. Over the past four decades, she has conducted intensive fieldwork within rural communities in Zambia, Tanzania, and Northern Japan. Her research centers on indigenous agricultural systems and rural livelihoods, emphasising gender dynamics. Furthermore, she examines the historical trajectory of grassroots innovation at the community level, exploring how local practices have been refined and reconfigured in response to changes in modernization policies.
