Washoku, traditional Japanese cuisine, was designated by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage ten years ago. To commemorate this there is a fabulous exhibit at the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo in Ueno. The exhibit covers a wide variety of topics including seafood and sea vegetables, produce, regional cuisine, fermented foods, the history of Japanese cuisine, wagashi confectionaries, and so much more.

There is so much information here, most of it in Japanese, but there is so much to take in visually. I learned many new things about sea vegetables and of the evolution of Japanese cuisine over centuries.

There is a mock up of the original sushi stalls that was the precursor to Edomae nigiri zushi that is now the popular sushi eaten around the world. It’s fascinating to see how big the original nigiri zushi was in size, much bigger than what we now consume.

Zōni, rice porridge, changes in each region and there is a lovely display showing how different the porridge is throughout Japan. A diagram shows how rice and soybeans are used to make a variety of products including tofu, nattō, yuba, soy sauce, miso, sake, sushi, mochi, and so much more. Fascinating to see the different hues of soy sauce.

The gift shop also has a selection of books, some food products, stationary, and plastic food samples. The exhibit runs through February 25, 2024. It’s a huge exhibit. I was allowed to take photos as it was on a pre-opening media day. I am not sure if photos are permitted now that it is open to the public.

National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo

Taitō-ku, Ueno Kōen 7-20

https://washoku2023.exhibit.jp/en.html

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