Washoku Down Under: The Localisation of Japanese Food in New Zealand

Abstract

In this thesis I will examine the ways in which washoku (lit. Japanese food) has been adopted and adapted in New Zealand, by both New Zealand gastronomes and Japanese expatriates. The thesis will trace the history of well known Japanese dishes such as sushi, sashimi, and ramen, in both their “traditional”setting and their new antipodean home. Through a series of interviews with New Zealand and Japanese consumers of washoku, this thesis will challenge established notions of what Japanese food is, and by whom it is consumed. By examining New Zealand Japanese restaurants and their owners, the thesis will demonstrate how and why Japanese food has changed and evolved.