Consumers—According
to the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and
Fishery, prior to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE) outbreak in Japan, the average Japanese ate only
one-third as much meat as in an average American diet
(Peterson 2002:1-2). The USMEF Strategic Market Profile
of Japan (2002g:4) notes that the per capita consumption
of beef was 8.7 kg in 2000.This amount decreased in
2001 and 2002, but USMEF estimates that the per capita
consumption could return to levels of 2000 by 2004,
although “food safety has become a very important
consideration for Japanese consumers, especially in
light of the BSE situation” (2002g:4).
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Teriyaki beef and chicken
Photo by N. Larzalere |
Japanese and American consumers have different preferences.
“It is a mistake to imagine that Japan represents
an enormous potential market for T-bone steaks . . .
most Japanese still enjoy beef best when it is prepared
as very thin slices, cooked in a traditional manner
and eaten with ‘hashi’ [chopsticks]”
(Longworth 1983:xxiv). In recent years, however, Japanese
eating habits have undergone a “diversification”
as a result of growth in disposable income, urbanization,
and changes in demographics, including the predominance
of the nuclear family. The growing prevalence of housewives
working outside the home has also led to increased beef
consumption and eating outside the home (Longworth 1983:
8-12). There is still a preference, however, for traditional
Japanese cuisine. “The overall changes in food
consumption reflect a Japanization of Western food habits,”
with changes in relative proportions rather than in
the preparation and presentation (Longworth 1983:14).
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McDonald's in Japan
Photo by J. Willis |
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Cuisine—Beef
dishes can be divided into two seasonal categories:
nabemono and yakiniku. Nabemono
are often winter dishes served in a pot, like sukiyaki
and shabu-shabu, which involve boiling or broiling
near the table. These cooking methods require wafer-thin,
well-marbled beef that does not easily become tough.
For these midwinter table dishes, American grain-fed
beef is tender and cooks faster. Yakiniku (grilled
meat on a stick) is a popular summer dish, a barbecue-style
beef grilled in small portions indoors and served with
heavy sauces. It uses less fatty, domestic dairy and
imported chilled beef, as well as offal (Longworth 1983:
12-13).
About one third percent of beef marketed in Japan is
consumed through the food service industry (Bremer 2001:
12). “Frozen beef” from the United States
is often used in beef-bowl restaurants in which broiled
beef is served over rice. These beef bowls, known as
gyuudon, are a Japanese version of fast food.”
Beef bowls are typically prepared from stable supplies
of uniform quality short-plate cuts. “Variety
meats,” including tongue, tripe, intestines, hearts,
and kidneys, are also imported from the United States,
to be sold at retail markets or served in dishes such
as yakiniku. A more recent report by the USMEF
(2002f) confirms that a large percentage of beef exports
to Japan are variety meats. Hamburgers and steaks have
been successfully marketed through foreign investment
in fast food and family restaurants. U.S. grain-fed
beef and Australian and New Zealand beef are used differently,
with the latter two promoted for beef curry and stew
dishes, as well as for hamburger (Bremer 2001:12).
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Gyuudon, or beef bowl
Photo by N. Larzalere |
Japanese consumers, both retail shoppers and commercial
businesses, demand uniformity and exacting measurement
of beef, with fat appearing in comparable amounts in
each package. “Steaks served at family restaurants
are fitted into a mold for uniform volume and appearance”
(Peterson 2002: 3).
“Seasonality” is also a factor in consumer
demand in Japan. Demand increases at times of traditional
Japanese gift-giving, such as Ochûgen in July
and Osêibo and Bônenkai
in December. Geographic and historical considerations
play a role in consumption and preferences for beef
in different parts of Japan (Bremer 2001: 13-14). Historical
regional differences in beef eating between eastern
and western Japan also persist (Longworth 1983: 2).
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