Washoku Designated UNESCO

Intangible Cultural Heritage

At the eighth annual session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the
Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritageheld in Baku, Azerbaijan, on
December 4, 2013, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) agreed to register washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine)
as an intangible cultural heritage, a social custom handed down from generation to
generation that expresses Japanese peoples respect for nature.

Culinary Customs Founded on Respect for Nature

When applying for registration in March 2012, the Japanese government gave the
following four characteristics as typifying washoku.

1. Diversity and freshness of ingredients, and respect for their

inherent flavors
Because of the great latitudinal range of the Japanese archipelago from north to
south, the land is characterized by many mountains and proximity to the sea. The
richly varied natural environment has meant that each regional Japanese cuisine
uses a diversity of ingredients strongly rooted in the terroir. This has been
accompanied by the development of cooking methods and utensils that make the
most of the ingredients used.

2. An exceptionally well-balanced and healthy diet

The basic composition of the typical Japanese meal, rice with ichij sansai (one
soup and three side dishes) is said to have ideal nutritional balance.
Because washoku makes skillful use of theumami flavor, very little animal fat is used.
This is one cause of the longevity of Japanese people, and it also helps to prevent
obesity.

3. An expression of natural beauty and the changing seasons

Another characteristic of washoku is the sense of the beauty of nature and of the
changing seasons expressed at the table. By decorating food with blossoms or
leaves and by using dishes and other utensils that reflect the changing seasons, the
Japanese are able to enjoy each season at meal times.

4. Close links with annual events

Japans food culture has evolved in a close relationship with New Years festivities
and similar annual events. By eating at the same table and sharing natures bounty,
familial and community bonds are strengthened.

Washoku Becomes the Fifth Food-related Heritage

The registration of cultural heritages is aimed at preserving traditions that have no
tangible form but are closely related to local history and customs of everyday life,
such as traditional performing arts, festivals, and artisanal skills. The system of
registering such heritages was instituted under the UNESCO Convention for the
Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which came into force in April 2006.
The intangible cultural heritage scheme is one of UNESCOs three major cultural
programs. The other two are the World Heritage Site program, which is concerned
with natural sites and architectural structures of exceptional significance; and the
Memory of the World program, which addresses documentary heritage, such as
written documents and paintings. The eighth session of the Intergovernmental
Committee registered about 30 items, including Japans washoku and South
Koreas kimchi pickle-making tradition. This brings the number of heritage items on
the register to 328. With washoku, Japan now has a total of 22 items on the register,
among them the n and kabuki theatrical traditions and the ancient dances of the
Ainu people.
Before washoku, four other culinary heritages had been registered: Frances
gastronomic meals; the Mediterranean cuisines of Spain, Italy, Greece, and
Morocco; traditional Mexican cuisine; and Turkeys ceremonially prepared dish of
wheat and meatkeshkek.

Encouragement to Preserve Culinary Traditions

At one time importance was attached to seasonal produce in washoku, and great
attention was paid to ingredients and appropriate culinary methods, but with the
ever-increasing trend towards convenience, ingredients no longer receive as much
consideration as before.
Another source of change is the introduction of foreign foods and eating habits. As
lifestyles have been westernized, young Japanese have increasingly tended to move
away from washoku, with the result that it is now in a critical state in Japan.
Registration of an intangible cultural heritage requires that continued measures be
taken to preserve it. The Japanese government hopes that the inclusion
of washoku on the list will encourage a wider understanding of Japans culinary
culture by other nations, thus contributing to global cultural diversity. At the same
time it is hoped that this recognition by UNESCO will stimulate a movement among

the Japanese themselves to preserve and pass on the Japanese culinary culture
of washoku to future generations.

Doctor Yellow Keeps the Shinkansen

Network Healthy
One of Japans most famous doctors is a brightly colored train that whizzes around
the countrys high-speed rail network. The Shinkansen test train, popularly known as
Doctor Yellow, is used to monitor the condition of tracks and overhead wires, helping
to preserve the enviable safety record of the high-speed rail service. The vehicles
nickname derives from its diagnostic function and distinctive yellow appearance.
It is often said that seeing a Doctor Yellow (there are several in service) brings good
fortune. The fact that its schedule is not made public has added to this lucky
reputation, with unexpected sightings adding color to peoples daily routines. Avid
railfans are not content, however, to simply hope for a sudden and miraculous
appearance. Instead they share information online to determine the trains
whereabouts and ensure that they can enjoy a propitious encounter and photo
opportunity.

Between Tokyo and Hakata

Japans first high-speed rail linethe Tkaid Shinkansen connecting Tokyo and
Osakabegan operations in October 1964, and yellow T1 test trains were
introduced the following January. They received major upgrades in 1974 and 2001.
In the first of these, new vehicles combined previously separate checking of wires
and tracks. The current sleek models came into use when increasingly rapid
passenger services required a corresponding pace from the test trains.

The trains assess safety on Shinkansen lines between Tokyo and Hakata Station in
Fukuoka on the island of Kysh. There are, in fact, two slightly different models
one for JR Central operating between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka and one for JR West
from Shin-Osaka to Hakata. A similar test train called East-i travels on other
Shinkansen lines, but it is white with a red stripe and does not, as yet, have the
same cult following as Doctor Yellow.

Easy to Recognize
So why is the doctor yellow? As with previous vehicles performing diagnostic
functions, the coloring was originally chosen to make the trains more visible at night.
An additional benefit is that it makes them easy for travelers to recognize, so they do
not try to climb on board. Color aside, the Doctor Yellow trains look much like their
passenger Shinkansen counterparts, as well as moving like them, performing their
checks at an equally speedy 270 kilometers per hour.
The interior is very different, however, with specialized monitoring equipment in each
of the seven cars. There is a basic crew of nine, consisting of two drivers, three
technicians responsible for the tracks, and four to oversee power-related issues. The
equipment collects data on such aspects as wear in overhead wiring and whether
the tracks have moved out of their correct alignment. The crew then analyzes the
data, so repairs can be made as necessary.

Getting Closer
Doctor Yellows windows are blocked out, so it is not usually possible to see any of
the equipment. There are, however, occasional opportunities to take tours inside. On
March 13 this year, JR West opened up a test train to 400 participants in Hakata. JR
Central holds similar events. Many applicants vie to win places on the tours. If it is
lucky to see Doctor Yellow from the outside, it must be even more so to view the
interior.
For those who cannot get up close, however, there is always the option of buying
some of the many Doctor Yellow goods on sale. These include bent boxes,
backpacks, USB memory sticks, watches, and sneakers in the shape of the iconic
test train, as well as socks, T-shirts, and other items adorned with its design. Tie-ups
with popular characters like Hello Kitty and Rilakkuma are also common. Naturally,
there are train sets too.

Woman Arborist Heals Trees, Parks,

Souls

Tsukamoto Konami, Japan's first female certified tree doctor, has treated and
transplanted hundreds of giant trees, including 130-year-old wisteria. We visited
Tsukamoto at Hamamatsu Flower Park, where she is reviving the garden and
helping isolated youngsters adjust to society.
Tsukamoto KonamiBorn in Iwata, Shizuoka Prefecture in 1949, she now lives in Hamamatsu in the same
prefecture. Japan first female certified tree doctor and a first-class landscape architectural management
engineer. Rose to fame in 1996 after transplanting four 130-year-old wisteria trees to Ashikaga Flower Park.
Became chair of Hamamatsu Flower Park in April 2013. Is also chair of Hamamatsu Flowers and Greenery
Promotion Association and looks after trees nationwide. Married to a creator of Japanese gardens, and has three
children and six grandchildren.

The delicate purple and white cascades of wisteria stir in the spring breeze, their
fragrance hanging in the air. Seated on a bench beneath a trellis that has been
cleverly constructed to allow these blooms to show off their full splendor, Tsukamoto
Konami smiles and says this is the best time of the year to be in a Japanese garden.
Late April to early May is my favorite time of year, she says. The new green shoots
are emerging after the winter, and the wisteria is in bloom.
Elsewhere in the garden, the tulips are a riot of reds, yellows, and pinks. The rust-red
leaves of Japanese maples and the deep greens of pine trees form a backdrop for
the whites, purples, and blues of myriad seasonal flowersall testimony to the hard
work Tsukamoto has put into the Hamamatsu Flower Park, located near the foot of
Mount Fuji in central Japan.
For Tsukamoto, now 66, it is a labor of love with roots reaching back to her
childhood.
I was a real tomboy when I was growing up in Shizuoka Prefecture, always doing
sports or climbing trees, she says. I was very good at climbing trees. My father
loved trees, and my husband, who I married when I was 22, was a specialist
Japanese-style gardener, so in some ways it was almost inevitable that I would end
up in this field of work.

Japans First Woman Tree Doctor

The Japanese government introduced a professional credentialing system for tree
doctors in 1991. The following year, Tsukamoto became the first woman to earn the
title after a grueling test of her skills.
Candidates needed to have a minimum of seven years experience working with
trees, including tending a variety of species, raising them, protecting their health and

well-being. They also had to submit a thesis on one area of their work. Those who
passed the initial phase of screening were required to complete a full 14-day test of
their knowledge and skills, culminating in a written examination.
Equipped with her new qualification, Tsukamoto continued her work of caring for
trees all across the country.
Ill receive an SOS from someone who has a weak or dying tree, and Ill need to visit
the site to determine the problem and draw up a cure, she explains. Sometimes its
been struck by lightning or damaged in a typhoon; sometimes it has an insect
infestation or some sort of disease. I have to diagnose the ailment and then find a
way to cure it.
Tsukamoto has a special interest in trees classified as giant, meaning they have a
trunk circumference of at least 3 meters. The biggest tree she has worked with
tipped the scales at 35 tons.
Even before I became a certified tree doctor, I had transplanted more than 100 giant
trees, mostly between 500 and 1,000 years old, and I can say that I never had one
failure.

Going Back to the Roots

Tsukamoto refuses to use chemicals in her work and believes firmly in the power of
nature to heal itself assisted by a touch of judicious human assistance.
We tree doctors say that everything you can see happening in the leaves or in the
branches can be traced back to the roots, she explains. As long as the roots are
sound, the tree will develop in a healthy manner.
Unfortunately, given that the roots are concealed beneath the ground, identifying a
problem is not always an easy task. It has taken Tsukamoto years of patient study
and observation to understand the character of different trees, including their
preferences in terms of soil and growing environment.
Its important for me to understand just what the tree wants me to do. I have to walk
in the trees shoes to understand its feelings, she says.
Sometimes Tsukamoto is called on to transplant a mature tree to a new location. This
can be a colossal undertaking, requiring years of preparation before the tree is ready

to be physically lifted out of the ground and transferred to a new site. Of all such
projects, the most taxing was the transplant of four 130-year-old wisteria trees whose
roots and branches had each spread over more than 600 square meters. In 1994,
the wisteria were on a farm near the city of Ashikaga in Tochigi Prefecture, north of
Tokyo, and they needed to be moved about 20 kilometers to Ashikaga Flower Park.
They asked dozens of professors from horticulture universities across Japan, and all
of them said it was impossible. Then they came to me and said they really wanted
me to try, so I went to a tree and stood in front of it for a long time. And my instinct
was that it could be moved.

Historic Transplant
The most important thing with a wisteria is to protect the trunk, Tsukamoto says.
The trunk is a wisterias weakest point, and damaging the bark of a tree can let in
infection and disease.
The entire project took around two years to complete, as the roots had to be
uncovered, trimmed, and then put back into their protective soil. Tsukamoto admits
having nightmares about the drawn-out procedure.
To prevent damage to the delicate bark, Tsukamoto came up with the idea of making
plaster castssimilar to those people wear to immobilize broken limbsat key
points where ropes would be affixed in order to lift the tree.
Fortunately, the transfer passed without mishap, and the wisteria are thriving in their
new environment, where they have grown to cover 1,000 square meters each.

Natures Healing Power

In April 2013, Tsukamoto was asked to assume a permanent post at Hamamatsu
Flower Park, which was operating in the red and was in danger of having to close
down. Since then, annual attendance has risen from 250,000 to 500,000 visitors a
year.
Since I arrived, Ive tried to make the theme of the park very clear, says Tsukamoto.
Were focusing on cherry blossoms and tulips, and our goal is to be the best garden
in the world for these two flowers. Her wisteria are not too shabby, either.

Tsukamoto has a firm belief that trees, flowers, and natural surroundings are
important to peoples health and well-being. She fears that younger generations are
losing touch with the natural world as they spend more and more time on computers
and mobile phones, living in a virtual world.
I tell everyone, even if you dont have a big park nearby, look for a small stream, a
copse, whateverit doesnt have to be largeand find your own special tree. Then
talk to itabout the weather, about your day, anythingand the tree will listen.
Tsukamoto has acted on her belief in the therapeutic value of trees and plants with a
program for socially isolated young people, such as those traumatized by bullying in
school or suffering from depression. The training and hiring initiative she introduced
at Ashikaga has now been instituted at Hamamatsu as well.
One young man told me he felt he had no future unless he could get a job at
Ashikaga Flower Park, she said. He told me that he couldnt deal with people but
was happy working with flowers. She took him on and, after a few months, invited
him to take part in the giant wisteria transplant project. Seeing the tree bloom in its
new habitat for the first time and hearing visitors express their delight built his selfconfidence.
He worked at the park for eight years, and by the end of that time, you would never
have guessed that he had once suffered from depression.
Today the man operates a successful gardening service. Tsukamoto sees his story
as compelling testimony to natures unequaled healing power.