Plenus “kome” Academy

Japanese food has always been influenced by other cultures in the process of forming a distinctive food culture. It was China in ancient times and western food has been incorporated since 160 years ago, the end of the Edo period. Our comport food Teishoku too has been evolving into what we know today by adopting various different influences.

Here, we look into the roots of Teishoku while we trace back the history of Japanese food culture.

Rice was introduced
from China

People started to from as an alternative to hunting and gathering. Growing rice became popular and that shaped rice oriented food culture.

People started to from as an alternative to hunting and gathering. Growing rice became popular and that shaped rice oriented food culture.

“Shinsen” is an offering food to gods
in order to pray and be thankful
for a good harvest.

It is the fusion of Japanese traditional culture
and Chinese culture and served
at banquets for aristocrats.

Influenced by Zen doctrine,
Shojin cooking doesn’t use
animal products.

“Honzen” cooking is a banquet food
for Samurai warriors.

“Kaiseki” cooking is based on the idea of “Shojin cooking” and arranged especially for tea ceremony.


It also has an influence from “Honzen” cooking.

Ordinary people started to enjoy different kinds of food in the Edo period.
Japanese food culture flourished during this time in the history.

Ordinary people started to enjoy different kinds of food in the Edo period. Japanese food culture flourished during this time in the history.

Lifting a ban on eating meats,
Japan incorporated western vegetable,
cooking and eating style to its food culture.

Rice as the center of meal

After opening the country to the west in 1800s and overcoming the food shortage during and after the World War II, Japan has evolved its food culture by incorporating various foreign influences. Tracing back the history of Japanese food, we realize Japanese people had been flexibly adapting to the changes. Despite all these changes, having rice as the center of meal is something we have been passed down till today. Such tradition and solid framework makes us being flexible in food and Teishoku is what the tradition has evolved into.