<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The aim of this study is to describe the role of <italic>bentōs</italic> (Japanese lunch boxes) in contemporary Japanese society and its importance in different types of interpersonal relationships (the father-daughter relationship, friendship and love relationships). We will illustrate the value of this cultural element by analyzing the movie パパのお 弁当は世界一 <italic>Papa no Obentō wa Sekai Ichi</italic> 一 <italic>Dad's Lunch Box</italic> (2017) directed by Fukatsu Masakazu (who drew inspiration from a popular post on Tweeter in which a girl's high school graduation day is marked by the fact that she conveys her thanks to her father for having prepared her daily <italic>bentōs</italic> in the last three years (Shoji)), a movie that reflects various aspects of modern Japan: the changing roles of family members and the changing relationships between them. Moreover, we will focus on how <italic>bentō</italic> evolves into a means of communication in this movie, and how it contributes to reconfiguring the facets of Japanese masculinities in a society that is no more characterized by its traditional form. We will also depict the characteristics of <italic>bentōs</italic> and will take into consideration their historical background in order to situate them in the context of the evolution of food-preparing practices.</p>
</abstract>

The aim of this study is to describe the role of bentōs (Japanese lunch boxes) in contemporary Japanese society and its importance in different types of interpersonal relationships (the father-daughter relationship, friendship and love relationships). We will illustrate the value of this cultural element by analyzing the movie パパのお 弁当は世界一 Papa no Obentō wa Sekai Ichi 一 Dad's Lunch Box (2017) directed by Fukatsu Masakazu (who drew inspiration from a popular post on Tweeter in which a girl's high school graduation day is marked by the fact that she conveys her thanks to her father for having prepared her daily bentōs in the last three years (Shoji)), a movie that reflects various aspects of modern Japan: the changing roles of family members and the changing relationships between them. Moreover, we will focus on how bentō evolves into a means of communication in this movie, and how it contributes to reconfiguring the facets of Japanese masculinities in a society that is no more characterized by its traditional form. We will also depict the characteristics of bentōs and will take into consideration their historical background in order to situate them in the context of the evolution of food-preparing practices.

Cooking and Eating as Linguistic Experiences: Metamorphoses in the Japanese Familial Culinary Universe Reflected in the Movie パパのお弁当は世界 一 <italic>Papa no Obentō wa Sekai Ichi</italic> 一 <italic>Dad's Lunch Box</italic>

East-West Cultural Passage

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Cooking and Eating as Linguistic Experiences: Metamorphoses in the Japanese Familial Culinary Universe Reflected in the Movie パパのお弁当は世界 一  一 

The aim of this study is to describe the role of bentōs (Japanese lunch boxes) in contemporary Japanese society and its importance in different types of...

Cooking and Eating as Linguistic Experiences: Metamorphoses in the Japanese Familial Culinary Universe Reflected in the Movie パパのお弁当は世界一 Papa no Obentō wa Sekai Ichi 一 Dad's Lunch Box

Published Online: Jan 21, 2022

Page range: 92 - 109

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ewcp-2021-0006

Keywords
Japan, contemporary Japanese culture, food culture, salaryman, father-daughter-relationship, food aesthetics, Japanese cinematography, popular culture

© 2021 Beatrice-Maria Alexandrescu, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Cooking and Eating as Linguistic Experiences: Metamorphoses in the Japanese Familial Culinary Universe Reflected in the Movie パパのお弁当は世界 一 Papa no Obentō wa Sekai Ichi 一 Dad's Lunch Box

Published Online: Jan 21, 2022

Page range: 92 - 109

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ewcp-2021-0006

KeywordsJapan, contemporary Japanese culture, food culture, salaryman, father-daughter-relationship, food aesthetics, Japanese cinematography, popular culture

© 2021 Beatrice-Maria Alexandrescu, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Cooking and Eating as Linguistic Experiences: Metamorphoses in the Japanese Familial Culinary Universe Reflected in the Movie パパのお弁当は世界一 Papa no Obentō wa Sekai Ichi 一 Dad's Lunch Box

Keywords
Japan, contemporary Japanese culture, food culture, salaryman, father-daughter-relationship, food aesthetics, Japanese cinematography, popular culture