Post War Birth of Ramen

The surge of Ramen in the post war environment of Japan was a response to the USA’s attempt to stop the spread of Communism in Asia and Japan’s own quest for a new national identity. “The postwar era was also when ramen took on folkloric status as the hot food that nourished the people in a time of collective despair and hunger” (Solt 2014, 62). After World War 2, Japan found itself in a dire position where it could no longer sustain its own food supply or seek trade agreements with neighboring nations. During World War 2, Japanese generals had ignored warnings of a dwindling food supply and after their surrender, nothing remained for the millions of civilians who were left to grapple with this new reality. Concerned that Japan’s vulnerability might provide an entry way for the spread of communism, American military generals begrudgingly approved vast amounts of shipment of wheat to the starving cities of Japan. As the supply and availability of wheat outpaced the supply of rice, the demand for rice began to shift to the new grain. “The question on everyone’s mind was: “Well, now what do we do with the wheat the Americans gave us?” The combination of surplus wheat, a certain flair for Chinese cooking and an expanded desire to experience international tastes” (Kushner 2012, 202).

 

Many Japanese citizens marvelled at how quickly their culture adapted to the vast amounts of wheat imports from the US. “For centuries, our dietary habits were built around rice. Today we find people in the cities and even the farm communities eating bread…while rice consumption continues to decline” (Kushner 2012, 199). There was a marked increase in bread consumption across Japan and school lunches included bread instead of rice until the early 1970s. Japan’s history of colonization had led to many influences on its cuisine from neighboring Asian countries. Most notably, China contributed to Ramen’s precursor, Soba, and spurred a noodle revolution. The collapse of the Japanese empire resulted in a culinary backlash against the traditions of the “old world” and removed the taboo of enjoying “inferior” Chinese cuisine. “War broke down any barriers to enjoying Chinese food, both through near starvation and possibly also through Japan’s long-term colonization and the impact of empire on concepts of suitable cuisine” (Kushner 2012, 199). As wheat noodles began to overtake rice, noodle fools (Ramen and soba) began to appear in small food stands in major market areas.

 

These noodle stands were seen as food stalls for the poor and starving and quickly became involved in the underground world of black market food supply. “The availability of ramen on the black market in a time of widespread scarcity endowed the food with a folkloric valence that would resurface in the 1980s and 1990s, as the focus turned toward a documenting of its national historical significance” (Solt 2014, 91). As the food supply began to improve, Ramen was seen less and less of a food for the poor and more of a staple for the working class. Japan was on the road to recovery and had enacted a severe socialized workplace to fuel the nation’s re-emergence in the global community. “A six-day work week was in force and people worked long hours to save, rebuild their families and reform the country (Kushner 2012, 203)”. One could argue that the introduction of fast foods such as Ramen and instant Ramen helped fuel Japan and led them to become one of the most influential economies of the current era.

 

The period after World War II was a time of “construction and progress” where Japan set to stake its claim as a world leader by “hosting the 1964 Olympics” and a “number of public works projects” (Solt 2014, 103). Fueled by the wondrous starchy and salty national noodle dish, Japan was able to move beyond the cultural extremism of its previous monarchy and embrace different cuisines and foods from all over the world. Inspired by this culinary renaissance, Japan fuels a new class of workers, cities and progress - all thanks to the simple noodle.