Vegetarianism has lost its way in Japan

Press, 24 June 1986, Page 16

Vegetarianism has lost its way in Japan

Most of Japan’s 85 million Buddhists have adapted their religious beliefs to accommodate meat-eating. At the Carnival Plaza, the country’s biggest restaurant, above, this barbecue lamb dish, left, is gaining popularity.

Food & Fable

by

David Burton

Since Buddhist doctrine strictly forbids the taking of life, whether animal or human, one might expect the 85 million Buddhists of Japan to be vegetarian.

This is not the case, for while the Japanese still eat more vegetables and far less red meat or poultry than we do in the West, Buddhist beliefs hold far less away than they once did. Now, most Japanese families expect to eat some sort of seafood every day, and meat such as chicken at least once a week, if not more. Indeed, from its first introduction to Japan about 530 A.D., Buddhist vegetarianism has fought and steadily lost a battle of attrition. In the seventh and eight centuries, as closer relations with China developed, Buddhism took hold in Japan and many of the ruling families became vegetarian, along with the monks and many of the laity. Tofu (soya bean curd) was introduced from China, and the Japanese invented natto (whole fermented soya beans) at some time in the eighth century. These foods, along with miso (fermented soya bean paste), vegetables, and grains formed the basic diet of the ordinary Japanese peasant right up until the end of World War 11.

Occasionally there might be fish or eggs available, but the chickens themselves were

almost never eaten, except for an occasional young one which would be served raw as sashimi.

For the nobility, however, it was a different matter. They loved to hunt, and thus game such as duck, deer, and wild boar regularly appeared on their tables.

The latter they euphemistically referred to as “mountain whale” on the basis that Buddhist strictures against killing applied only to four-legged animals.

With the Meiji reforms last century, when Japan embarked on a programme of intensive Westernisation, meat eating took a further hold. At that time it was being seriously suggested that English replace Japanese as the official language, and that the high intake of animal protein in the West was responsible for the Westerners’ superior physiques and their high mental faculties.

Accordingly, the slaughter of cattle for beef began, which had hitherto been unknown in Japan except for a small area around Nagasaki. Pork too, was introduced into the Japanese diet, and a breaded cutlet similar to wiener schnitzel was concocted. Since the Second World War, with the pervasive influence of Western convenience foods such as luncheon sausage, pizza, and hamburgers, red meats have become even more common.

Among the last bastions

Soto branch of Zen, ha< no doubt helped to ensun the status of the tenzo, oi cook in a monastery oi nunnery, for elsewhen we read: Tenzo duty ii . awarded only to those oj manifest excellence — who exhibit deep faitl in the Buddhist teachings, have a wealth oj experience, and possesi a righteous and benevolent heart. This is because tenzo duty involves the whole person. Zen cooks are urged tc offer up love and gratitude to the Buddha in the course of their work, and to put their whole heart and soul into their cooking, regarding attention to every small detail as a step on the path towards Buddha-hood. As the Buddhist proverb says, “Even

of vegetarianism in modern Japan are the temple kitchens of certain Buddhist sects, notably the Tendai, Nicherin, Shingon, and certain branches of Zen. In the Zen sect, the emphasis on ascetic discipline goes hand in hand with vegetarianism, though this does not necessarily mean the food served in Zen temples is spartan. On the contrary, a thir-, teenth century text urges the cook in a Zen establishment, to introduce variation in cooking techniques, and to “make every effort to enable the monastic community to eat with enjoyment.” The existence of this text, Tenzo Kyokun, written by the Zen master Dogen, founder of the

tiny drops accumulate into an ocean.”

Even the simple task of washing rice, for instance, is to be seen as an act or samadhi, or contemplation. As Dogen says: When washing rice, focus attention on the washing and let no distraction enter.

Such principles have a universal application, regardless of the type of cuisine one is preparing. Since Japanese cuisine developed during a long period in isolation, many of the ingredients are virtually impossible to obtain outside Japan. Those that are usually cost a small fortune.

The ingredients for the following dressing should, however, be available in most kitchen cupboards in this country.

The dish was developed during the Edo period (1615-1854) when the Shoguns effectively ruled Japan, and banished the offspring of the Imperial families to temples in Kyoto, where an elaborate cuisine was developed to cater for them.

Originally this dressing was intended for Japanese cucumbers (much smaller than ours) which had been thinly sliced, salted and left for 10 minutes, rinsed, and finally squeezed to extract the moisture.

Recently,- however, I have used it with considerable success over lightly steamed spinach or broccoli, and with non-tradi-tional Japanese green vegetables such as zucchini and brussels sprouts.

In a frypan, toast two tbsp white sesame seeds without any oil over a moderately hot element until light brown, shaking the pan constantly.

Grind the sesame seeds with a mortar and pestle or in a blender, then add 1 tbsp rice vinegar (substitute cider vinegar), 1 tsp soy sauce, I tbsp sugar and y 2 tsp hot mustard powder. Mix well and toss the vegetables in this dressing. For' a simple Japanese meal, serve this with boiled white rice (which may be cooked with thim slivers of root ginger) and miso soup (allow about 3. tbsp red miso paste to 3 cups stock made with konbu — Japanese dried kelp) which has been heated, not boiled, with' cubes of tofu.