Kikkoman Corporation

This series on the history of Japanese kitchens and daily household life continues as we follow the evolution of the very traditional forms of the Japanese kitchen toward a more contemporary, Western identity. And along with these changes in kitchen style also comes transformation in attitudes about food and its consumption.

Prior to the opening of its ports to international trade in 1858, the Japanese kitchen of early modern times had achieved a high level of both utility and efficiency. Following on the influx of Western culture into the country, however, the Japanese daidokoro, or kitchen, like many other aspects of society, underwent profound transformation.

Westernization of the Kitchen

Japan's generally moderate climate lent itself to eating habits and utensils that continuously changed along with the four seasons. In those middle- and northern-European countries at higher latitudes than Japan, winters were generally longer, and so over time, the preservation and processing of foods became quite advanced. Salt-preserved meats, butter, cheese and even bread emerged as commercially produced staples of the diet; that is, these were items customarily purchased outside the home. The kitchens of private homes therefore required only the most basic equipment.

In nineteenth-century Japan, however, the preservation and processing of foods at home was a kind of household creed, and the kitchen was the “factory” where these procedures took place. Because of this fundamental difference between the functions of the Western-style kitchen and the purpose of the Japanese daidokoro, a basic contradiction emerged as the Japanese kitchen struggled to become Westernized.

The wave of modernization and Westernization hit Japan's kitchens around 1890. This involved the rearrangement of kitchen equipment in a linear style along one wall, thus encouraging a process reminiscent of an assembly line. This structural change made making preserved foods difficult; and because Western-style equipment is designed to be used while standing, the floor in the Japanese home was no longer required for use in food preparation or for serving meals.

“Set Kitchen” to “System Kitchen”

In the Western kitchen, the fire was generally considered central; but in the daidokoro, water was of equal importance, as suggested by the fact that the kitchen was also referred to as the nagashi—meaning “basin for running water.”

Traditionally, water was carried by hand from a well to the Japanese kitchen, but from the early 1900s, as modern plumbing and water-supply systems became established in urban areas, water sources became more accessible. The use of gas for cooking fire began around 1904; by 1925, “set kitchens”—built-in kitchen units that included a gas-burning cookstove—were on the market. From around 1956, the kitchens of multi-unit public housing complexes built by Japan Housing Corporation featured set kitchens in sparkling stainless steel that comprised a gas-fueled cookstove, counter and sink arranged in linear fashion.

It had been customary in the Japanese kitchen to have all cooking utensils lined up on shelves and openly displayed. Kitchen implements were often hung from hooks affixed to a pegboard attached to the wall. But in the 1960s, after household magazines criticized this practice as a sign of a disorderly kitchen and poor domestic management, set-kitchen equipment began to incorporate drawers and cupboards.

This trend eventually led to the conception of kitchens with built-in cabinets both below and above the counters—an arrangement that came to be dubbed the “system kitchen.” The system kitchen was considered synonymous with a design where everything could be put away, out of sight: it was a design of standardized units that could be combined and adjusted to fit any kitchen dimensions.

As the kitchen itself changed, so too did its utensils. The development of electrical kitchen appliances progressed rapidly from around the mid-1950s. The electric toaster was one of the earliest, appearing around 1953-55; this was soon followed in 1955 by the electric rice cooker—developed specifically for the needs of Japanese cooking. The electric refrigerator (mid-1950s), microwave oven (early 1960s) and induction-heating devices (early 1970s) all changed the basic notion of the Japanese kitchen.

The Future of the Daidokoro

By looking at users of kitchens today, there are arguably two basic schools of thought that emerge regarding the future form and function of the Japanese kitchen.

One is the “simplicity” school, consisting of those who make skillful use of convenience stores and prepared foods. These are the people who keep their kitchens simple and tend to equip them as fashion statements within the design of their homes.

The other is the “creative” school. These people think about eating in harmony with the natural environment, take ecological concerns into consideration, enjoy the cycle of the seasons featured in traditional Japanese food culture and consider food preparation a pleasurable, creative—and cultural—art, rather than a tedious household chore. These are the people who enjoy cooking and eating together with family and friends.

The dreams of this second school are already being fulfilled in light of today's evolving kitchen designs. One such example is a large counter projecting from the wall in peninsula-like style, so that a number of people can gather to help or chat. This space is perfectly designed for the efficient preparation of many ingredients.

Future kitchen design will be innovative and ergonomic: it will emphasize ecological concerns in the handling of fire and water, and promote healthy eating as well as family togetherness . . . in other words, successful kitchen designs of the future will take into consideration the “human” aspect of food preparation and consumption. Without a doubt, such concepts will continue to define the kitchen as the vital center of the home—anywhere in the world.

Author's profile

Masatomo Yamaguchi was born in 1937 in Osaka Prefecture. A graduate of the architecture department of Waseda University, he specializes in the study of dwellings, lifestyles and dogu (tools and implements). He is secretary-general of the Dogu Gakkai (Forum for studying tools and implements), the editorial director for the Nihon Seikatsu Gakkai (Society for studying Japanese lifestyle), and serves as director of the Japan Society for the History of Industry and Technology. He is the author of many books, including Daidokoro Kukangaku (A study of kitchen space); Daidokoro no Ichimannen (Ten thousand years of the kitchen); and Mizu no Dogushi (History of water implements).