無形文化遺産 和食 WASHOKU JAPANESE TRADITIONAL CUISINE

無形文化遺産　和食　

　母がまな板をたたく音を思い出す。湯気の立つ味噌汁のにおいと白いご飯に漬けもの。決して高価ではないが、季節の魚と野菜。
　そのちゃぶ台を一家で囲んだ少年のころが懐かしい。＜和食　日本人の伝統的な食文化＞が国連教育・科学・文化機関（ユネスコ）の無形文化遺産になった。
　これが何も贅を尽くした日本料理などにかぎった話でないのがいい。地域ごとの多様性、正月など年中行事と密接に関連して発展、家族や地域の絆を強めてきたことなどが評価された。
　いささか大仰に言えば、日本人それぞれのおふくろの味も含め日本の食の質が世界に認められたと胸を張りたい。＜読売新聞（12月６日）＞

以下は英訳したもの。

The following is my translation of an article about "washoku" in Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 6).

WASHOKU JAPANESE TRADITIONAL CUISINE

I remember the sound of the kitchen knife hitting the cutting board as my mother was preparing meals; the smell of steaming miso soup and white rice with pickles, and seasonal fish and vegetables—they were not too expensive considering they are considered delicacies in Japan.

I feel a pang of nostalgia to remember the days when I sat at the table with my family in my boyhood. The Japanese traditional cuisine or “washoku” has recently been added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.   

It is nice that the honor has been given to “washoku” not only because it is beautiful to look at and rich in seasonal ingredients but also because it has longstanding conventions: its abundant variety of cuisine depending on the locality, its ages-old close tie to annual rituals such as New Year’s celebrations, and its contribution to strengthening familial and community bonds.

It may sound exaggerated, but I am proud that the quality of the Japanese traditional cuisine, varying in tastes according to each family, was globally appreciated.