VOL.206 AUGUST 2025
THE APPEAL OF YOSHOKU: JAPANESE-STYLE WESTERN CUISINE (PART 1)
The Birth of Yoshoku: How It Transformed the Modern Japanese Dining Table
Yoshoku, or Japanese-style Western cuisine, is an essential part of Japan’s food culture. Dishes such as curry rice (a thick, stew-like Japanese curry served with rice), tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet), omurice (omelet over fried rice), and spaghetti Napolitan (Japanese-style spaghetti with ketchup-based sauce) have become staples on the modern Japanese dining table. Although they may appear Western at first glance, all these dishes were actually created in Japan. While rooted in Western cuisine, yoshoku has been uniquely adapted to suit Japanese tastes and eating habits, evolving into a distinct culinary category. We spoke with AOKI Yuriko, a researcher of local cuisines, to learn more about this fascinating food culture.
Representative Director of E-food Co., Ltd. and a researcher of local cuisines. She is also the founder of e-food.jp, a website the features cuisines from around the world. AOKI works as a columnist, a food presenter on the NHK program Chikyu Radio (World Radio), and has served as a food culture advisor for the Cabinet Secretariat’s Host Town Initiative for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. She has reported from over 250 cities across 70 countries. Her numerous publications include Nihon no yoshoku: Yoshoku kara himotoku Nihon no rekishi to bunka (Exploring Japan’s History and Culture Through Western-style Cuisine).
Yoshoku, or Japanese-style Western cuisine, has evolved by adapting Western dishes to suit Japanese tastes, resulting in a culinary style unique to Japan. Could you tell us about its origins and how it developed?
The history of yoshoku is closely tied to Japan’s modernization in the late 19th century, particularly during the bunmei kaika1 movement, or the ‘dawn of modern times,’—a wave of efforts to adopt Western civilization and culture in the Meiji period (1868–1912). At the time, Japanese society was just beginning to encounter Western culture, and people were astonished by its advancement. In the spirit of the time of catching up with and surpassing the West, Western food culture, like military systems and postal services, came to be seen as something Japan should learn from.
Against this backdrop, restaurants such as Seiyoken2 and Renga-tei3 were among the first to begin serving Western-style cuisine, particularly in areas symbolic of modernization—such as around Ueno Park (in Tokyo’s Taito City), known for its cultural institutions, and the commercial district of Ginza (in Chuo City). However, the Western cuisine of the time, based on authentic European and American dishes, was expensive and largely limited to the elite, such as government officials and military officers, and beyond the reach of common people. Moreover, ingredients like beef and pork—common in Western cooking—were unfamiliar to Japanese, who had not eaten meat traditionally. This led to the development of yoshoku: Western-style dishes modified to be more accessible and easier to eat for the public.
Photo: Ueno Seiyoken
Photo: Ueno Seiyoken
Was it through the adaptation of Western cuisine that the habit of eating yoshoku spread among the general public?
Japan’s yoshoku culture was developed by common people. One notable area was Asakusa in Tokyo’s Taito City, a lively commercial district at the time where many artisans and merchants lived and new trends in culture and food spread quickly. These locals became aware of the Western cuisine being served in places like Ueno and Ginza and were deeply fascinated by it and wanted to experience it.
Since they lacked both the culinary skills and the ingredients to faithfully recreate authentic Western dishes, they used their ingenuity to create meals that resembled Western cuisine instead, relying on locally available ingredients and cooking techniques. This marked the beginning of yoshoku. Rather than faithful recreations based on firsthand experience of eating Western cuisine, these dishes were born through trial and error—rooted in imitation and experimentation. Ultimately, this led to the creation of a food culture unique to Japan.
What kinds of dishes were specifically created?
While many yoshoku dishes are inspired by Western cuisine—such as curry rice, omurice, and spaghetti Napolitan—one of the most iconic examples is tonkatsu. Its origin can be traced back to the katsuretsu (‘cutlet,’ generally referring to a breaded and fried meat cutlet) served at Renga-tei in Ginza. The original katsuretsu was based on the European côtelette, a dish pan-fried in a small amount of oil. As it was considered too oily and was made with expensive beef, it did not gain popularity in Japan.
Japanese chefs adapted the dish by replacing the beef with more affordable pork and applying tempura4 techniques—a traditional Japanese method—to develop a deep-frying approach where the meat is fully covered in oil. This method created the crispy-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside texture that defines today’s tonkatsu.
Another important point concerns the proper way to eat the dish. Western cuisine is typically served with bread and eaten with a knife and fork, but in Japan, tonkatsu became a part of the rice-based food culture: it is eaten with chopsticks, accompanied by rice, miso soup, and pickles. In this way, tonkatsu became fully integrated into Japanese food culture.
When did yoshoku become established as everyday home cooking in Japan?
Yoshoku became common in home cooking during the early 20th century, specifically from the Taisho period (1912–1926) through the early Showa period (1926 to the 1940s). During this time, electricity and gas became widely available in Japanese homes, and Western-style kitchens were introduced, enabling families to prepare authentic yoshoku dishes at home.
Before modernization, traditional Japanese kitchens centered around the doma5 (earthen floor area) with a kamado6 (cooking stove), where it was difficult to cook deep-fried or sautéed yoshoku dishes.
Also during this period, domestic production of curry powder began. A Japanese food company specializing in spices released curry powder that quickly spread nationwide, making curry rice a popular home-cooked dish. Interestingly, this curry powder was made using uniquely Japanese methods: blending over 30 kinds of spices, grinding them with a mortar and a wooden pestle, and carefully roasting the powder to bring out its aroma. This extra effort created a rich flavor distinct from curry powders from other countries. It was truly a masterpiece born from the Japanese spirit of curiosity and dedication to flavor.
Following the Second World War, changes in eating habits also had a major impact on the spread of yoshoku. For example, the arrival of wheat from the United States led to the popularization of bread, which began to be served in school lunches. In addition, uniquely Japanese yoshoku dishes using ketchup—such as spaghetti Napolitan and pizza toast—emerged one after another, helping yoshoku culture to expand further.
What impact has the spread of yoshoku had on Japanese food culture?
The spread of yoshoku greatly diversified Japanese eating habits. Even for breakfast, people can now choose not only the traditional Japanese style but also Western-style options such as bread and coffee or cereal and milk. Today, Japan has multiple staple foods—rice, bread, and noodles—all coexisting. Along with influences such as Chinese cuisine, the variety is extensive, making Japan one of the few countries with such a rich diversity of staple foods. This diversity reflects the Japanese people’s flexibility and curiosity toward food. The ability to embrace new ideas while preserving and blending traditional food culture is a distinctive feature of Japanese culture.
It is also interesting that as yoshoku spread across the country, it developed unique regional variations by incorporating local characteristics. For example, sauce katsudon7, said to have been created by the restaurant Europe-ken in Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture during the Taisho period (1912–1926), and miso katsu8, believed to have originated at Ajidokoro Kano in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, are local yoshoku dishes born from combining regional ingredients and seasonings. These local yoshoku dishes have become rooted in their communities, enriching the food culture of their regions. Yoshoku continues to evolve uniquely in different regions across Japan.
Photo: Europe-ken
Please tell us once again about the appeal of yoshoku for people from overseas.
In recent years, yoshoku dishes that originated in Japan have been gaining attention overseas. For example, katsu curry9 has become popular in the UK and Southeast Asian countries, and the theatrical way of cutting open the fluffy omelet on top of omurice with a knife has gone viral on social media worldwide. Yoshoku is no longer seen as a mere imitation of Western food but is now being introduced internationally as a unique Japanese food culture.
One especially fascinating example is how Japanese curry rice is being “re-exported” to India. Originally from India, curry was adapted and uniquely developed in Japan, then has been accepted again in India as a new dish. This represents a symbolic case of international food culture exchange—a full circle of culinary influence.
I believe Japan’s yoshoku culture symbolizes the Japanese characteristic of embracing foreign influences while maintaining their own uniqueness. This culinary adventure, which began in the late 19th century, continues today with new dishes and eating styles constantly emerging. Moving forward, Japanese yoshoku will continue to honor tradition while innovating, contributing to the world’s food culture.
At Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (see: Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan | JULY 2025 | HIGHLIGHTING Japan), I am involved in the exhibition titled Tasty Japan: Flavors in Harmony, which focuses on Japanese yoshoku. The exhibition features the history and evolution of yoshoku, detailed food samples, and curry rice tastings, all of which have received great acclaim. Through initiatives like this, I hope to continue sharing the appeal of yoshoku with the world.
Lastly, could you share your recommendations for enjoying yoshoku when visiting Japan?
While Japan’s uniquely developed family restaurants (see: Family restaurants: Supporting the spread of Yoshoku in Japan) offer a casual way to enjoy a variety of yoshoku dishes, I highly recommend visiting the original restaurants where these dishes were first created to experience their authentic flavors. In areas such as Ginza, Ueno, and Yokohama, you can find classical yoshoku restaurants with over 100 years of history. I encourage visitors to explore these establishments and immerse themselves in the rich history of yoshoku.
- 1. Refers to the opening up of society and improvements in living conditions. In particular, it describes the phenomenon in early Meiji-era Japan of actively emulating Western civilization and rapidly modernizing and Westernizing.
- 2. A Western-style restaurant that originated in 1872 in Tsukiji, Tokyo. Its main location is now inside Ueno Park, offering yoshoku, French cuisine, and café services.
- 3. A yoshoku restaurant established in 1895. Located in Ginza 3-chome, it still serves yoshoku dishes created by the second-generation owner and head chef, KIDA Motojiro.
- 4. A dish made by coating ingredients such as seafood and vegetables in a batter of wheat flour and water, then deep-frying them.
- 5. An area in a traditional Japanese house where the floor is bare earth rather than wood or tatami.
- 6. A traditional cooking stove used for boiling and cooking food, also known as het-tsui or kudo.
- 7. A local specialty of Fukui City in Fukui Prefecture, consisting of a bowl of rice topped with a thin pork cutlet dipped in a Worcestershire-style sauce.
- 8. A local specialty of Nagoya City in Aichi Prefecture: a pork cutlet topped with a sauce made from soybean miso, sugar, and soup stock.
- 9. A uniquely Japanese curry dish consisting of curry rice topped with a breaded pork cutlet (tonkatsu).
By MOROHASHI Kumiko
Photo: Ueno Seiyoken; Europe-ken; AOKI Yuriko; PIXTA