日本社会と韓国食の融合における社会･文化的影響 - メディアを介する日本社会と韓流･韓国食の相互作用から -

Abstract

Food is not only an essential element for individual survival but also occupies a central position in social survival. Food reflects the cultural practices and economic and social foundations of society. Therefore, the emergence and trend of new food or food culture in a particular society take place not only in direct relation to food, such as taste, cooking, and eating, but also in close interaction with the political, social, and economic backgrounds of the society that may not be directly connected to food. Based on these characteristics of food and considering the current reality of Korean food being rapidly absorbed in Japanese society, this paper focuses on the social foundation on which Japanese society and Korean food are fused together. Accordingly, in the first half of this paper, the convergence process between Korean food and Japanese society is analyzed amid various backgrounds such as Japan's political and social environment based on colonial rule, Japan's changing economic environment, and a different climate from Korea. In the second half, as a key background that influenced the fusion of modern Japanese society and Korean food, the social background of the Korean Wave that swept Japanese society is considered. Starting with <Winter Sonata>, which aired in Japan in 2004, interest in Korea increased in Japanese society as the Korean Wave came several times later. This also led to an interest in Korean food, but it differs depending on how the Korean Wave was introduced to Japanese society and members through media mediation. In addition, these differences reveal the changes in Japanese society's desire for Korean culture. In the early days of the Korean Wave, Korean food was part of Korean culture, reflecting the desire of Japanese society to simply “experience” exotic culture. But at this present, the specific food in the Korean Wave content reflects the Japanese desire to fuse individual cultural elements with their daily lives, that is, to include them as practical areas of life.