Palace Banquet in the Heian Japan. The Origins. Part 1

Abstract

The process of meal consumption was one of the key elements in the life of early medieval Japanese society as it included special rituals. Thus, food had an enormous symbolic purpose among the utilitarian ones. Court banquets were held to enhance the prestige of the host or strengthen social ties between the participants. The educational potential of the court feast was no less important. This practice was well-grounded in the early Japanese court religious and ceremonial tradition and partially continued its ideals. Court regulations preserved and furthered such traditions, for example, the Bokuzansho (Notes of the Northern Hills) is the best known among them. It is possible that the strict regulation of food amount and type not only enlarged the sphere of the sacred but also made court life more disciplined. The common meal strengthened the ideals of the court environment: the emperor and his inner circle were distinguished from the general community. To sum up, the description of the court allows us to better understand the life in the imperial palace, the provisions and ideals in dignitaries’ minds, and the various social norms and problems that existed in the court society. In the article, the author describes the phenomenon of Japanese palace meals in the 9th to 12th centuries. Therefore, based on this analysis, he presents a reconstruction of the lifestyle of Japanese court society.