Washoku seeks UNESCO heritage status as young spurn rice

Get over it already Japan. It is cup noodles while staring at your smart phone everyday for the new generation.

This UNESCO World Heritage stuff is a lot of nonsense, and just an excuse for UN bureaucrats to fly around the world at the taxpayer's expense. Local governments are also in on the gig, usimg taxpayer money to lobby for "World Heritage" status.

Maybe we can get UNESCO to grant Donald Trump's hairpiece, Dolly Parton's breasts, and John Holme's .... World Heritage status as well.

Umami shumami. It is food after all, and heavily salted and sugared at that. Also, I can daintily pick up food with my chopsticks. What does that say about "Japanese-ness?" I am not Japanese.

UNESCO intangible cultural heritage recognition is given to "dying" or "disappearing" culture that needs to be preserved.

The problem is that real washoku is made from seasonal and local ingredients and Japan now imports around 70% of its food and if it joins the TPP, this will only increase. Going, going, gone...

As CH3HO said, UNESCO intangible cultural heritage recognition is given to "dying" or "disappearing" culture that needs to be preserved. With the Japanese constantly patting themselves on the back for chowing down on a 'unique' bowl of the 'best white rice in the world' or harping on about how eating miso soup 'reminds me I'm Japanese' (in your own country no less); moreover with the ever-increasing popularity of Japanese or pseudo-Japanese cuisine overseas, I don't think the food culture is in any danger of disappearing.

How will they decide which food items actually qualify?

How ridiculous to designate a "cuisine' as a "priceless cultural heritage". UNESCO really scrpaing the barrel to justifiy its existence and bloated budget.

UNESCO cultural heritage does attract millions of tourists in countries all over the world. Such recognition stimulates travel and thus contributes to local economies. That is why hundreds of sites and intangible heritage in many countries are on the waiting list for recognition. Japan is not the first nor will it be the last to apply for the status of intangible cultural heritage for its traditional cuisine.

How will they decide which food items actually qualify?

It is the U.N., so Yukichi Fukuzawa is sure to have some say in the matter.

Seasonal traditional local ingredients (imported from China and mislabelled). This is a "tradition" far from dying out. Seems to be quite the boom in fact.

If Isao Kumakura really cared about preserving culture, I recommend he drop the UNESCO bid and lobby for a Washoku holiday, something like Thanksgiving holiday in the US and Canada.

increasingly eating Krispy Kreme doughnuts and McDonald’s, not rice.

From now on, rather than a doughnut, I'm going to respect Japanese tradition and dunk a rice ball in my coffee.

How will they decide which food items actually qualify?

That's a good question. Whalemeat, for example ...