Within this chapter, the author talks about how the Tsukiji has changed with social and cultural practices
and expectations within Japan. He talks about food culture, through which Tsukiji plays a major role in, is
shaped by values of consumerism found within capitalism as well as political industries of Japanese
fishing societies. An interesting point was made by the author when he talks about how the fish become
commodities in the hands of the traders who then calculate the value and the utility of the fish which is
shaped by historical Japanese culinary knowledge. (Bestor, 129) This is important to remember because
we as people place the value and price on objects and animals around the world to send off to buyers and
citizens who, sometimes, are willing to pay that. I think it is interesting to view a country that is very much
dependent on the ocean and its natural resources and see their values placed on its resources compared
to other countries who are landlocked with the same resources, if possible, at their disposal.
Question: Do the majority of Americans think about where their food comes from, such as from a local
source like family-owned farms or an international source like corporations with distribution centers
across the globe?
If so, do you think it could be easily compared to the thoughts surrounding food sources within Japan?
Sample Solution
