Obento’s Chapter 4
Have you ever considered how politics may play a role in what you eat? It’s probably not something you think about every day. We have eating habits that we don’t often think about introspectively. Reading how mothers in Japan pack their children’s lunches made me take a look at my own lunchbox skills. In Japan, the Obento box is part of the culture that surrounds nursery schools. The Obento Box is a lunch kit that each child takes to school every day. It is carefully crafted, by the mother, who has rigorous standards that she must uphold. This includes color, design, properly balanced nutrition and presentation. “In Japan, the key element of food is appearance. Food must be organized, reorganized. Rearranged. Stylized, and restylized to appear in a design that is physically attractive.” (Allison, P.50) According to Allison these standards are part of what is know as the Idealogiacl State apparatus. (Allison P.49) The ISA is a structure of power that has certain overt functions.
In the United States, there are not many regulations regarding what your child can and cannot bring for their lunch. Although there are recommendations, not much time is spent on educating parents on how to feed their children in a balanced way.
In Japan, the Obento Box is a direct reflection of the mother and her ability to consciously create a lunch masterpiece. If her lunch making skills are off, she will most definitely be judged. Her child will also struggle with discipline if they do not finish their lunch in a timely manner.
Although I personally deal with different cultural standards, I also feel pressure to stand out as a Mom. I think we all do, No matter where we live in the world.
Allison, A. (2008). Japanese Mothers and Obentos: The Lunch-Box as Ideological State Apparatus. In 931955452 729865673 C. Counihan & 931955453 729865673 P. V. Esterik (Authors), Food and culture: A reader (pp. 4-66). New York: Routledge.
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