Abstract
This study reveals the lifestyle and food of common people at the end of the Edo period, based on the description of annual events in the diary of a merchant who lived in Kyoto. The largest event of the year was the New Year's holiday. It was considered important to eat and drink with people who were in contact with each other in everyday life. Seafood was abundantly provided, and many vegetables cultivated in the suburbs of Kyoto were on the menu. The menu and cooking methods were different between religious events at temples and shrines. The events were organized in different ways based on the level of importance of each, some being relatively formal, while others were simpler or approached more casually.
