Abstract
Following the cultivation of barley, millet, rice and other field crops, barley porridge from Korea was introduced to Japan in 1000 BC. In the following years, barley porridge and medley soup (Zosui) mixed with vegetables and millet became the stable food for people, especially for farmers. During these times rice was the special dietary cereal for the upper classes such as peers and priests, was treated as money and became the foundation of the social economy. This system continued until the Edo era (1868 AD). Subsequently the condition of the country changed owing to opening the country to foreign interactions during the Meiji era. As a result, the staple foodstuff for the people changed from barley and millet to rice. Presently, there are no Japanese porridges like the Chinese or Korean porridges previously used for traditional events; rather, Japanese people enjoy porridges as common and convenient foods.
