Inheritance and spread of funazushi in Shiga Prefecture, Japan：

Focusing on fishermen-cum-peddlers.

Abstract

　　　The reasons given to explain why local food has been inherited in a certain community are sometimes cultural, without clarifying background details. However, in addition to the cultural factors, there must be other components that have led to these recipes being incorporated into society as well as a complex structure. Much remains to be examined about local food in relation to human activities, including procurement of the materials, techniques employed in the production process, and so on. Regarding the inheritance process, more than one mechanism, beyond the cultural factor alone, must exist between people and things.
　　　　The aim of this paper is to consider the backgrounds against which production of funazushi spread after the inception of high economic growth in the 1960s. Funazushi is one type of local food popular in the area around Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. In order to shed light on the producers, this study investigates the funazushi production techniques and distributing system. This analysis indicates that there are three factors behind the succession and spread of funazushi production within a family. First, a producer procured semiprocessed fish from a fisherman, simplifying the production. Second, the fishermen-cum-peddlers played an important role in delivering a standardized technique. Third, the fishermen-cum-peddlers, based on human relationships, controlled customers through the procurement of materials and production techniques in their business area.