When did “Shikohin” Come to be Associated with “Taste”? A Case Study Analyzing Texts about Hygiene and Advertisements in the Meiji Era

Abstract

This paper analyzes how the meaning associated with the word “shikohin” evolved and was extended in the Meiji era. “Shikohin” was originally introduced as a word for knowledge of German hygiene in a textbook translated by Goto Shinpei, who worked for the Board of Health. Soon after, in a fast-changing environment of consumption, “shikohin” was used in the public relations magazine ‘Shiko’, where it connoted not only a knowledge of hygiene but also knowledge relevant to taste.