This paper studies the funeral feasts in the farming villages of the modern Sanuki Province in accordance with their ceremonial protocol, by considering (1) the characteristics of the funeral ceremonies, (2) the true nature of the feasts, and 3) the relationship between the previous two points, based on the hypothesis that the feast reflects the characteristics of the ceremony. As references for this article, I examined some of the village chief’s documents preserved in Kagawa Prefecture (The main reference was Watanabes’ document). This study revealed that the funeral feast mirrors (1) the courtesy of the community and (2) “zoutou” the culture of exchanging gifts within the community and the characteristic of emphasizing an even balance. It is evident that the funeral feast excludes the distinct characteristics of an individual household. Further, the contents of the various menus (a soup and three dishes), cooking methods, and ingredients used were stereotypical, common to the period (1784～1903) and the surrounding areas (the eastern, central, and western regions of Sanuki Province).

Sabei Araki (hereafter “Sabei”) is believed to have been living in Edo Shinbashi. Sabei traveled to the territory of Tosa clan in 1800 where he was in charge of skill training for sugar -making until November 1801.

The historical document by Sabei reveals that a method almost identical to the current “Wasanbon-making” skill had been established around 1801. This method was established as an independent method—different from both the pressing process used as a counter method in case of insufficient extraction of molasses and the “claying” method, which was studied and practiced in the post-Kyoho era (1716-1736).

In addition, it was revealed that the sugar produced by this “pressing” method was less glossy, and therefore, it was considered to be of a low standard by the people involved in sugar-making. The sugar produced by the “claying” method was considered to be of a higher standard.

This thesis traces the development of the daily menu featured in domestic cookery books in modern Japan through the period 1861-1930. One of the main features of the modern menu is the introduction of daily three-course menu. There are two types of such meals. The first-the Western-style three-course menus-appeared chiefly during the Meiji era in the cookery books that were available and introduced Western eating habits and etiquette. Moreover, this style menu of these books resembled that of the British or American cookery books of those days. The 1900s witnessed the appearance of the Japanese-style three-course menus that featured various dishes that comprised a basic combination of rice and Japanese soup. This thesis also analyzes the three-course menus constructed with a variety of substitute foods consumed in the Taisho era due to the rising prices in the period following the Russo-Japanese War. For example, there existed numerous three-course menus featuring cheap pork, potatoes, sardines, herrings, etc. The food was not only cheap but also nutritious. In other words, this type of menu was developed due to progress in the field of dietetics and the necessity of cultivating economical eating habits.

The results of the contents analysis of the meals consumed during the pre-war Showa period that have been performed thus far reveal the following. The daily meals of the common people during the pre-war Showa period did not comprise most European foods. However, many foreign vegetables were used in cooking. This research examines the background that led to the use of foreign vegetables in the daily meals of the common people during the pre-war Showa period.

The following three findings were obtained from this study:

(1) There was an increase in the amount of cultivation of the foreign vegetables a result of the new Meiji Government’s policy to increase food production.

(2) As a result of the aim to improve the literacy rate, there was an improvement in for the maintenance of the school system; a ladies’ magazine was also circulated containing information related to cooking, food, and so on.

(3) The introduction of the concept of group cooking increased the opportunities to consume foreign vegetables, thereby reducing the resistance to experiment with foreign vegetables.

During the middle of the Edo period, numerous books specializing in sweets were published, including Shokoku Meibutsu Gozengashi Hidenshō (1718). Subsequently, the demand for and amount of sugar that was imported increased. During the Kyoho Reform led by Yoshimune Tokugawa, the eighth Shogun of the Edo period, sugarcane production and sugar-making were part of the national economic and industrial plans. In 1727, sugarcane was cultivated on a trial basis and sugar-making was attempted. Although this attempt at sugar-making was unsuccessful, the experience thus gained had a significant impact on the subsequent development of the sugar-making industry in Japan.

In Japan, the culture of sweets gained popularity due to an increase in the demand for sugar and the development of sources of supply to satisfy that demand.

Several records on sugarcane cultivation and sugar-making that were written during the Edo period have been reprinted. These include Kansho Seisaku no Oboe, Satō Seihō, Satō Seihō Kikigaki (1801),and Satō no Seihō Hikae (1801).