The daily diet in Japan has recieved a lot of attention lately as a healthy one from across the world. Now in Japan, however, the traditional diet has changed and patients suffering from lifestyle related diseases have increased according to the westernization of the diet. So it is necessary for Japanese to rethink their present eating habits.
  It is said that we can find the essence of the Japanese diet in traditional dishes which local people had eaten from the late Taisho Era to the beginning of the Showa Era.
  I wonder if this diet has survived in Japan?
  A book “A collection of Japanese diets (48 volumes) ” shows traditional dishes from that time. It includes the chapter “The dishes of Hokkaido (The diet in the Matsumae area) which makes you rediscover the surviving wisdom of our ancestors and the scientific nature of their diet.

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  Our objective is to investigate the apparent iron absorption rate between various phosphatidylcholines (PCs) and the type of dietary fatty acid. Young male rats were fed a diet containing eicosapentaenoic acid concentrate (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid concentrate (DHA) for 3 weeks. These were then divided into two experiments. In one experiment when the rats were fed a diet containing 3% egg-yolk phosphatidylcholine (EggPC) with 2% olive, 2% EPA or 2% DHA. A significant difference, the was observed in the apparent absorption rate EggPC+EPA group was higher than the control. It was clarified that the apparent absorption rate was improved in the diet of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and EggPC. In another experiment, rats were fed a diet containing soybean phosphatidylcholine (SoyPC) similar to the first experiment. A significant difference, in the concentration of liver cholesterol was observed. SoyPC+DHA was lower than SoyPC+Olive. A significant difference in the apparent absorption rate, was observed SoyPC+EPA and SoyPC+DHA were lower than SoyPC+Olive. It was clarified that the apparent absorption rate decreased in the diet of PUFA and SoyPC. These results suggest that the apparent absorption rate is different based on the various PCs.

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  The authors expected that the raisin-origin Iizuka yeast would have potential faculties for wine makings, and performed the new wine making by this yeast. The Iizuka yeast revealed the enough sulfite tolerance for the wine makings and the suitable concentration of sulfite to add was up to 100 ppm. The wine made from whole normal grapes by the yeast showed the certain tendency to higher non-volatile compounds and lower total acidity than commercial control wine. Especially, the red wine produced using Muscat berry A contained the higher levels of alcohol, non-volatile compounds, and reducing sugar. The analysis of aromas of the wines by the application of an aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) showed high flavor dilution (FD) factor ranges of certain compounds which can be supposed as 3-methylbutanol and β-damascenone. These results indicated that the Iizuka yeast has the potentially enough faculties for the wine making. Careful and appropriate improvements shall be necessary to make more marvelous wine that is featuring the faculties of the Iizuka yeast.

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  In the present study, we aimed to clarify differences in the role of mealtimes in family relationships between Thai and Japanese children.
  Japanese children who ate meals with their entire family engaged in active conversations with their family members and tended to feel happy during mealtimes. The happier Japanese children felt at home, the more trust they placed in their parents. However, the role of mealtimes might be less important for Thai children. It is not able to describe that the role of mealtimes to understand mutually among family members is generalization. It is supposed the role is peculiar in Japan.

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[in Japanese]

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  We conducted a survey on daily food habits including the frequency of cooking for 469 university students in Kumamoto. There were three sign : Ficaut results :
Students living alone had a high rate of skipping breakfast,
the result implied that, for ones living alone, the rate of skipping breakfast was high.
  In addition, for ones with a low frequency of cooking, it turned out that the rate of skipping breakfast was high, and that cooking skill was low.
  Therefore, we held a cooking class in which we examined the changes, through the class, of the skill and awareness for cooking. There was no change in both the cook-frequency and confidence for the skill. However, there was significant increase in the interest of the students in the class. More than 80% of them had made dishes learned in the class.
  For the practical test to cut a cucumber, both the total number and the number of rounds significantly increased. Hence, we concluded that the class improved the cutting technique of them.
  Based on these results, practical assistance, such as our cooking class, seems to contribute to the diet reparation and cooking technique. In the future, we need to provide more food knowledge to people, and to construct a method which supports them for selection on adequate diet.

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  The defecation control with an aid of purgative was performed to 87 % senile tenants in an elderly nursing home in Tokyo, Japan. The diarrhea associated with side effects was noticed to pose a serious problem. Due to consumption of soft food⁄ mousse, the natural defecation could not be performed to the elderly senile person therefore a purging medicine (purgative) is normally required to stimulates evacuation of the bowels. Such a necessity of an abnormal evacuation could be caused by an insufficient daily intake of dietary fiber and referred to be constipated.
  In attempt to bring remedy to natural defecation, 10. 5g of partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG), a soluble dietary fiber which has been well known for a number of physiological effects, supplemented to yogurt was fed to 21 elderly senile subjects (One male and 20 females, and average age±SEM : 86. 3±10. 9 years). The fecal were collected and characterized to assess the influence of amount of purgative ingested during study and compared to condition when ingestion of PHGG was discontinued.
  Results revealed that although fecal frequency was 5. 3 times⁄ week during the period of PHGG ingestion, it decreased in 4. 8 times ⁄ week for the 3rd month when the ingestion of PHGG was discontinued. Moreover, while the number of times when there was no defecation was 1. 3 times⁄week during the PHGG ingestion period, however for the 3rd month it was 1. 8 times⁄week after discontinuation of PHGG ingestion. In addition, frequency of purgative administration during the PHGG ingestion period was 0. 3 times⁄week while it became 0. 6 times ⁄three months after discontinuation of PHGG ingestion.
  Aforementioned results clearly suggest that PHGG is effective in reduction of diarrheal fecal for elderly senile person to help remedy normalize to natural defecationeven after a reduction⁄ discontinuation of a purgative aid.

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  We conducted research on preferences for Japanese soy sauce among general consumers as reference material for developing new products and promoting sales of Japanese soy sauce. Brand, quality, and price of consumer soy sauce purchases were considered. The color preference differed by use of soy sauce. For example, lighter-colored soy sauce was preferred for “Ponzusyouyu”, “Nimono” and “Mentsuyu (Kakejiru) ” than for “Tsukesyouyu” and “Mentsuyu (Tsukejiru) ”. Preferences differed among males and females for uses of “Ponzusyouyu” and “Nimono”, but there were no differences with age. The results suggest possible development of the new products conforming to consumer needs using a decoloration process.

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  The purpose of this research is to clarify the meaning of meals from children′s viewpoints by introducing meal time observations in nurseries, kindergartens, and ordinary home settings. The research focuses on the meal times of children through close observation and analysis of their behaviors and actions, as well as to discover the most enjoyable meal time environment for children. In nurseries and kindergartens, it is considered important for children to finish all food given during each meal period. However, the research shows that many children were not happy when they were repeatedly asked to finish all the food that was not eaten or that they did not like within a designated time frame. On the other hand, during meal times surrounded by family, consideration and understanding by family members was observed, resulting in positive responses from children and an enjoyable and freer atmosphere. The research observes that meal times for children are not only for simply eating, but more importantly, a time to slowly enjoy the moment in a freely felt environment with responsive, considerate, and understanding adults. This is considered to help make meal times more enjoyable for children. Ultimately, it is clearly important to value children′s viewpoints during meal times, for the outcome of meal time consumption for children will depend on their feelings to the environment the participating adults help to create.

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  This report examines the provision of food and meals at shelters established for people affected by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. The report will contribute to a greater understanding of how to best prepare for disaster relief in the future.
  In May, the author participated in a survey conducted by Miyagi Prefecture to examine the situation regarding food and shelter in the disaster-affected areas. At the time, the author was working as a volunteer dietician. An important finding of the survey was that the system for supplying food was not working effectively. This was because of problems with the dissemination of information at shelters and to people affected by the disaster. Many people also hesitated to make requests for food.
  There are three important points for future disaster relief activity. Firstly, any emergency system for supplying food should be designed and tested using a variety of possible scenarios. Secondly, it is necessary to develop a simple questionnaire that can be completed by people in order to assess their needs regarding food. Such a questionnaire would help to reduce cases of inadequate nutrition and to prevent disease. Thirdly, it is vital to ensure that people receiving aid are kept as well informed as possible about what is happening. By providing people with reliable and accurate information, it is possible to greatly reduce anxiety and worry.

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  Many volunteers and medical staff including dietitians have come to work in the devastated area since the 3. 11 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. In the present stage of recovering from the disaster, what can we do to assist victims and communities in the areas?

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