This paper examines the growth of a
sushi culture in Singapore from historical, sociological, and comparative perspectives. Through a case study of
sushi in Singapore, it aims to deepen our understanding of the mechanism of global popularization of Japanese popular culture and the interplay of popularization and localization in an Asian context. It consists of four parts. Part I discusses the history of
sushi and the reasons for its popularity in Singapore. Part II examines the making of the
sushi culture and industry in Singapore. Part III looks into different aspects of localization and their implications. Part IV identifies the characteristics of the
sushi culture in Singapore and locates
sushi within the context of globalization of Japanese popular culture.
This study shows that in the globalization of Japanese popular culture, Japanization and localization should be seen as two sides of the same coin. In the context of
sushi in Singapore, eating
sushi is a form of Japanization of Singaporean food culture. Critics are, however, too fast to point this out as a form of cultural imperialism or colonialism, overlooking the fact that we are consuming Singaporean
sushi and not Japanese
sushi.
Sushi is re-made and consumed in Singapore. Hence, culturally, the acceptance of
sushi in Singapore and overseas should be viewed as the result of culinary hybridization, cultural interchange, and an interplay of Japanization and localization.
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