It became a staple of Japanese life and took on symbolic meaning. Ramen has given a national identity to Japan even though it is a hybrid food. Most people in Japan who love ramen would probably be aware that ramen was traditionally a Chinese food, but in other places, like the United States, for example, ramen is almost always associated with Japan and thus we can see that it is something that has transgressed national boundaries (Iwabuchi 51). Even though ramen is a hybrid food, it doesn't take away from that fact that people associate it with Japan. It has taken on cultural significance and has become a way of identifying a culture. How ramen became to mean so much to a culture can be compared to potatoes in Ireland or bread pretty much anywhere. It was a food that filled you up and could be made very cheaply. It became a food of mass consumption. As more and more people came to eat ramen, the ramen noodle...
Many tourists have their picture taken in front of the McDonald's sign or with the Ronald McDonald statue outside the restaurant to document their contact with an exotic culture. " (1999) 5) Location, location, location - Over a period-of-time, Kwan's study notes that "...as the number of fast food outlets increased, the reasons why people go to fast food places changed. All the interviewees who have become accustomed to the
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now