UNESCO, the U.N. cultural organization, has added traditional Japanese cuisine, or "washoku," into its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. "'Wa' means Japanese, 'shoku' means 'to eat' or 'meal' or anything food-related," explains cooking instructor and "washoku" enthusiast Reiko Yoshikawa. For Japanese, food is associated with many things. "First of all, it means happiness, the gathering, of being together," Yoshikawa says. "Nutrition, in a sense, is also very important and also the appreciation to nature."
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/12/world/asia/japan-on-the-road-food/index.html?iid=article_sidebar
