COMPLETION REPORTThe Social Practices on Making Washoku (Japanese Cuisine) be Intangible World Heritage
Dr.Duangjai Lorthanavanich, PhD.
Thammasat Business School
Thammasat University
Research Title: The Practices in Making WASHOKU (Japanese Cuisine) as Intangible Cultural World Heritage.
This research aims to elucidate the practices in making Washoku to get recognition from UNESCO at
the global, national and local levels; How those have actively engaged in making Washoku as ‘universal value’? ;and What are the major transforming practices in driving Washoku as the World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage? Itis important to debate about sustainability challenges to deal with the contemporary forces of globalisation. The
key concepts for the data analysis are social practices, sustainability, heritage management.
The study was conducted during 2016 - 2017, rely on the observation and in-depth interviews the key
informants in Japan. The data obtained from the interviews of policy makers, aristocratic cuisine of professional
chefs, the representatives of Japanese Culinary Academy, academics and recorded verbatim of the Investigative
Commission to nominate Washoku on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Findings are the practices in making Washoku are complicated and unusual in the Japanese context totransform Japanese food and culture to “outstanding universal value”. Key factors in making Washoku successful
are as following;(1) The consensus of the participations of official authorities representatives, local elites, groups ofJapanese food associations, big companies of food industries, NPOs and several communities, scholars andautonomous authorities through the processes and practices those involved in.
(2) The strategic management and holistic practices of policy makers at domestic level started fromsetting up the the Investigative Commission to nominate Washoku on the Representative List of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage, with working fully spirituality to solve the food crisis to sustainability transitions, and strategic
thinking about how to identify the official name and provide the element definition that benefit to majority
communities for economic revitalisation and descendant cultural heritage, finally those make a consensus toinitiate Washoku becoming the official name to propose to UNESCO committee.
(3) The policy makers utilize ‘soft power’ through strategic management and holistic practices at theinternational level to enhance the international understanding of the uniqueness of Japanese cuisine and culturalheritage to make the key representatives of cultural heritage in other countries more to Japan ’s traditional foodand cultural heritage through the dissemination of the japan’s cultural and values.
The value of this study shows the collaborative partnerships between public - private - scholars to making
Washoku with Japanese spirits to sustainability transits. It states the political strategically holistic management totransform Washoku in order to serve the national interests and economy revitalisation.

This research process enhances my knowledge about cultural heritage management, Japanese food andculture in Japan, and expands my research network and collaboration with many organisations. The research result
would become the practical implications that other countries, including Thailand to learn the social practices ofmaking Washoku. Hopefully, it would be advantageous for practices as well as create clear - cut practical ideas forfurther studies regarding the possibilities of making traditional dietary culture of Thailand as an intangible cultural
heritage and nation branding in the future.
Publication of the Results of Research Project:
Publication of the Results of Research Project is as following;
Verbal Presentation (Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)
Date: 27 January 2017.
Venue: Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Center, Bangkok
Name of Conference: The National Intangible Cultural Heritage : lessons learn from southeast asian countries,organized by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Center.
Title of Presentation: The social practice in making washoku as intangible cultural heritage.
Presenter: Duangjai Lorthanavnaich, PhD
Date: 22 March 2018.
Venue: Twanna Hotel, Bangkok.
Name of Academic Training Program: “Knowledge about Japan” for Secondary school teachers in Thailand,organised by Japanese studies- ASEAN studies Center, Chulalongkorn University.
Title of Presentation: Food Culture Preservation through School Lunch in Japan (日本における学生の給食を通して食文化を伝承。)

Presenter: Duangjai Lorthanavnaich, PhD

Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)

Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)