INGRAINED HABITSThe Kitchen Cars, the (Bio)politics of American Wheat
Promotion & the Transformation of Japan Diet & Identity,
1956~1960

青森県立郷土館所提供

岩手県政映画 NO.1(1963)

If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat

“

5

栄養指導車
“KITCHEN CARS”

青森県立郷土館所提供

6

TWO-PRONGED US STRATEGYSCHOOL LUNCH: FEED KIDS BREAD & MILKKITCHEN CARS: TEACH MOMS HOW TO COOK W/ WHEATTo expand consumption of wheat… in Japan“

8WIN-WIN?
JAPAN: CHEAP, NUTRITIOUS FOOD FOR REBUILDINGU S A: RICH EXPORT MARKET & COLD WAR ALLY

91954: PIVOTAL YEAR
PL480 & OWGL → JAPAN10PL480
I. Foreign currency for US produce
II. Emergency disbursement
III. Non-profit relief
IV. Strategic surplus barter11

1952~ NUTRITIONALIMPROVEMENTŌISO TOSHIO @ HEALTH MINISTRY → WHEAT > RICE

12

1947~ SCHOOL LUNCHESTHE OTHER PRONG…

いわき市提供著作権等の都合により、ここに挿入されていた画像を削除しました「キッチンカー活躍」の画像
保健婦雑誌(1954), VLNO:8-4,41-48

KITCHEN CAR (TOKYO)

14

著作権等の都合により、ここに挿入されていた画像を削除しました「キッチンカー」の画像
財団法人日本食生活協会

SPECS & STATS
Customized Nissan E-591 chassis・Length6.85m
・Width
2.31m
・Height
2.70m
・Interior height 1.72m~1960:・575,000km
・20,000 venues青森県立郷土館所提供

JNA PAMPHLETMichigan State University Hellen Strow Collection提供

INTERIOR VIEWS

青森県立郷土館所提供

18

1960~ POST-PL480
JAPANESE FUNDING = KC➚For urban young married couples, rice is missing from thebreakfast table. For them it’s toast, hot tea or coffee, andoften… breakfast cereals.

“20

VICTIMS OF TV + OWN SUCCESS?
1. TV OWNERSHIP ➚2. CHANGING DIET IN CITIES → COUNTRYSIDEMATSUTANI MICHIKOJNA VICE-CHAIRThey bought us a dozen brand-new buses, each costing ¥4million. Plus, they funded the drivers’ salaries and gasoline
to the tune of ¥600,000/mo, and even made pamphlets forus. I heard it cost upward of ¥100 million over 6 yrs.”“

“Its goal was purely national nutritional improvement…
Promoting wheat-based food and nutritional improvement
would naturally lead to increased wheat consumption.
Because America understood this, they left operations
entirely up to us.”“

RICHARD BAUMOWGL REPRESENTATIVE

“The kitchen demonstration buses became a very
good propaganda device… Housewives would comeout and gather around and learn how to makedifferent wheat foods and then they would get tosample the wheat foods. And they found these verydelicious…”“

おいしいです。もう少し。

“

Fin

Sources Used & Cited in Slides
IMAGES/VIDEO
Slides 2, 5, 15, 17, 28 Courtesy of Aomori Prefectural Museum
Slide 3 Courtesy of Iwate Prefecture
Slide 12 Courtesy of Iwaki City
Slide 13 From “Kitchin kā katsuyaku.” 1954. Hokenfu zasshi 8 (4): 48.
Slide 14 Courtesy of Japan Dietary Life Association
Slide 16 Courtesy of Hellen Strow Collection, Michigan State University

QUOTATIONSSlide 7 Hardin, Lowell S., and Leon F. Hesser. 1961. “The Effectiveness of Agricultural Market Development
Projects in Japan.” Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station Research Bulletin 719: 19.
Slide 8 Anonymous. 1979. “Japan—Oregon’s Best Market.” In Amerika komugi senryaku, 198–201. Ie noHikari Kyōkai.
Slide 19 Hallowell, Elmer W. 1967. “Promotion of U.S. Farm Products in Full Swing in Japan.” Foreign
Agriculture V (39): 11.
Slides 21-26 Takashima Teruyuki. 1978. Shokutaku no kage no seijōki: kome to mugi no sengoshi. NHK.

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