Chicken Consumption in Three Early Modern (17th–19th Century) Cities in Japan

Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) were introduced to Japan in the middle Yayoi period (fourth to third centuries BCE), but widespread consumption did not occur until the Edo period (17th to 19th centuries) based on historical documents and archaeological material. To clarify how chicken consumption became popular in early modern Japan, this study analyzed bird remains recovered from sites in three cities: Edo (early modern Tokyo), Nagasaki, and Osaka. We focused on temporal changes and regional differences in the frequency of chicken bones and the growth stages and sex ratios of chickens targeted for consumption. Our findings revealed that the most frequently consumed birds in Edo City during the 17th and 18th centuries were wild ducks and geese. Chicken consumption increased in the Edo period during the 19th century, particularly in samurai residences. By contrast, chicken consumption was popular among the townspeople in Nagasaki and Osaka and among Dutch merchants in Nagasaki since the 17th century. At the former residences of samurai and townspeople in Edo City and Osaka, most of the chickens consumed were male, mature birds, with an increase in the consumption of hens and juvenile chickens in Edo City by the 19th century. Conversely, juvenile chickens and hens were consumed more frequently in Nagasaki than in other cities since the 17th century. These findings suggest regional differences in the spread of chickens as part of the diet consumption and the age and sex of the birds consumed in early modern Japan.