UNESCO Recognition Reinforced the Relationship between Kyoto and Japanese Food through Japanese Newspaper Articles

This research discusses the influence of the registration of Japanese food (Washoku) on UNESCO’s transnational list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013 in terms of the image of place associated with Japanese food. We examine the reaction of the Japanese public’s concern about Japanese food in relation to this transnational recognition. Using content analysis of three nationally distributed Japanese newspapers, we evaluated the ratings of 47 place names in Japan and 50 keywords in newspaper articles containing the words for Japanese food published from December 1, 2009, to November 30, 2016. The results demonstrated that the appearance of place names in these articles was geographically limited. The growth ratio of appearance of Kyoto exceeded 50% in 2009 and 2016, higher than that of Tokyo and Osaka. The results suggest that UNESCO recognition enhanced the appeal of and interest to Japanese food linked to place and memory. As a result, further value was added to the image of Kyoto combining historical image and the taste following the UNESCO recognition.