Diving into Japanese Culture and Society through Food - Intermediate to advanced

Diving into Japanese Culture and Society through Food - Intermediate to advanced (食で考える日本社会), is an activity-based textbook that deepens students' understanding of Japanese society and culture while learning Japanese through various activities based on the theme of "food".

It is aimed at intermediate to advanced learners of Japanese. It includes furigana on the more complicated kanji as well as translations of many of the English words, the latter of which is a downloadable resource, not in the book itself. Also for download from the publisher's website, there is the option to access the audio and worksheets from the book.

Authors' note in English:

We are looking for the most effective way to learn a new language, but there is no simple path. Motivation is the key: when learning itself is enjoyable, you naturally want to continue. One of the most important factors in boosting motivation is "Content-Based Instruction". "Content-Based Instruction" is a method of improving language skills through the process of learning content. 

So, what kind of content we should choose? We believe that "food" is one of the most appropriate themes. Very few people have no interest in food! It is an excellent topic for enjoyable language learning because it is something we all relate to as humans. With this topic, we can explore many facets of Japanese society, starting with preparation and ingredients, then connecting it to various societal themes such as geography, culture, history, media, health, labor, education, gender, and more. 

This Japanese language teaching resource places both food and society at the heart of learning. Each chapter begins with reading on food followed by research and presentation projects on various social phenomena and issues. As a development exercise, the book also provides an opportunity to consider Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) being addressed around the world. 

It is our desire that readers will be captivated by the topic of food and see how it intersects with society in various ways. We also hope that by comparing the food culture and society of your own country, your own awareness of the issues will grow and you will be encouraged to think about what you can do to help. We hope you will both learn real, everyday Japanese and engage in solving social issues.