Digital Ethnographic Mapping of Neighborhood Foodscapes in Shanghai and Tokyo

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K04099
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sociology
• Research Institution: Sophia University
• Principal Investigator: Farrer James 上智大学, 国際教養学部, 教授 (40317508)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: foodways / food studies / urban studies / comparative sociology / community research / social sustainability

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project aims to develop a digital ethnographic data base on neighborhood foodways in Tokyo and Shanghai using qualitative research methods. Because of the COVID pandemic, the Shanghai project was cut short. However, an ethnography of one culinary neighborhood in central Shanghai (Dagu Road area) was produced. The Tokyo research developed a public ethnography project of one culinary neighborhood (Nishi-Ogikubo area). A bilingual webpage (nishiogiology.org) shares the results with the public. Based on the fieldwork, a concept of sustainable neighborhood gastronomy was developed. The project identified four factors important in sustaining of urban culinary neighborhoods:(1) human-scale built environment, (2)independent ownership,(3) traditions of artisanal work, and (4) migrant entrepreneurship. Threats to sustainable neighborhood foodways include: (1) state-led redevelopment schemes,(2) ongoing urbanization and gentrification,(3) rising rents and (4) societal aging.

Free Research Field

Sociology

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

The project has scientific significance in developing the concept of sustainable neighborhood foodways, extending the idea of social sustainability to the study of urban gastronomy.
Socially the project made results available to the public in a bilingual English-Japanese website nishiogiology.org.