The Paradox of Authenticity in Sushi: Culinary Diplomacy and Japan's Soft Power Strategy Open Access

Abstract

This thesis argues that sushi's global circulation has transformed authenticity from a fixed

culinary standard into a contested political and cultural claim, and that the pursuit of "authentic"

sushi operates as a form of soft power that ties food to national image, cultural authority, and

economic interest. Focusing on sushi as one of the most recognizable symbols of Japan, the

project draws on scholarship on culinary globalization, cultural diplomacy, and

gastronationalism, alongside Japanese government policy documents and original interviews

with three sushi chefs in Tokyo. It shows that authenticity is constructed through two interacting

processes: top-down efforts by Japanese state institutions to standardize and promote sushi as a

national cultural asset, and bottom-up enactments by chefs through technique, sourcing,

seasonality, and hospitality. These processes do not simply reinforce one another, but they

generate friction, as state-led standardization sits uneasily with the improvisational, relational

practices that chefs themselves treat as the heart of the craft. Ultimately, the thesis argues that

sushi's diplomatic power is conditional: it depends on a balance between preservation and

adaptation that cannot scale indefinitely, making authenticity simultaneously the source of sushi's

prestige abroad and the structural limit of Japan's culinary soft power.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

I. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1

1.Sushi as a Global Symbol of Japan ..................................................................................................... 1

2.Defining Authenticity in Food Culture ............................................................................................... 2

3.Literature Review ................................................................................................................................. 3

4.Theoretical Frameworks ...................................................................................................................... 5

II. Sushi’s Globalization ............................................................................................................. 8

1.Before Globalization ............................................................................................................................. 8

2.The Global Takeoff ............................................................................................................................... 9

3.Transformation Abroad ..................................................................................................................... 12

III. Authenticity as Authority and Soft Power ....................................................................... 15

1.Methodology........................................................................................................................................ 15

2.From Authenticity to Authority ........................................................................................................ 17

3.Top-down Mechanisms Constructing Authenticity ......................................................................... 19

4.Bottom-up Enactments of Authenticity ............................................................................................ 26

5.Bottom-up Synthesis........................................................................................................................... 30

6.Top-down and Bottom-up Friction ................................................................................................... 31

IV. Authenticity, Prestige, and the Limits of Culinary Soft Power ...................................... 34

1.Why Authority Matters...................................................................................................................... 35

2.Policy Ambitions and Built-in Limits ............................................................................................... 35

3.Hospitality, Adaptation, and the Scale Problem .............................................................................. 37

4.The Limits of Culinary Soft Power ................................................................................................... 38

V. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 42

References .................................................................................................................................... 46

About this Honors Thesis

Rights statement

• Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.

School	Emory College
Department	East Asian Studies
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Political Science, International Relations Asian Studies History, Asia, Australia and Oceania
Keyword	Japanese Studies Gastronomy Sushi
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Dr. Hong Li, Emory University Dr. Guangchen Chen, Emory University Dr. Julia Bullock, Emory University

Last modified

Primary PDF

Thumbnail	Title	Date Uploaded	Actions
	The Paradox of Authenticity in Sushi: Culinary Diplomacy and Japan's Soft Power Strategy ()	2026-04-19 18:47:39 -0400	Press to Select an action Download

Supplemental Files

Thumbnail	Title	Date Uploaded	Actions