Japanese Meat-Eating Ban

Japan’s meat-eating prohibition was a custom restricting meat consumption that lasted for approximately 1,200 years, beginning with an imperial edict issued by Emperor Tenmu in 675 and ending when Emperor Meiji lifted it in 1872.

It emerged from a combination of the Buddhist prohibition against taking life and the need to protect livestock in an agrarian society, and became a decisive factor in Japan’s development of a distinctive fish- and vegetable-centered food culture known as washoku.

Historical implementation and development

• Origin of the decree: In 675, Emperor Tenmu issued the first imperial edict prohibiting the consumption of five types of domesticated animals—cattle, horses, dogs, monkeys, and chickens—on the basis of Buddhist compassion.

• Social establishment: Initially, it was a temporary prohibition limited to the busy farming season, but subsequent emperors periodically renewed the decrees, embedding throughout society a culture of taboo that regarded meat consumption as an “impure act.”

• Influence of Buddhism and Shinto: Buddhist teachings that discouraged taking life combined with the Shinto concept of blood as impure, leading meat consumption to be regarded as a religious and moral sin.

Prohibited animals and exceptions

• Strictly prohibited animals: The consumption of cattle, which were essential to agriculture, and horses, which served as transportation, was prohibited most strictly.

• Circumventing the prohibition: A custom existed of eating wild animals under the pretext of medicinal use while calling wild boar “whale of the mountains” and venison “maple” to evade the prohibition.

• Birds and seafood: Chickens were avoided because they were regarded as sacred birds that announced the time, while fish and shellfish, whose killing evoked less guilt, were exempted from the prohibition and formed the foundation for the development of Japanese seafood cuisine.

Social consequences

• Development of plant-based proteins: Techniques for producing fermented soy foods such as tofu, soy sauce, miso, and natto advanced rapidly as people sought protein sources to replace meat.

Modern repeal and subsequent changes

• Decision of the Meiji Restoration: In 1872, the Meiji government officially lifted the prohibition on meat consumption in order to develop the physical strength needed to contend with the Western powers.

• The emperor’s tasting: To dispel the public’s fear of meat, Emperor Meiji publicly ate beef himself and actively encouraged meat consumption.

• Emergence of a new dish: Immediately after the prohibition was lifted, gyunabe, a beef hot pot, became popular as a symbol of civilization and enlightenment; it subsequently developed into modern sukiyaki.