"The destiny of a nation depends on the manner in which it feeds itself," wrote French epicure Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826) in his famous treatise, "The Physiology of Taste: Or Meditations on Transcendental Gastronomy."
If Brillat-Savarin were living today, one wonders what he might say about Japan, where three-star establishments in the Michelin Guide to Japan receive less media coverage these days than rival chains specializing in gyudon (stewed beef over rice), a staple food of Japan's hoi polloi.
Frontline dispatches from the ongoing war note that the deflationary spiral has seen Matsuya, Sukiya and Yoshinoya drop their prices to levels approximating those of the pre-"bubble" years in the 1980s. At the start of this month, said J-Cast News (Sept. 2), Yoshinoya, which had reported slumping sales for 17 consecutive months, began a campaign to commemorate its 111th anniversary with Gyunabe-don — a dish of imported beef, tofu and vegetables from its 1899 menu — priced at ¥280.