Yatai (food cart)
A yatai (屋台) is a small, mobile
The stall is set up in the early evening on pedestrian walkways and removed late at night or in the early morning hours.[4]
Though the practice of mobile food stands dates back to the 17th century,
Carts
Yatai are typically wooden carts[2] on wheels, equipped with kitchen appliances and seating. Handles and seating fold into the cart while it is being transported.[8] A pushcart usually measures 3 by 2.5 meters.[4] Vendors serve a variety of foods from traditional Japanese cuisine such as ramen, gyoza, and tempura.[6] Beer, sake, and shōchū are usually available.[6] Carts open after sunset and close in the early morning.[4]
History
Yatai selling buckwheat soba date back at least to the 1600s,[5]: 22 and major cities such as Tokyo could have thousands.[9] A reference to yatai in the modern sense is found as early as 1710. The word appears in an Edo-period sharebon, a genre of literature revolving around the pleasure quarters.[3]
Yatai are descended from food stalls established outside of Buddhist shrines from the 5th to 7th century.[10] Historian Hiroaki Ichikawa has said the origins of contemporary yatai are in the Tokugawa period, during which dignitaries of the court would often travel between the capital and their homes. As these dignitaries traveled, yatai provided a simple food option.[9]
Yatai saw a brief resurgence in the 1900s as
As Japan's economy boomed, many of the yatai transformed into storefronts, giving rise, particularly, to several ramen chains, such as Harugiya Ramen in
In Fukuoka Prefecture
The contemporary hub of yatai culture are the
In Kumamoto Prefecture
In Kumamoto Prefecture, just south of Fukuoka, a single yatai remains in Kumamoto City, Wakaki (わかき), which holds the last remaining yatai license in the prefecture. When the owner retires, the yatai culture in Kumamoto will come to an end. The proprietress serves oden and an assortment of drinks.
In culture
Satomura Kinzo wrote a short story about a yatai operator in 1933 titled "Chronicle of Starting a Shina Soba Shop." The story is a far-leftist look at the struggle of the working class, emphasizing the difficult financial situation of yatai operators at the time.[5]: 29
The ornate floats seen in some of the Japanese festivals, such as in the seasonal Takayama Festivals in Gifu Prefecture, are also known as yatai. In contrast to the human-borne floats common to most Japanese festivals, they consist of elaborately-decorated wheeled carts, some of which also contain intricate mechanical puppets which perform during their procession. During the remainder of the year, several of the floats are displayed in the town's festival float museum, known as the Yatai Kaikan (屋台会館).
See also
References
- ^ 兵庫県加東市加古川闘竜灘「花まつり鮎まつり」
- ^ OCLC 7133178.
- ^ OCLC 56431036. Retrieved 2012-09-05.
- ^ a b c "Meals on Wheels". Fukuoka Now. Fukuoka Now. 24 October 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ^ (subscription required)
- ^ a b c d e Liaw, Adam (7 May 2013). "Saving Fukuoka's Street Food". Wall Street Journal. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ^ a b Hayata, Eisuke (8 September 2007). "Hakata 'yatai' days numbered as owners age, tape gets redder". Japan Times. Japan Times. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ISBN 9780813149844. – via Project MUSE(subscription required)
- ^ a b c d Matus, Dawn (16 May 2003). "In Tokyo? Check out the yatai". International Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ISBN 978-0914778295.
- ^ "Fujita Kanko's Tips for Summer Vacation: Kyushu, Japan Is a Destination on the Rise". China Weekly News. 4 June 2013. Archived from the original on 4 May 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ^ "Fourteen New Yatai Licenses Available in Fukuoka". Fukuoka Now (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-12-19.