this was super interesting as someone who basically came from a country that doesnt exist anymore, to hear of similar story. It would have been super awesome if you interview some of the people to hear their family story and struggle.
I'm Japanese. I'm sad about that some people forget that they learned in their school, and they get mad about this topic. Ordinary Japanese people were forbidden to eat meats by the government in samurai's era until the modern times. Some people called meats "medicine" which to gain the vital energy, for avoiding the law, and ate it. Some people wanted to eat it and claimed that meats are flowers: botan, sakura, etc. However, for ordinary people, eating meats was regarded as taboo. In the late 19 century to early 20 century, food culture of European came from over the sea. Then, Japanese people started to eat meats from that time. This topic which "BBQ is not Japanese traditional food" makes sense.
@@wtfareperfectplaces he has a good content niche, it's much better than the regurgitated geography and political content I see even if the style is similar.
it's not a bad thing. There is still quality work done here - the research, reporting, editing, and writing. These are still original and he fully deserves credit for that alone.
Hey Matthew! Fellow New Yorker here. I just wanted to add to the point that yakiniku simply means grilled meat, so I was always bummed out by the fact that KBBQ is called KBBQ, which is a bastardized Americanized term. ‘Gui’ is technically the the term used for grilled, and the full term would be ‘gogi gui’ (grilled meat). The restaurant that would serve gogi-gui would be called gogijip, which literally would be translated as a steakhouse. Just FYI!
Yes, it's called gogigui in Korean, and yakiniku is literally just gogigui. The style of thinly slicing meat and grilling it on a table while you eat is Korean barbecue and culture. Yakiniku is just Korean barbecue (gogigui).
Korean yakiniku is mostly pork grilled on an iron plate. Japanese yakiniku uses an iron net to grill meat over an open flame. Horumon-yaki, a popular Japanese dish (Horumon refers to the internal organs of beef and pork), was started by Koreans living in Japan, but yakiniku is different. It is a misconception that the Japanese did not eat meat because they were Buddhists. The Edo Shogunate banned meat eating, but many people ate it in secret. People called meat by a secret word so that the shogunate officials would not know about it. Horse meat / Sakura (cherry blossom) Wild boar meat / Botan (tree peony) Venison / Momiji (maple) Chicken / Kashiwa (oak) The nobles and samurai also ate beef marinated in miso in secret. It was not until the Meiji period (1868-1912) that beef and pork began to be eaten publicly. Horse meat has also been used since ancient times as a poultice to relieve heat in swollen areas.
I think you are a little wrong. Before "horumon-yaki," there already existed a Japanese dish called "motsu-yaki," which is grilled offal. It is true that Koreans spread the use of grilled internal organs, but there was already a Japanese version of grilled internal organs before the Koreans started it.
@@user-re8co8we5i That's a good point. In other words, the offal used to be stewed or grilled. That was generally called hormone cuisine. The boiled ones are called motsu-ni (stewed) and the grilled ones are called motsu-yaki (grilled). The word "hormone" comes from German.
@@realstage1925 I know that there is a popular theory that "Horumon" in Horumon-yaki comes from a "Hormone" that regulates the body. If so, can you explain why the term was mainly used in the Kansai region and why there are many "horumon-yaki" restaurants in Kansai? If they put up a sign saying that the word originated from a medical term, shouldn't it have spread in the same way throughout Japan quite early on?
@@user-re8co8we5i This is because horumon-yaki was spread throughout Japan by Korean residents living in Osaka at the time. Hormone dishes had already existed before that time. According to Michio Sasaki's "Cultural History of Yakiniku," it was already popular in the 1920s to call the energizing dish "Hormone dishes. According to Sasaki, horumon dishes at that time were not limited to animal organs, but also included eggs, natto (fermented soybeans), yams, and other ingredients.
Yes! I always tell my friends their favourite Japanese food aren't that Japanese. Tempura (Portuguese) Gyoza and Ramen (Chinese) Yakiniku (Korean) Japanese Curry (Indian via the British).
According to a book written in the mid-9th century, Ono no Komachi, a female poetess of the time, was also a lover of chicken, bear, rabbit, and venison. In the early Edo period (1600 AD), there were recipe books for roasting and boiling raccoon dogs and otters in addition to those. The government had issued a ban, but common people ate them in secret. The missionary Luis Frois also reported, "The Japanese secretly prefer beef. Contributors who ignore or reveal their ignorance of such things that can be found with a little research are fools.
Hey, I researched about Portugese missionary Luis Frois and he contradicts your claim. Japanese did not have meat grilling culture and mostly ate raw meat and fish. Also he stated that japanese prefer eating dog meat to cow meat. Here is my reference. Captain Jorge Álvares and Father Luís Fróis S.J.: Two Early Portuguese Descriptions of Japan and the Japanese
@@syzygy321 syzygy321! You have great guts to expose your ignorance without shame! According to Freud's book, " Historia de Iapam" (History of Japan), there was a Buddhist ban on meat eating, but the samurai and local people did not observe this ban very strictly. It is also reported that in areas where hunting was popular, meat from wild boar and deer was eaten, and that beef and horse meat were eaten in secret. In inland and mountainous regions, where fresh fish is not as readily available as it is today, eating beast meat was common. I knew you were a fool who can only ignore and falsify what is inconvenient! Bless you fools!
Don’t be upset with me and call me a fool lol. I’m simply quoting Luis Frois here, not expressing my own views. You’re correct that not everyone adhered to the ban on meat. The book does mention the consumption of wild animals, but it notes that these were mostly eaten raw, especially by commoners. Therefore, it’s likely that the culture of grilling meat wasn’t prevalent among them. If there’s anything incorrect in my understanding, I’d appreciate any references so I can learn more about this.
@@syzygy321 It notes that most of it was eaten raw by commoners." What volume and what chapter? "I only quoted Luis Frois and did not express my own views." What volume and what chapter? Did you go to a place like the National Library and do your research? Is it not unreliable information you found on the internet, hearsay, or is it just your imagination, excuse me, assumptions? "Please don't get mad at me or call me an idiot (laughs)." Do you think that your unreliable statements are to be applauded? You and the contributors to this video should take more responsibility for your actions and statements. Otherwise, please at least understand that I have no choice but to belittle and insult you all.
Wrong. Japan never had a meat grilling culture. Yakiniku is literally Korean BBQ. Yakiniku wasn't even a term until the 1960's. Japan stole Korean culture.
@@nattacit You never heard of “เนื้อย่างเกาหลี“? Or this is just regional thing. I also heard that Bangkoker called “Mookata” from the beginning, but as a person from outside Bangkok we used to called (and still call in some occassions) “Nuea-yang Kao-li” (Korean Grilled Meat)
Guys there are two Mongolian barbecues the flat top diy version is made up and from US. Real Mongols ate a ton of meat, mostly boiled, but grilled was a treat. Koreans had a very Buddhist diet but the Mongols started a trend
Imo there is something to be learned from the Zainichi experience for Asian people in western countries. Existing as a perpetual foreigner, always suspect when something bad happens in the nation your family originates from, and being scapegoats when domestic problems arise(please tell me you remember the times when crime happened in Japan, it was common to assume the criminal was Korean descent). The only real differences is, at least Zainichi can blend in, and if people didn't know your name, they won't assume anything and of course because Asian people in the west can have citizenship as it's not based on blood.
I guess one could say yakiniku & other Zainichi stuff are to Japan what southern bbq is to the US as well as the stuff of Irish USers & black USers are to the US overall
Nothing about Yakuza is Korean culture. Just because Koreans get jobs in low social stratum workplaces, that doesn't mean they originators of the World, rather Koreans are discriminated against and can't get decent Jobs. I see a lot of Korean women enrolled in Japanese pr*stitution, by your logic then we can safely guarantee koreans invented pr*stitutes too
Not so sure about some of the assumptions in this video. I was introduced to Korean cuisine before it was popular in Australia, by Japanese people. That was around 1990. It is widely understood that the origin of Yakiniku is Korean and there has been a sizable Korean population in Japan from way before the 1980s.
~Brilliant video. This is the best channel for anyone interested in the intersection between culture, history & food. Its a profound window in to the world. Thank you for these well informed & researched videos. My very favorite from the first on Portuguese food & its impact. Please keep it up.
Over the period time korean BBQs in Japan moved away from trends in their mainland. it has become Japanese food, first it uses a lot of marination sauces, where as in Korea minimum marination or no marination has become a trend with ssam vegetables wrapped in. Japanese yakiniku I would say that it has become a strange food for South Koreans.
Korean-style yakiniku in Japan was created when poor Koreans picked up discarded guts and vegetables and roasted them to eat them because the Japanese were eating meat and discarding the guts. The Korean-style yakiniku is still eaten today under the name "horumon-yaki.
So interesting! Thank you for the amazing video. I just bumped into your channel by accident, but immediately I subscribed to it, thanks to this video.
Oh Mr Matthew Li , You just making me feel like trip to Memory Lane Because in March 2020 , I ever in Shin Okubo just like you Oh Memory Lane Intensifies
At least they dont forget the origin of the foods and they really good at creating food culture, thats what impressive about japan, lets make the origin of korean corn dog video next 🤣🤣🤣
@@P.90.603 I know… its like only japanese figured out how to eat fish over rice. You will be surprised to know that your national dish sushi actually has its origin in china and south east asia 😂
@@P.90.603While it's true that yakiniku has been popularized to fit japanese palate within Japan, this doesn’t negate the influences and contributions from other cultures, particularly Korean. Just as Xerox's developments in technology laid groundwork that others built upon without diminishing Xerox’s contributions, the development of yakiniku in Japan doesn't erase its Korean influences as it is evident from karubi which share same etymology as korean galbi. Recognizing the origins of yakiniku isn’t about claiming ownership; it’s about acknowledging the rich, intertwined history that shaped the dish. Just as American pizza has evolved from its Italian origins and still acknowledges that heritage, so too does yakiniku’s evolution in Japan reflect a dynamic cultural heritage which is what the video is exactly trying to explain. You are correct that development of food should not be owned by one nation but there is also no need to dismiss the heritage and rich history of this cuisine, that japan’s yakiniku inherited rich grilling culture from its neigbours. Same goes for japanese kanji, cherry blossom, tea ceremoney, fireworks … etc which you guys all inherited from china.
@@P.90.603 Don’t be so ignorant. You've clearly never been to Europe or outside where you live. Europeans really value the history, heritage and origins of their food. And just so you know, Mediterranean cuisines vary widely. Greek dishes feature olives and feta, Italian meals highlight pasta and tomatoes, Spanish cuisine is known for seafood, hamon, chorizos and tapas, while Turkish food often includes spices, grilled meats and sweets. Each style is unique, reflecting its own culture and geography.
After all, Koreans will always be Koreans, no matter where they live or what their nationality is. Spreading the lie that everything comes from Korea. What if you realize that you're embarrassed to do that anymore?
There’s nothing stupider than Japanese complaining about Koreans in front of an American audience when to the rest of the world they’re the same thing. And this guys from Hong Kong and lives in Brooklyn.
I agree with you, Red Velvet IS the best Kpop group! But this is such an informative view! I always wondered why Yakiniku and Korean BBQ is so similar.
wow I remember more than a decade ago japanese always told me that korea like to copy japan product, now Korean product all the hype for Japanese people
In those days, Koreans were free to come to Japan in the first place, and they were also free to return home. After the Greater East Asia War, the Japanese government offered to pay for Koreans to return to Japan, but those who did not return because they made good money ended up as zainichi Koreans. They were no different from third-world immigrants to Western countries.
They are… I don’t know where you heard that they aren’t. In fact the zainichi population is quickly declining because so many have naturalized Japanese that the number of Korean nationality residents in Japan is declining in statistics
no japanese think this food is korean things LOL this food is just BBQ or somthing. just grilling meat does not make it korean food. this is not even close to japanese curry or ramen LOL in japan korean food restaurants and yakiniku places are totally separated seriously japan has made foods like Shabu Shabu , Sukiyaki and Yakitori and Yakiniku is just one of them
@@P.90.603 You are missing the point. Let me give you simple example. While pizza has been adapted globally especially in US to adapt to local taste and ingredients, the original concept of pizza remains distinctively Italian. Same goes for all the popular modern japanese food like gyoza, ramen, shabushabu, yakiniku, curry and tonkatsu. These food adapted japanese taste and were made with more local ingredients (hence difference in taste) but original concept of these food are definitely not japanese.
@@P.90.603 I see your point. But, it’s important to recognize that while foods like curry and bánh mì have adapted and become part of new cultures, claiming these adaptations as solely belonging to the new culture can overlook the rich, shared history of these dishes. I think its very arrogant to do so. Similarly, our chinese language has been adapted into your japanese languange for centuries. While it remains distinct in both cultures, you cannot claim its solely yours. I want to conclude that, acknowledging the origins and the global culinary exchanges that have shaped them doesn’t diminish their local significance; rather, it celebrates the interconnectedness of our culinary traditions. People like you trying to sever this connectedness have very arrogant and isolated perspective. Also, your pizza argument just further proves my point. The fact that pizza’s spread globally started with Italian immigrants mirrors many other culinary stories in your country. Ramen gyoza yakiniku were all introduced and popularized by chinese and korean immigrants. Its not rocket science buddy.
@@P.90.603 You are wrong again. While there are claims that pasta originated from Chinese noodles brought to Italy by Marco Polo, historical evidence suggests that both pasta and noodles evolved independently in their respective cultures. Italian pasta and Chinese noodles differ significantly in ingredients, preparation methods, and cultural significance, each reflecting its own culinary traditions and innovations without direct derivation from one another. I can assure you most chinese dont associate pasta and noodle. Also your arguments are starting to make no sense and disoriented that it kinda sounds silly at this point. stop making convenient exception to italian food for your arguement’s sake 😂
Yakiniku is in fact Korean barbecue. Japan never had this style of cooking or culture. And most Yakiniku restaurants are still owned and operated by Koreans.
According to data from the Korea Creative Content Agency in 2012, Japan is the top export destination for K-pop at 80.8%, followed by Southeast Asia at 13.6%, China at 4.4%, the United States at 0.5%, Europe at 0.4%, and other countries. It is 0.3%. Apparently, KARA was very popular in Japan at the time.
@@clone69507 Japanese CD is the most expensive physical media in the world and Japanese people are still into CDs, that's the sole reason. No wonder why Kpop labels invest too much in the elaboration of Fancy Albums despite all Digital sales in Korean Market. But if you think Kpop artists are among the Top best-selling musicians in Japanese, you couldn't be more wrong. First of all google it: List of best-selling music artists in Japan and second, at the Bottom of it you will see 1 or 2 Korean artists, from over 10 years - TVXQ and BOA. Yeah Kpop fever in Japan is been dead for more than a decade now, unlike what your Korean patriotic media loves telling you in the present day...
@@clone69507 yea kara is kind of the exception but thats also cause kara was heavily jpop girly inspired. to the point most people think kara was japanese. it really wasent intill 2015 to 2016 that kpop woth moee of a korean sound was making ground
Hey boy. You have many disinformation in this video. First of all, k bbq come from Japanese style of cuisine because Korean dont have meat culture before and table cooking style . Japan have so many style of Bbq Robata(炉端),shichirinn(七輪)IRori(囲炉裏)teppan (鉄板焼き).Korean use Japanese style of Bbq. And its called Korean bbq. Korean Bbq eats Pork. Japanese bbq eats beef. Korean eats Japonica rice. They dont even know they have been eating Japanese rice. . Second, You misunderstood about Korea and Japan relationship and history by Communism. They dont want China , Korea, Japan get together again. Three country were used to firghting together against Western European countrise. Japan lost the war. Commnism took over Asia.They splited and divided Asia . Third, China support North Korea. Japan help South Korea. Do u see this ?
@@profile1172I just cant take that young man is misleading other young people. Korean BBQ came from Japan because they all use Japanese Bbq grill table . The company is called SHINPO from Japan.
It is true that japan lacked eating beef and grilling culture. Famous portugese missionary Luis Frois wrote that, Japanese would mostly eat raw fish and meat and prefer eating dog meat rather than cow meat. Here is the reference. Captain Jorge Álvares and Father Luís Fróis S.J.: Two Early Portuguese Descriptions of Japan and the Japanese
This video is inaccurate. Yakiniku in Japan is basically beef. In Korea, it is pork. The origin of yakiniku is "horumon-yaki," a dish made from grilled internal organs. In the Showa period (1926-1989), Japanese restaurants began to serve hormone dish, a dish made from internal organs. The term "horumon-yaki" came to be used to refer to the grilled organ meat served in popular restaurants. After the war, Koreans and zainichi Koreans who remained in Japan, especially in Osaka, ate and sometimes sold horumon-yaki, and it gradually spread throughout the country. the word "yakiniku" has been around for a long time. The use of the word "yakiniku" to refer to grilled meat dishes is older, for example, in "Seiyo Ryoriyotsu" (1872) by Kanagaki Rubun (1872), where it is used as a translation of barbecue. The same year, "Seiyo Ryori Shinan" also uses the term "yakiniku" to refer to a dish made from grilled animal meat. In recent years, in Shigeru Mizuki's manga "Graveyard Kitaro" series, "Kitaro Yawa Monogatari" (1961), there is a line in which a whole roasted chicken is referred to as "yakiniku" According to Michio Sasaki's "Cultural History of Yakiniku," it became popular in the 1920s to call all energy-boosting dishes such as offal dishes, egg dishes, and natto (fermented soybeans) as horumon ryori. According to Tsunekichi Uoya's "Longevity Cuisine" (1936), he notes that in the Showa period, the ryotei restaurant "Sansuiro" and the Western-style restaurant "Hokkyokusei" served offal dishes as hormone ryori. Under the influence of these restaurants, motsu-yaki, grilled offal served in popular restaurants before World War II, came to be called horumon-yaki.
In the U.S., the most well-known Korean barbecue dishes are beef-based, like bulgogi and LA kalbi, which have a long and rich history from my understanding. It feels misleading to suggest that Korean barbecue primarily uses pork and discarded intestines, as that's not the case.
@@syzygy321 That is the current story. In Korea, there is a pork barbecue called samgyeopsal, but in Japan there are no barbecue restaurants that serve only pork. 99% of the meat is beef.
I think its important to consider the historical context of Zainichi Koreans in Japan. It was true they were very poor like u said but it was because they faced significant economic and social restrictions at the time. From my research, many Chinese and Korean immigrants were marginalized, often compared to the social standing of African Americans in the 1950s U.S., and were barred from regular employment. This financial burden even have led some to resort to criminal activities. These conditions likely influenced their access to certain types of meat, affecting their culinary practices. However, this does not imply that Korean cuisine exclusively used intestines out of necessity during those times. Korean beef cuisine like bulgogi has history as early as 37BC so i doubt its something so recent like you claim.
I suggest you read "Captain Jorge Álvares and Father Luís Fróis S.J.: Two Early Portuguese Descriptions of Japan and the Japanese." It's a well-known book for asianic study by a famous Portuguese missionary. Historically, the Japanese did not enjoy beef much. The book notes that the Japanese often ate raw meat and fish unlike Europeans. This might enlighten you a bit. Also, just because there are some Korean BBQ restaurants that serve only pork, it doesn't mean beef isn't an integral part of Korean BBQ. This just highlights the variety within Korean BBQ, which includes beef, pork, and other meats-a contrast to Japan, where mostly beef has been predominantly adopted from kbbq.
Japanese had a Buddhist government that forbad the consumption of beef for centuries until the meiji restoration. That's why British curry became a staple in the Japanese pallet as the curry powder would hide the smell/taste of beef that wasn't very liked by the Japanese back then. That's why Korean BBQ became so popular with the Japanese, grilling meat really wasn't part of their culture.
@shanjida8353 after the Goryeo dynasty came to end, the new Joseon followed confucius instead of Buddhism resulting in large meat consumption throughout the country. But meat was still widely eaten across korea even in and before Goryeo, it's just that the government put restrictions in it since cows were used for agriculture production.
According to a book written in the mid-9th century, Ono no Komachi, a female poetess of the time, was also a lover of chicken, bear, rabbit, and venison. In the early Edo period (1600 AD), there were recipe books for roasting and boiling raccoon dogs and otters in addition to those. The government had issued a ban, but common people ate them in secret. The missionary Luis Frois also reported, "The Japanese secretly prefer beef. Contributors who ignore or reveal their ignorance of such things that can be found with a little research are fools.
Forbidden by Government doesn't imply it doesn't exist... many people would be for example surprised by the Fact Pr*stitution is forbidden by law in Thailand, despite all thriving S*x industrv in the Country
lie! In Japan, there was a variety of cultures where food was eaten while grilling, such as robata and irori hearths. Korea imitated the Japanese yakiniku and called it Korean yakiniku. It is correct to say that South Korea imitated Japan.
Japan did not have grilling culture. Go read Captain Jorge Álvares and Father Luís Fróis S.J.: Two Early Portuguese Descriptions of Japan and the Japanese
Average Japanese definitely know Yakiniku has its origins from ethnic Koreans in Japan. Japanese bbq or yakiniku restaurants have been operated by zainichi for decades.
no japanese think this food is korean things LOL this food is just BBQ or somthing. just grilling meat does not make it korean food. this is not even close to japanese curry or ramen LOL in japan korean food restaurants and yakiniku places are totally separated
There is a lot of Koreans enrolled in Japanese Mafia (Yakuza) or Pr*stitution in Japan, by your logic the origin of Japanese Mafia or Pr*stitution must be attributed to Koreans too
Did you read green8962's comment? Japanese people think of Yakiniku as grilled meat, not Korean and Grilled meat is something that goes back all the way to Prehistory and attested by multiple sources in Japan before Meiji era, discouraged but not unknown.... just because koreans were able to find a job in grilled meat business in Japan, it doesn't tell you about the actual roots of meat-eating habits in Japan, otherwise we could easily say Brazilians and Argentines invented Football rather than the UK
@@Flymoki13 the video isn't claiming Koreans invented fire or the act of grilling meat. give me a break. there are different styles of grilling and BBQ. look it up yourself.
Are you the guy from that other channel about anime figures? Similar script writing and feel to the videos... I wanna say similar appearance too but id have to go check back that channel.
In the past, in Japan, cows and horses were a valuable labor force and were treated like family members, and they were rarely eaten. In some areas, wild boar was eaten grilled, but this is only a rare case. Originally, yakiniku was just one item at Korean restaurants in Japan. At that time, store staff grilled the meat and served it to customers. In Japan during the early Meiji period, it was popular for customers to grill their own meat, so this style was introduced to yakiniku as well. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingisukan Today's yakiniku cuisine is a sophisticated part of Japanese culinary culture, but many of the owners of yakiniku restaurants are Koreans residing in Japan, and it is also a reflection of Korean culinary culture. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of nationalists online who dislike the fact that popular Japanese cuisine has Korean roots.