The Kenshoku Collection: A Unique Archive of Japanese Food Culture
Key information
- Date
- Time
-
2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
- Venue
- SOAS Gallery
- Room
- BG01
- Event type
- Seminar
About this event
The presentation introduces the Kenshoku Collection, a unique archive of more than 200,000 materials related to Japanese food culture, accumulated over approximately forty years.
The collection includes books, newspapers, magazines, historical cookbooks, ukiyo-e prints, menus, advertisements, packaging, maps, and various folk materials. Its distinctive arrangement connects diverse materials around specific food-related themes, allowing researchers to explore Japanese food from historical, social, cultural, industrial, and regional perspectives. Ritsumeikan University is currently cataloguing and organizing the collection, with 53,862 items already registered as of March 2026. The presentation will outline the collection’s history, key characteristics, current development, and its potential as an international hub for research, education, exhibitions, and collaboration on Japanese food culture.
Header image credit: Kvnga via Unsplash
About the speaker
Shoki Kosai is an Associate Professor in the College of Gastronomy Management at Ritsumeikan University, Japan. He received his Ph.D. in Energy Science from the Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University. His research focuses on energy security, the circular economy, life cycle assessment (LCA), and industrial ecology. In addition to his academic position, he serves as the Representative Director of Ocean Repair Inc. and Terroiroots LLC, where he promotes industry–academia collaboration and the social implementation of sustainability research.
