Yatai (food Cart)

A is a small, mobile food stall in Japan typically selling ramen or other food. The name literally means "shop stand".

The stall is set up in the early evening on pedestrian walkways and removed late at night or in the early morning hours.

Though the practice of mobile food stands dates back to the 17th century, ''yatai'' became popular and widespread in the Meiji period (1868–1912) and were two-wheeled pushcarts constructed of wood. ''Yatai'' were popular during and following World War II, but Japanese authorities imposed regulations ahead of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, citing health concerns. Today, they are prevalent in Fukuoka, but continue to dwindle.

Carts

''Yatai'' are typically wooden carts on wheels, equipped with kitchen appliances and seating. Handles and seating fold into the cart while it is being transported. A pushcart usually measures 3 by 2.5 meters. Vendors serve a variety of foods from traditional Japanese cuisine such as ramen, gyoza, and tempura. Beer, ''sake'', and ''shōchū'' are usually available. Carts open after sunset and close in the early morning.

History

''Yatai'' selling buckwheat soba date back at least to the 1600s, and major cities such as Tokyo could have thousands. 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.

''Yatai'' are descended from food stalls established outside of Buddhist shrines from the 5th to 7th century. 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.

''Yatai'' saw a brief resurgence in the 1900s as industrialization contributed to rice shortages, and farmers flocked to the city. Kobayashi Kurasaburo, a leftist intellectual, condemned the rise of ''yatai'' carts as a product of industrialization eradicating traditional Japanese food culture. The presence of large industrial workforces in urban centers often corresponded to the presence of ''yatai'', and this included ''yatai'' run by foreigners to Japan, particularly from occupied countries, such as Taiwan and Korea. After Japan's surrender in 1945, ''yatai'' flourished as Japan rebuilt its economic infrastructure, though many operated illegally or through a black market. ''Yatai'' at the time served gyoza, Japanese dumplings, heavily seasoned with garlic, which was thought to increase heartiness. This marked an era of standardization for ''yatai'', as corporations, seeing an economic opportunity, began selling "ready-made" ''yatai'' carts in the 1950s, in exchange for a portion of sales.

As Japan's economy boomed, many of the ''yatai'' transformed into storefronts, giving rise, particularly, to several ramen chains, such as Harugiya Ramen in Tokyo and Ide Shoten in Wakayama. However, city officials grew wary of health risks posed by the traveling food stands and, ahead of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, new regulations were created which led to a decline in ''yatai''. In the 1970s, the ''yatai'' were often portrayed by media as romantic escapes from the pressures of the business world, profiling salarymen who abandoned business careers to operate pushcarts. Scholars suggest this was the product of limited independent options for Japanese men in the time on account of a widespread salaryman system of lifetime corporate employment.

In Fukuoka Prefecture

The contemporary hub of ''yatai'' culture are the Nakasu and Tenjin districts in Fukuoka City of Fukuoka Prefecture. As ''yatai'' regulations were implemented at the local level across Japan, Fukuoka's ''yatai'' operators created a trade association and were mostly unaffected. The number of ''yatai'' has dwindled in most major metropolitan areas, though leveled in the early 21st century in response to Japan's economic stagnation and ''yatais relatively low cost. Nonetheless, in Fukuoka prefecture, the number of carts has declined since the 1960s from 450 to just 100 as of December 2018. The process has been accelerated by a 1994 law stating that ''yatai'' must be passed to a direct descendant, or closed, upon the retirement of the operator. However, Fukuoka has relaxed these regulations and recently announced the availability of 14 new licenses as of 2019.

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. She has regular customers and welcomes foreigners as well. She often jokes that she has the most expensive toilet of any restaurant in Kumamoto since customers use the toilet in the local park, which was built for over ¥10,000,000 (about $90,000 USD).

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 leftist look at the struggle of the working class, emphasizing the difficult financial situation of ''yatai'' operators at the time.

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

* Ramen shop
* Food truck
* Pojangmacha

References

External links

Fukuoka Travel: Food Stalls

{{Street food

Food retailers of Japan
Street food
Fukuoka