Blurb:

Kaiseki is widely acknowledged by Japanese and non-Japanese alike as Japan’s most representative cuisine. It originated from the meals served during gatherings for chanoyu, the Japanese tea ritual widely known today as the ‘tea ceremony’. This paper investigates the history and development of kaiseki cuisine and discusses its practice today mainly through the chanoyu tradition but also with reference to contemporary dining practices. The discussion will also include the meanings behind the rules and rituals of kaiseki that are not immediately obvious to non-practitioners of chanoyu but which have become important markers for Japanese cuisine in general.