This article considers the characteristics of the Japanese Empire’s food culture among the colonial empires of world history. It points out that Japanese people have a strong interest in colonial cuisines, such as “Taiwanese cuisine,” “Korean cuisine,” and “Manchurian cuisine.” While Korean cuisine sometimes became an expression of nationalism in the colony, Taiwanese cuisine and Manchurian cuisine were mainly promoted by Japanese colonists. This article considers the whole picture of Manchurian cuisine, in particular, for the first time. In addition, Crown Prince Hirohito (later Emperor Shōwa) tasted Taiwanese cuisine in Taipei in 1923 and food from the Chinese continent in Tokyo on New Year’s Day in 1940. These meals are interpreted as political ceremonies symbolizing the integration of the Japanese Empire.

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