Project
Conscious Consumerism
Hiroshima has a strong aquaculture industry, supported by the coveted Miyajima oyster and made possible by its proximity to the Inland Sea. Students will understand the relationship between the human geography of Japan and its development of the industry of aquaculture, given the context of local laws, technological advancements, and culinary traditions. They will investigate key aspects of the global seafood industry, why certain marine life is at risk, and how a consumer can influence the industry through their economic purchasing power.
What is the true cost of sushi?
Module Overview
Summative Piece
An interactive, visual display of heavy appetizers and live cooking skills as well as video demonstrations of proper technique and their rationale for conscious consumption per dish.
Live Cooking
A menu list of “Oishii Dishes” and their main ingredients linked to the following rationale:
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Why main ingredients were chosen specifically
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The costs to humans, societies, industries and the environment
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The benefits to humans, societies, industries, and the environment
Digital Menu
In today’s world, the production and consumption of food is one of the major contributors to the degradation of the environment. In Japan specifically, the aquaculture industry that accompanies the rich traditional cuisine has significant environmental consequences that most consumers are unaware of. The most pressing repercussion of overfishing is the reduction of marine biodiversity, which is the catalyzer of the extinction of entire species. Furthermore, climate change is worsening due to the intensification of the unsustainable technologies used in the fishing industry. Currently, we may be looking at the demolition of entire ecosystems which not only have detrimental effects on our society but undisclosed impacts on ourselves.
In order to combat this issue, our mission is to educate our audience on prevailing dilemmas in the environmental world, as well as providing our customers with potential solutions. By creating an impeccably-tasting menu containing carefully selected ingredients, we hope to inspire a more conscious mindset on minimizing our environmental impact. Individual choices during consumption can not only impact your local community but entire societies through a series of chain reactions.
It is basic human privilege to utilize natural resources that we are provided with, therefore making it our responsibility to preserve these treasures not only for us but for future generations to come. By sharing our menu of oishii dishes, we hope to provide you a window into Japanese gastronomy, to ultimately make you question; are you a conscious consumer?
Check out the website we made: