ジンギスカン料理と帝國日本 --北京から滿蒙へ--

Abstract

This study examines the historical roots and cultural transmission of the meal known as jingisukan ジンギスカン in Japan. It challenges the popular belief that this cuisine is directly connected to Genghis Khan or the Mongolian people. The origins of jingisukan in Japan can be traced back to the grilled mutton served at Zhengyanglou 正陽樓, a Han Chinese restaurant in Beijing. Written sources support the theory that Washizawa Yoshiji 鷲澤與四二, a newspaper journalist, named the grilled mutton dish jingisukan, written 成吉思汗, around 1910. The transmission of jingisukan can be traced from Beijing to Manchuria, where it gained popularity as a local specialty. This dish served not only as a cultural link between Manchuria and Mongolia but also made its way to Japan through Manchuria. Historical sources indicate that jingisukan was introduced to Manchuria from Beijing in 1913. In the late 1930s, branches of the Yamato Hotel in Dalian and Shinkyō (Changchun), operated by the South Manchuria Railway Company, promoted jingisukan as a distinctive dish of Manchuria or of the capital city to attract tourists. Additionally, it was exported to Mongolia from both Manchuria and Japan, and it became popular as a banquet dish. Furthermore, the Japanese army actively utilized jingisukan to boost morale during the Sino-Japanese War. As the Japanese Empire established its territorial presence in Manchuria and Mongolia, jingisukan spread as a dish with roots in these regions, playing a role in justifying Japan's territorial claims. Within Japan, the increasing demand for wool due to the popularity of Western-style clothing led to a rise in sheep farming and an expansion of the market for mutton. In 1919, Professor Hiroshi Tanaka 田中宏 of the College of Agriculture at the Imperial University of Tokyo serialized in the periodical Chikusan 畜產 methods for cooking mutton, including an early example of a jingisukan-like recipe described as “flavored marinated and grilled” 味附浸燒. On December 15, 1930, with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ryōyūkai 糧友會, the Hōrai Restaurant 寶來レストラン, which primarily served mutton dishes, opened in Tokyo's Ginza district, likely being the first of its kind. Furthermore, in 1936, the Jingisu Villa, Originator of Mutton Cuisine マトン料理宗家 成吉思莊, the first restaurant specializing in jingisukan, was established in the Kōenji area of Tokyo. By that time, the popularity of jingisukan had exceeded the aims of government policies and the realm of dining out, becoming a dish that could also be enjoyed at home as an alternative to sukiyaki.