2020 January Japan. 1/5/2020 Part 1 of 3 "A Jungian discourse on my Japanese breakfast"
For breakfast again I had it at Mizuki downstairs. Hey, if my hotel brand status gets me free breakfast during my stay it is a no-brainer. (5500 value per meal)
Again I did not take a picture of the appetizer breakfast.
Food, (in this post) - cooking/preparation and eating - demonstrate our identity as people. It is one place where the "material" and "psychic (Jungian concept)" worlds meet.
From the viewpoint of the psychological/cognitive functions (Jung/MBTI):
Summary: In Japanese cuisine we can see the meeting place of all 9 "functions" - it is the meeting place of biochemical knowledge, technology, meaning, possibility, values, organization, beliefs, identity, and individual/collective individuation. Japanese cuisine gives insight the psychological development of the Japanese people and culture, its strengths and direction of growth.
Extraverted Sensing - Of course eating includes the senses, but not only taste, but so much more. This is highlighted in Japanese cooking where even the method of eating correlates with this: for example, the spoon provided is not for consuming the soup. The soup is consumed by bringing the bowl to one's mouth and by doing so one gets the whole experience by using seeing the food, smelling the food, tasting the food, and in some cases (not with soup... probably) touching the food (for example, eating nigiri sushi with one's hand instead of chopsticks).
Introverted Sensing - We are anatomically/physiologically built to associate memories with smells. Significant nostalgia about certain foods and tastes understandably can "overcome" better tasting food. This is where "being Japanese" would help with such a meal. Japanese cooking/cuisine is inextricably related to the ingredients available to it - as such the ever presence of fish is understandable. These ingredients, tastes, and presentation offer to someone that grew up with such cooking a connection to memories of eating and meaning, and perhaps a personal and collective identity.
Extraverted Intuition - It takes the power of possibility and innovation to combine ingredients to produce food. Whether it be in different amounts, less common (or never tried) combinations of ingredients, methods of food alteration (heat, mechanical). Reductionist science and technology offers insight into the basics of each ingredient and their relationships, but it takes intuition to put them together into ... food.
Introverted Intuition - Food comes to your table and ready to be eaten. There is the moment of the impression, the moment, the unified aspect of the food and eating that comes from the unconscious / instincts (physiologic and psychic). There is a sudden and complete meaning as the food presented is instantaneously and lastingly a manifestation of a meaning.
Extraverted Feeling - Considering food allergies of the eater is a easy concept for people to understand, but cooking someone that matches up with the expectations and values of the eater is something that takes a lot of insight and requires an insight into the eater. This function would make more sense when the cook/chef knew who they were cooking for. For my meal, attention to my comfort and needs were where extraverted feeling could more easily be see - which melds into Introverted Feeling and Japanese values in general.
Introverted Feeling - Japanese food/cuisine is imbued, imbued with Japanese values. Digging will reveal the firm established beliefs and values that developed over centuries of this syncretistic culture. I am not too knowledgeable about this aspect but you can appreciate the innate Japanese-ness of this cooking and the values it represents.
Extraverted Thinking - This is probably the least important factor in cooking. One thing I can think of is making sure that the nutritional aspects and total quantity is appropriate. The amount of food (for a breakfast for me) was great. And I would like to think various nutritional aspects were met as well (got the probiotics, prebiotics, multiple vegetables, some fruit, animal protein, fish (omega fatty acids), etc)
Introverted Thinking - Each food fits into its container and the containers are contained with the boundaries of the tray. There is an internal satisfying logic to the cooking and the presentation that showcases the "Japanese operating system."
Transcedent- The Japanese have an incredible way of incorporating new elements into their cooking. Many instances of food we consider truly Japanese was adapted into it from other cultures - ramen (Chinese), breads (melon bread anyone?) (Portugal), etc. And now they are considered more Japanese than anything else. This is an example again of syncretism - the Japanese takes from another than produces something that is "more" Japanese in a sense. This lets Japanese cuisine continue to evolve, but also become "more" Japanese over time. To me, Japan is a land of a boundary of sorts, akin to the Shinto Torii, in which the conscious and unconscious is more tangible/shown.
edit: PS. Of course as an INFJ I was sub-focused on the actual taste (extraverted sensing). It tasted great.
Again I did not take a picture of the appetizer breakfast.
Food, (in this post) - cooking/preparation and eating - demonstrate our identity as people. It is one place where the "material" and "psychic (Jungian concept)" worlds meet.
From the viewpoint of the psychological/cognitive functions (Jung/MBTI):
Summary: In Japanese cuisine we can see the meeting place of all 9 "functions" - it is the meeting place of biochemical knowledge, technology, meaning, possibility, values, organization, beliefs, identity, and individual/collective individuation. Japanese cuisine gives insight the psychological development of the Japanese people and culture, its strengths and direction of growth.
Extraverted Sensing - Of course eating includes the senses, but not only taste, but so much more. This is highlighted in Japanese cooking where even the method of eating correlates with this: for example, the spoon provided is not for consuming the soup. The soup is consumed by bringing the bowl to one's mouth and by doing so one gets the whole experience by using seeing the food, smelling the food, tasting the food, and in some cases (not with soup... probably) touching the food (for example, eating nigiri sushi with one's hand instead of chopsticks).
Introverted Sensing - We are anatomically/physiologically built to associate memories with smells. Significant nostalgia about certain foods and tastes understandably can "overcome" better tasting food. This is where "being Japanese" would help with such a meal. Japanese cooking/cuisine is inextricably related to the ingredients available to it - as such the ever presence of fish is understandable. These ingredients, tastes, and presentation offer to someone that grew up with such cooking a connection to memories of eating and meaning, and perhaps a personal and collective identity.
Extraverted Intuition - It takes the power of possibility and innovation to combine ingredients to produce food. Whether it be in different amounts, less common (or never tried) combinations of ingredients, methods of food alteration (heat, mechanical). Reductionist science and technology offers insight into the basics of each ingredient and their relationships, but it takes intuition to put them together into ... food.
Introverted Intuition - Food comes to your table and ready to be eaten. There is the moment of the impression, the moment, the unified aspect of the food and eating that comes from the unconscious / instincts (physiologic and psychic). There is a sudden and complete meaning as the food presented is instantaneously and lastingly a manifestation of a meaning.
Extraverted Feeling - Considering food allergies of the eater is a easy concept for people to understand, but cooking someone that matches up with the expectations and values of the eater is something that takes a lot of insight and requires an insight into the eater. This function would make more sense when the cook/chef knew who they were cooking for. For my meal, attention to my comfort and needs were where extraverted feeling could more easily be see - which melds into Introverted Feeling and Japanese values in general.
Introverted Feeling - Japanese food/cuisine is imbued, imbued with Japanese values. Digging will reveal the firm established beliefs and values that developed over centuries of this syncretistic culture. I am not too knowledgeable about this aspect but you can appreciate the innate Japanese-ness of this cooking and the values it represents.
Extraverted Thinking - This is probably the least important factor in cooking. One thing I can think of is making sure that the nutritional aspects and total quantity is appropriate. The amount of food (for a breakfast for me) was great. And I would like to think various nutritional aspects were met as well (got the probiotics, prebiotics, multiple vegetables, some fruit, animal protein, fish (omega fatty acids), etc)
Introverted Thinking - Each food fits into its container and the containers are contained with the boundaries of the tray. There is an internal satisfying logic to the cooking and the presentation that showcases the "Japanese operating system."
Transcedent- The Japanese have an incredible way of incorporating new elements into their cooking. Many instances of food we consider truly Japanese was adapted into it from other cultures - ramen (Chinese), breads (melon bread anyone?) (Portugal), etc. And now they are considered more Japanese than anything else. This is an example again of syncretism - the Japanese takes from another than produces something that is "more" Japanese in a sense. This lets Japanese cuisine continue to evolve, but also become "more" Japanese over time. To me, Japan is a land of a boundary of sorts, akin to the Shinto Torii, in which the conscious and unconscious is more tangible/shown.
edit: PS. Of course as an INFJ I was sub-focused on the actual taste (extraverted sensing). It tasted great.
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