Japanese Mothers and Obentos: The Lunch Box as Ideological State Apparatus By: Anne Allison

1. Obentos

1.1. Are made quite elaborately by Japanese mothers for their children. The mother does this to both please their children and to affirm that they are good mothers.

1.2. "Obentos are highly crafted elaborations of food: a multitude of miniature portions, artistically designed and precisely arranged, in a container that is sturdy and cute."

1.3. This situation where mother cooks for children is "coded" as a cultural and aesthetic apparatus in Japan. There are underlining gendered and ideological meaning within this pratice.

2. Cultural Ritual & State Ideology

2.1. The state utilizes its power by ISA's or Ideological State Apparatuses. These are institutions that have some overt function rather than political or administrative, Ex. Mass media, education, health

2.2. Hidden in ads we watch on television or in the movies these ISA's influence our decision making.

3. Japanese Food As Cultural Myth

3.1. One of the media sources a magazine pointed out that "the making of obento is the one most worrisome concern facing the mother of a child going off to school for the first time." This puts determination into the mothers mindset to make their child the greatest obento.

3.2. There is a deeper meaning to the obentos than just food. It signifies the young child going into school for the first time.

3.3. Small portions with multiple variety is the way obento is packaged. THe appearance of the food is at the utmost importance. The beauty and freshness is emphasised more as with ads in magazines.

4. School, State & Subjectivity

4.1. The author stresses three reasons obentos are a common ritual in Japanese culture: language, order meanings and manipulation.

4.2. In Japan the state wields enormous control over the systematization of education. Ministry of Education

4.3. "gakureki shakkai" a Ministry of Education principle where the careers of children are chosen by the schools they attend when their young. So the influence of the state and school system is strong in Japan.

5. Nursery School & Ideological Appropriation of the Obento.

5.1. Mothers but their children in private schools. Every mother makes an Obento to the elaborate degree; this is a symbol of the mothers care for the child and a symbol of the child and their dedication to school.