Meat and Chicken

The eating of meat was banned in Japan for many years, first due to Buddhism and later by the Shogunate for 300 years until 1868. However, game, such as wild boar, hare and mountain birds have always been eaten by some communities. It was only after World War II that meat, mainly beef, pork and chicken, became a part of the general diet. It is still only sparingly used; nearly always thinly sliced or shredded and cooked with vegetables, or minced (ground).