Greetings to Our Visitors

We would like to thank you for visiting the 28th special exhibition “Doing Fieldwork on Fermented Foods in the World” at Nagoya University Museum. This special exhibition introduces numerous fieldwork studies by researchers who have travelled out to various parts of the world to perform investigations under the theme of fermented foods essential for our lives.

This exhibition provides an opportunity to showcase the Study Group on the Nature and Culture of Fermented Foods that was launched by Prof. Satoshi Yokoyama of the Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University. Researchers from universities and research institutes across Japan are participating in this Study Group. Their goals are to investigate the culture and mechanisms of the world’s fermented foods from various angles, discuss them together, and develop enhanced research and application to food culture.

In this exhibition, researchers participating in the Study Group examine the rich cultures of fermented foods from around the world—particularly in Asia and Africa—and how they have changed over time. In addition, they elucidate the mechanisms of fermentation, introducing research results that suggest ways of producing safer fermented foods, and they showcase the fermented seasonings and condiments used in Asia and the microorganisms essential to the production of fermented foods.

We hope this special exhibition will give you a sense of the richness of fermentation that colors our lives, and spark your interest in the blessings of microorganisms and the wisdom of the peoples who have used them.

Hidekazu Yoshida, Director, Nagoya University Museum