@teto @arc Samurai probably did eat meat though, they weren't average soldiers.

@Jens_Rasmussen @teto @arc fish.
that was the only meat they did not see as unclean.

@Some_German_Guy @arc @Jens_Rasmussen I think that had more to do with being a crescent shaped island that has fishing cultures everywhere and needing most of the land for rice farming instead of cattle

@teto @arc @Jens_Rasmussen japans break away from all surrounding cultures happened so long ago that anything people come up with is little more then speculation.
i personally have a feeling that the tengu have something to do with it.
as kikes selling butcherd people as pork was also the reason why arabs only eat beef or poultry.

@teto @Jens_Rasmussen @Some_German_Guy It was a little of both, and also one of the main concerns was driving native animals extinct. It was a bit of a legal grey area even, but they still snuck in meat sometimes. People actually would occasionally eat meat as “medicine” to treat protein deficiencies even. And by Edo there were restaurants that operated like speak-easys that would serve meat on the down low. The food culture especially during Edo was pretty interesting, IIRC Edo had the highest amount of restaurants per capita in the world. I guess the stereotype of Japan being obsessed with culinary stuff was always a thing.

Still, before they got the European and American influence in their food, it looked super bland for the average person. Almost entirely grains and pickled vegetables with occasional fish, yeah.