alzari evson's blog : Are There Any Cultural Taboos Associated With Nyotaimori?
The marriage of food and sensuality may seem like a pretty obvious thing, but it's taken to the next level in a Japanese tradition known as Nyotaimori. In this erotic practice, sushi is served on the body of a nude model—normally, a young woman. The models are expected to lie still and speak no words while guests enjoy the delicious morsels. The sushi is arranged on the body on sanitized leaves to prevent direct contact with the fish and on flat areas of the model's body so that it will not roll off her as she moves.
The food presentation—called Nyotaimori Naked Sushi—is considered an art form and is popular for dinner parties, bachelor parties and other events. Some restaurants even offer the service for regular diners. But the practice has also been criticized as objectifying and sexually exploiting women.
While the practice has been going on for centuries, it didn't become well-known outside Japan until recently. During the second half of the 20th century, erotic images of nyotaimori were used in tourism advertisements that targeted male customers traveling alone to hot spring regions in Japan. It's now being offered in restaurants in the West and is especially popular for bachelor parties.
But many feminists find the practice offensive, claiming that it exploits the female body and is an example of sexism. Others believe that it trivializes the art and culture of Japan and the dexterity required to perform the task. Some companies defend the practice by saying that they are merely offering an alternative to traditional plate sushi. They also argue that the models are highly paid and do not feel the need to interact with the audience.
One restaurant that was trying to capitalize on the popularity of nyotaimori in the West ended up pulling the stunt after receiving letters of protest from the Department of Labor and Kathryn Xian, executive director of Safe Zone Foundation, an organization aimed at preventing sexual violence against women. And a Tokyo stripper who talked to the Japan Times about her experiences performing the dish at a "happening bar"—not a part of the mainstream nightlife scene—said that she no longer performs the meal due to the backlash.
In IsiXhosa culture, there are certain foods that pregnant women are advised not to eat for the sake of their health and that of their unborn babies. These taboo foods include oranges and nartjies because it is believed that eating them during pregnancy will lead to skin discoloration and eye problems in the baby; pineapples and peaches because they are believed to cause miscarriage and other complications; and guavas because they are thought to be responsible for sores, rashes and ringworm. The knowledge of these food taboos is largely passed down from generation to generation by family members and community elders.