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New Furikake Debate: Is Bringing Your Own Rice Topping to School “Rude”?
One school in Hyogo Prefecture now lets kids bring their own furikake (rice topping) to school — and some people in Japan are appalled.
Is it rude to bring your own seasonings to school? That’s the debate playing out currently in Japan, where one school district is allowing kids to bring their own rice toppings (furikake) to class. That, says some politicians, is gonna ruin their health. One commentator even went so far as to brand it as “rude”.
The problem (?) with furikake
If you don’t know furikake — well, let me educate you. Furikake (ふりかけ) is a popular topping added to rice that brings a punch of flavor to an otherwise plain side dish. The topping is truly an ancient Japanese tradition; there are records as far back as Japan’s Kamakura Era of people using dried seabream (鯛; tai), shark, and bonito flakes on rice to make it more palatable.
These days, you can buy a near-infinite variety of furikake at any grocery store in Japan. (We’ve discussed some of the more popular ones before if you want to know what’s good.)
