From Culinary Storytelling to Regional Growth: A Comparative Study of Food Mediatization in Japan and the Basque Country

From Culinary Storytelling to Regional Growth: A Comparative Study of Food Mediatization in Japan and the Basque Country

This study investigates the phenomenon of food mediatization-the transformative process through which food and dining experiences are reconstituted as media content-and its implications for tourism development and regional economic revitalization. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach that integrates perspectives from the humanities and food studies, the paper explores how the convergence of gastronomy, media, and cultural representation generates novel socio-economic value. Grounded in mediatization theory and informed by comparative case analyses from Japan and Spain's Basque Country, we propose a conceptual framework delineating three interrelated mechanisms: the mediation of culinary knowledge, the mediatized performance of food consumption, and the construction of social distinction via media-generated cultural capital. Our findings suggest that food mediatization functions as a potent driver of tourism and local economic growth, particularly when it aligns with culturally embedded narratives and the symbolic identity of place. This research advances the scholarly discourse on food communication by foregrounding the interpretive dimensions of mediatized food culture and illuminating its tangible economic effects.