Research report
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Research report
In Japan, millions of tourists every year from whole world visit and enjoy its culture, food, shopping, famous points and scenery. Japan exhibits many activities and offers many attractions for visitors of all age groups due to its rich culture, traditions, history and pleasant weather. Furthermore, in Japan, crime rate is very low which makes it fit for tourism.
Results
In this research, the first graph i.e. ‘F1: The purpose of vising Japan’, shows percentage of visitors mapping with eating Japanese food, shopping, sightseeing in nature and scenic spots, walking around the city and downtown, hot spring bathing. It shows near 75% tourists are attracted by Japanese food. It concludes, mostly people go there for food and among them, mostly are Muslims as they have second highest numbers in the world. There are many Japanese dishes which are famous all over the world like Sushi & Sashimi, Ramen, Tempura, Kare-Raisu (Curry Rice), Okonomiyaki, Miso Soup and much more. These are now mostly international dishes as people want to eat these from all parts of world CITATION Bir19 \l 1033 (Bird, 2019). Despite of this, in many religions, some foods are prohibited or not-allowed with some rituals, beliefs and rules, like Muslims eat only halal food CITATION Amb14 \l 1033 (Ed by Nurhidayah Muhammad Hashim, 2018). Moreover, many prohibited food items are added in Japanese food for example, gelatine is made from animals but those are not slaughtered properly by Islamic principles. It is not halal and when it is combined with any food production, it makes the resulting product also haram. Graph explains that near 58% tourists go there for shopping. 45% people like natural scenic spots, natural beauty is a very strong trait of tourism country. Many people just go to different places to catch the beauty of nature, that God granted the earth. Moreover, 41% tourists like to walk around streets and downtown. Finally, near 35% enjoy their hot spring baths.
In the second graph of research i.e. ‘F2: The inconvenience about Japanese restaurants’, shows percentage of people who find inconvenience in finding food of their own choice in Japan. About 12% of Muslims are not comfortable in finding halal food. More than 16% people are unable to understand Japanese food culture and manners. Furthermore, graph explains that 36% people are unable to find website and menu in their language. Mostly tourists are unable to understand Japanese languages and if they browse their local webpages in order to explore the guidelines for traveling, it is not helpful. Japanese tourism must try to make possible, that if not all then maximum number of restaurants should provide food menu in multi-languages. 29% of tourists feel difficulty in finding ingredients of food in their languages. Another big problem also occurs when Muslim tourists are unable to find food of their choice due to some prohibitions by religion. Furthermore, as the 2020 Olympics are scheduled in Tokyo, a large number of foreign people will visit. Tourist industry must focus on hospitality conditions, services, facilities, problems, evaluate weak nodes and finalise some practical strategies which are essential to make the event easy going for all foreigners. Services must be of high level and enhanced for foreign people, as currently, services are not satisfactory due to many main issues.
In the third graph, ‘F3: Difficulties of visiting Japan’, shows what issues Muslim tourists face when they visit Japan, 21% people of Japan don’t understand Muslim religion, more than 65% have limited choice of halal food restaurants, and 10% Muslims are unable to find Mosque. Muslim people have issue with Japanese food, as they eat only halal food and particular items in cooked food. From recent surveys, it is observed that Japanese tourism is focusing on halal food standards for Muslims but still find trouble in finding halal food and Mosques. Moreover, near every tourist spot or in restaurant, a place to offer prayers for Muslims must be provided, as they pray five times in a day CITATION Nak08 \l 1033 (Ed by Steineck, Weber, Gassmann, & Lange, 2018).
In conclusion, Japanese restaurants needs multilanguage menu for foreigners. Language comprehension is not possible for tourists when they go in different countries. They must have implementation of multiple languages like English, Urdu, Arabic, which are mostly recognized and understandable throughout the world. The Japanese think that halal food is only some particular items but Muslims cut animals by taking the name of Allah (the Almighty God) and only a Muslim can do it. Moreover, if restaurants start making pictograph for ingredients, selection would be easier for the Muslims even if they don’t understand Japanese language. These pictographs can be further translated in multiple languages in order to support those tourists who have limited food options. Overall, implementation of pictograph in multiple languages can be helpful for Muslim tourists.
Discussion
Food pictograph is a best way to present dishes or eating items that are available in a restaurant CITATION Lin17 \l 1033 (Lin, 2017). In Japan, if pictogram menu is represented in multiple languages, it may help people to select more easily and according to their need. For example, if dishes are arranged in sections according to their types like veg, non-veg, meat, seafood, halal food (specially for Muslims) and their pictures are also drawn there, it would be very easy to select desired food. There are many types of food menu available in restaurants of Japan like A la Carte menu, Du Jour Menu, Cycle Menu, Static Menu, Dessert Menu and many more CITATION Dav13 \l 1033 (Gordon & Brezinsk, 2016). These menus are also very effective but mostly depict their local dishes and liked by themselves, but foreigners cannot eat those wholeheartedly.
Pictographs is a presentation of data by means of images in combination of information in numbers and figures CITATION Usi12 \l 1033 (Ed by Vistro-Yu & Toh, 2019). Pictograph is the simplest way to represent statistical information and very easy to read and understand data CITATION Har15 \l 1033 (Haroz, Kosara, & Franconeri, 2015). At the time, we call them pictograms or picture graphs. It is a diagram to present ungrouped data in a grouped form by means of picture CITATION SKM19 \l 1033 (S.K. & Shubhra, 2019). In this graph, each picture can represent single or group data CITATION Par14 \l 1033 (Sayeed, 2019). We arrange data or information in lines i.e. horizontal or vertical. Key or scale tells us about detail of each picture CITATION Coc13 \l 1033 (Simon, 2017). For example, if a wing is made in a picture and deal is of six pieces, then 1 wing=6 pieces.
A menu card is a tool to browse food offerings of a restaurant or any food launch that provides more details about theme, services, quality, brand of the restaurant. Moreover, creating a well-organized and detailed menu card helps the customers to know clearly which dishes are available in the restaurant. In this digitalized world, by means of pictographs, food items can be displayed in a convenient way, with all information of dish, price and quantity. To display all items in a picture form with statistical data makes it easier for the customers to select and place an order CITATION The19 \l 1033 (The Digitization of Restaurants: Understanding the 5 Faces of digital Eating, 2019). We can add popup menus, dropdown lists, combo boxes and lot of tools in a digital food system that can cover all information of that dish. This technique may also help customers to place orders by their cells, tablets or any device over internet.
There are many types of menu in restaurants, but now with the digitalization in the world of food, pictographic menus are also introduced and implemented in Japan CITATION Din19 \l 1033 (Dining out, 2019). Japan has a large variety of restaurants and cosines, giving an enjoyable and tasty experience to people from all over the world who visit Japan. In Japan, many restaurants at their entrance, display models of their food items/dishes in a window case with price tags on it. They are made of wax, plastic or some other materials. These makes entrance reflective and appealing to the customers and tells them which food items are available. Moreover, for tourists it is very helpful to see the food items and their prices. For if all other forms of communication fail, you can go outside and point to what you want to order. It is a sort of pictographic menu, that is a practical example of pictorial food menu in restaurants.
Figure 1: The picture shows a showcase of dishes available in the restaurant with price tags CITATION Din19 \l 1033 (Dining out, 2019).
Finally, by looking at this display, foreigner tourists can easily see all dishes and their quantity, ingredients, price and appearance, which makes it easier to buy. Pictographs of same type can be pasted on walls of restaurant, or electronic display screens or in menu cards. Moreover, this technique of food display can be enhanced in a way for Muslim tourists to facilitate them for halal food of their own choice. If the displayed food consists of any haram elements it must be written with price information in detail, so that he/she may avoid to eat this.
The basic material which is unprocessed obtained from natural resources by which a product is made is called raw material CITATION Sha10 \l 1033 (Sharma, Bhagat, & Parisi, 2019). For example, soy, rice, fish, milk, fruits, vegetables, cereals, corn, beans, pulses, grams, nuts, honey, wood from trees, meat, egg, salt, rocks, water, oils, seeds, flour, coconut, sugarcane, barley and sea food CITATION Wan16 \l 1033 (Wansink, Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life, 2016). Japanese cuisines are known for its unique taste and enriched flavour all over the world. These foods are famous around the globe and people from all over the world fly to the island to savour their taste buds. These foods are rich in colour, taste and most of all, they are attractive to the eyes. Just like the food of any other region, Japanese food also consists of a number of ingredients that add to its flavour and give a nice look to the dish. Some of the major ingredients have been listed as under.
•Japanese Rice
•Shoyu
•Dashi
•Mirin
•Miso
•Soybeans
•Anko
•Daikon
•Katsuobushi
•Kombu
•Negi
Japanese Cuisine consist of both Halal and Haram ingredients. If the food is Halal and safe to be eaten by Muslims, it will, have a clear indication on it that the food is halal or made up of halal components otherwise it is haram and non-permissible for Muslims CITATION Hal \l 1033 (Riaz & Chaudry, 2018). Some of the Halal ingredients used in this type of cuisine are
•Meat
•Rice
•Soy Sauce
•Wheat
•Noodles
•Vinegar
•Rice Vinegar
Japanese eat many halal things also, but must specify clearly about products that are haram and used in cooking process, which makes overall that food haram and prohibited for a Muslim.
Some of the Haram ingredients used in the Japanese foods, which a Muslim should avoid are CITATION Tor \l 1033 (Kazi, 2019):
•Pork (buta)
•Pork (butaniku)
•Lard (raado)
•Tonkatsu ramen
•Meat (niku)
•Shortening (syootoninggu)
•Animal shortening (doubutsu shootoninggu)
•Consomme powder (consome paudaa)
•Gelatin (zerachin)
•Lecithin (reshichin)
•Margarin (maagarin)
•Emulsifier (nyuukazai)
•Fat
•Beef (gyuu/beefu)
•Beef extract (beefu ekisu)
•Chicken (chikin)
Digitalization is changing all things of our daily routines, how we communicate, how we interact and how we eat. Now restaurants are displaying food items on digital applications and appliances CITATION The19 \l 1033 (The Digitization of Restaurants: Understanding the 5 Faces of digital Eating, 2019). Moreover, it is observed that customers using digital food vary widely and how people use technology regarding food items and restaurants. When we go in a restaurant usually, we can see menu cards of many types. If that menu is displayed on every table on some media screen (tablet, any digital interface), with a touch screen, so that customer may select food item by considering all details, like name, quantity, price, items of dish and place order CITATION Edb19 \l 1033 (Ed by Lichy, 2019). Finally, the order comes at your table by the restaurant staff in specific time. Furthermore, restaurants are using online media platforms to publish their food items on display by websites and also live in front display of their entrances. It seeks more attraction of tourists, and they can see and decide to eat immediately.
The introduction of pictographs in the food industry of Japan would bring a beneficent and positive change for visitors to select and eat desired food. By using pictographs data can be generalized in group form and easily understandable. For example, in dishes made by chicken, we can make dishes pictures in horizontal lines and can place their details vertically along the particular item. Overall, pictograph provides simplicity in presentation of data. It makes searching convenient, as a summary of data is placed together. It analyses data and helps in decision making to eat favourite food item. Moreover, it is very attractive and versatile way to present things and can fascinate people as compared to other presentation methods CITATION Ber10 \l 1033 (Holmes, Illowsky, & Dean, 2018). The facts that a pictograph can present are easy to remember and understand, so it increases efficiency of the system. Food items displayed by pictograph in a restaurant makes selection efficient and fast. This will increase satisfaction of the customer and he will further prefer to eat from this place and will suggest people to visit that restaurant in future CITATION Arl06 \l 1033 (Seaton & Yamamura, 2018).
References
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