Yakiniku, known as Japanese BBQ, is a delightful fusion of Korean and Japanese flavors, originating from Korean BBQ. As a meat lover, yakiniku and its variety of Korean and Japanese side dishes was my favorite dining experience in Japan, especially at all-you-can-eat restaurants.

Korea and Japan, as neighboring countries, have culturally influenced each other and each country’s cuisine in various ways. For example, shabu-shabu, a Japanese cuisine served with thinly sliced meat and vegetables in broth, is spicier in the Korean version.

It’s fascinating to see how Korean-originated food evolves into the Japanese version. Korean BBQ usually features thick servings of pork belly, marinated pork, or beef ribs cut into bite-sized pieces after grilling, allowing you to enjoy large, rich pieces of meat. Yakiniku, on the other hand, serves bite-sized pieces of meat that don’t require cutting later, making grilling and eating much easier.

Also, Korean BBQ is enjoyed with strong or spicy dipping sauces like ssamjang or gochujang, while yakiniku uses milder and subtler sauces such as soy sauce or curry powder.

Yakiniku is pricier compared to Korean BBQ, but it’s worth every penny – yakiniku served with high-grade Japanese wagyu beef, known for its heavenly taste, is a real treat.

While enjoying yakiniku, one question came to mind - how did Korean BBQ become so beloved in Japan, considering Japan historically restricted meat consumption for about 1,200 years until late 19th century?

The answer comes from a bitter history. According to “The History and Daily Life of Koreans in Osaka” by Kim In-deok, Koreans migrated to Japan either for work or forced labor during the Japanese occupation and stayed even after the end of World War II. In Osaka, where a majority of the Koreans were sent, the book details how Koreans ate and sold discarded meat, including pork and beef intestines, thrown away by Japanese locals.

To transform the discarded cuts of meat, the Koreans would marinate them like bulgogi and galbi, or cook them up Korean BBQ-style. Served with kimchi and other Korean side dishes was a perfect therapeutic comfort food for Koreans enduring hardship.

As more Japanese started enjoying this Korean BBQ, there was a naming issue. The name of food was technically “Korean BBQ,” however, Korean restaurant owners used different words for “Korea” depending on which Korea they supported. The different official names between North and South caused confusion to Japanese. Korean residents in Japan decided to unify the name to “yakiniku,” derived from the Korean word “bulgogi,” meaning grilled meat.

Korean residents also adapted yakiniku with Japanese-style sauces to appeal to broader customers, but still offered Korean dishes like kimchi and bibimbap. Today, yakiniku is known as a Korean-style dish in Japan, but more specifically Korean BBQ reinterpreted by Korean residents in Japan, reflecting a unique fusion shaped by historical circumstances, joys and sorrows.

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