Selling mother's love: mail order village food in Japan

This article examines rural-based mail order food businesses in Japan known as furusatokai. The sale of furusatokai produce takes place by means of a gift- like idiom in which the relationship between producer and consumer is likened to that between village parents and migrant children. The furusatokai is a Japanese example of the symbolic personalization of commodities.

A particular enterprise is analysed in relation to the ostensive entre preneurial vision of its founder for whom the maternal furusatokai products would appeal first and foremost to migrant sons in the city. However, this filiocentric vision of market demand has proved to be at odds with the actual profile of consumers. Instead, it is suggested that the maternal appeal of the furusatokai is better understood as providing consumer reassurance in a market situation of quality uncertainty.