Researcher Database

（Last updated : 2024-09-26 02:49:24）　

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YOTOVA MARIA IVANOVA

Department / Course College of Gastronomy Management Department of Gastronomy Management

Title / Position Associate Professor

Other Affiliations
1.	Graduate School of Gastronomy Management

Academic background
1.	～2011/09	Doctorial Course │ Department of Comparative Studies │ School of Cultural and Social Studies │ The Graduate University for Advanced Studies │ Completed PhD
2.	～2006/09	Master Course │ Public Administration │ Graduate School of Economics │ Technical University – Sofia, Bulgaria │ Completed
3.	～2002/09	Applied Linguistics, English and Japanese │ Faculty of Linguistics │ Veliko Tarnovo University, Bulgaria │ Graduated

Business career
1.	2018/04/01	│ College of Gastronomy Management │ Ritsumeikan University,
2.	2015/04/01	Part-time lecturer │ School of Sociology │ Kwansei Gakuin University,
3.	2012/04/01 ～ 2018/02/28	Company employee │ International Department │ Nakagaki Consulting Engineer & Co.,ltd ,

Research activities
1.	2018/04/01 ～	European Association of Social Anthropologists (EASA)
2.	2011/04/01 ～	International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES)
3.	2011/04/01 ～	Waseda Society of Cultural Anthropology
4.	2010/04/01 ～	The Japan Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations
5.	2009/04/01 ～	Anthropology of Japan in Japan (AJJ)

Subject of research
1.	Acceptance of milk and dairy product in rice-centered food cultures
2.	Business anthropology of yogurt food culture
3.	Food culture transformations in post-socialist societies

Research summary
Acceptance of milk and dairy products in East Asia My research interest lies in the ways foreign foods are accepted and established in local food systems. I would like to explore how food traditions are maintained while being constantly updated and changed through cultural exchanges and global influences. In my recent research, I have been examining the acceptance and consumption of dairy products in the daily diets of East Asian consumers and the main factors that have contributed to the acceptance of milk in rice-centered food cultures. I have also explored the influence of local people's preferences and food practices as well as the role of the state and food business in the process of acceptance of dairy products. Particular attention is paid to the interplay between state policies, corporate strategies, scientific research results and consumer perceptions in the formation of food values.

Research summary(Photo/Image)
1. The yogurt fetstival in Bulgaria	2. The diversity of flavored milk in Korea
3. Milk products in a Korean supermarket	4. Fieldwork in Korea

Present specialized field
Cultural anthropology (Keyword：Food and identity, yogurt, Bulgaria, Japan, food education, the health food business)

Books
1.	2017/11	Pastoralism in Bulgaria │ ,pp.87-114
2.	2014/03	Food between the Country and the City: Ethnographies for a Changing Global Foodscape │ ,pp.280-308
3.	2013/06	Why We Eat, How We Eat. Contemporary Encounters between Foods and Bodies │ ,pp.169-186
4.	2013/03	Business and Anthropology: A Focus on Sacred Space. Senri ethnological studies; 82 │ ,pp.87-98

Papers
1.	2022/03	Acceptance of milk and dairy products in rice-centered food cultures: A comparative study of consumer practices in South Korea and Japan │ 立命館食科学研究 │ 7,pp.319-330
2.	2017/12	The “goodness” of homemade Yogurt: self-provisioning as sustainable food practices in post-socialist Bulgaria │ Local Environment │ 23 (11),pp.1063-1074
3.	2017/10	Ethnographic heritage as a branding strategy: a case study of yogurt in Bulgaria and Japan │ Global Economic Review │ 47 (1),pp.47-62
4.	2016/12	“Right” food, “responsible” citizens: state-promoted food education and a food dilemma in Japan │ Asian Pacific Viewpoint │ 57 (3),pp.326-337
5.	2011/12	Bulgaria, the homeland of yogurt: traditional food as ethnocentric discourse │ Bulgarian Ethnology │ 36 (4),pp.33-55

Academic conference presentation
1.	2024/06/07	Bulgarian Yogurt: Bridging the Global and the Local
2.	2023/05/11	Global Trends and Local Innovations: The Rise of “Gotochi” Yogurt in Japan
3.	2022/11/26	Eating out in Bulgaria: Challenges and Transformations from Socialism to Covid-19
4.	2021/11/11	Homemade Yogurt as a Family Business: Navigating Cultural and Generational Differences at a Japanese Company
5.	2019/02/26	Voices from the Outskirts of Europe: Producing “Grandmother’s Yogurt” in Post-socialist Bulgaria
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Message
1.	Is it useful to study food culture? I’m often asked by students, "How is research on food culture useful?" Before joining the School of Gastronomy Management, I would usually explain its role in regional revitalization, market development, or deepening intercultural understanding in business and tourism. However, when reflecting on the origins of my own research, I realized that my curiosity wasn’t driven by these broader goals. Instead, it began with a simple question: "Why did a Japanese company choose to focus on Bulgarian yogurt in their branding strategy?" I now tell my students that it is curiosity—the desire to explore what you find intriguing—that ultimately leads to meaningful research and social contribution.