The Meaning Behind the Signboard: Japanese Gastropology Representation in Restaurant Toponyms and Its Implications for the Cultural Sustainability of Bali’s Tourism

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-809-2_4How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Bali; Cultural Sustainability; Gastropology; Japanese Restaurants; Linguistic Landscape; Sustainable Tourism

Abstract

This study examines how Japanese gastropology is represented in the toponyms of Japanese restaurants in Bali and how these representations relate to the principles of sustainable tourism. Drawing on 95 restaurant names collected through field observation in Kuta, Denpasar, Sanur, and Jimbaran, the study identifies five toponymic typologies: culinary-descriptive (42.1%), philosophical-symbolic (22.1%), anthroponymic (17.9%), hybrid-global (10.5%), and geographical-referential (7.4%). A gastropological analysis of these typologies reveals five corresponding dimensions of Japanese culinary culture embedded in naming practices: iconic culinary identity, aesthetic and philosophical values of food, personal ownership as a guarantee of quality, cross-cultural glocalization, and regional culinary diversification. Read through the lens of sustainable tourism, the findings show a dual dynamic: Japanese linguistic and cultural elements strengthen cultural sustainability by preserving and disseminating Japanese heritage within the public tourism landscape, yet they also raise challenges of cultural commodification that require careful governance. Unlike prior studies, which have examined linguistic landscapes, toponymy, or Japanese culinary trends in Indonesia separately, this study is the first to integrate these three strands into a single typological and gastropological framework. Its main contribution is a typology-based diagnostic matrix, together with concrete monitoring indicators, that destination managers can use to track cultural depth and commodification risk over time. The study closes with directions for future research integrating consumer perception.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Kanah
AU  - Wahyuning Dyah
AU  - Muhammad Wahyuddin Masdin
AU  - Harisal
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/24
TI  - The Meaning Behind the Signboard: Japanese Gastropology Representation in Restaurant Toponyms and Its Implications for the Cultural Sustainability of Bali’s Tourism
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Green Tourism Applied Science - Social Applied Science 2026 (ICoSTAS-SAS 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 24
EP  - 34
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-809-2_4
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-809-2_4
ID  - 2026
ER  -