Meat has been eaten in Japan since the Jōmon period. However, the rise of Buddhism made the eating of meat taboo and some people have theorized that meat "disappeared" from the table from the Middle Ages through to the Edo period. The term "yakiniku" became associated with Korean-derived cuisine during the early Showa period. Due to the Korean War, Korean restaurants in Japan were divided into North Korean (Kita Chōsen) and South Korean (Kankoku); the reference to a "yakiniku restaurant" arose as a politically correct term for restaurants of either origin.
