What Do We Want to Eat in the Anthropocene? : The Okashi Aesthetics and Psycho Power on Eating in Ruth Ozeki’s My Year of Meats

This study explores Ruth Ozeki's My Year of Meats through the lens of Okashi aesthetics in the tradition of Japanese literature, crystallizing the psycho power of eating and identifying the intersection between what we want to eat and what we want to be eco-friendly in the Anthropocene era. The Okashi aesthetics, which pursue objective reality recognition, capture the duality of phenomena, and seek proactive social change, let Jane and Akiko recognize the oppressive psycho power, critically engage with these ambivalence, and channel their desires towards catalyzing social transformation in the novel. This research contributes to alternative dietary practices in the Anthropocene by examining the convergence of our culinary preferences with the imperative of environmental sustainability.