Merchants supported the development of cookery in Osaka

Merchants in the Semba district of Osaka also played an important role.

A cuisine can only develop to a highly refined level if there are customers who appreciate it. Although this may sound extreme, culinary skills cannot improve unless there are patrons with sufficient wealth and interest to

spend freely on fine food. Chefs hone their skills to satisfy such customers. The merchants of Semba thus made an important contribution.

Merchants would take their customers out for dinner, both to entertain them and to talk business. Since it was all but impossible to prepare sufficiently fine meals in their own homes, naturally they visited restaurants. Since the restaurateurs worked hard to please their guests, it was no wonder their cooking developed to a high level.