One Thousand Years of Infrastructuring Katsuobushi: Aligning Temporalities within More-Than-Human Entanglements

This paper explores the concept of infrastructure time by examining the historical development of katsuobushi, a traditional Japanese ingredient made from dried, fermented bonito. Through an analysis of the intricate yet dynamic entanglements that arose in the production and transport of katsuobushi as infrastructure and its interplay between local foodscapes over a millennium, we highlight the importance of aligning temporalities within More-Than-Human (MTH) relationalities. Specifically, these temporal alignments make room for “accidents” as manifestations of different worlds colliding to take place, providing opportunities for humans to become aware of the interdependent-relational condition in which we are always, already enmeshed; an awareness that then changes how we perceive and value the relationalities that constitute this condition. We argue for the potentiality of embracing temporal discrepancies (foregrounded through alignment) and respecting the inaccessibility of MTH worlds to enhance collaborative and sustainable design practices.