Due to its positional relationships, Kyushu has a background of being greatly influenced by cultures from beyond the seas, which in the past included Chinese, Western and Ryukyu culture amongst others. What arrived from these was not only foodstuffs, but also a range of other aspects, from manufacturing and cooking methods all the way to seasonings, which formed the inimitable evolution of Kyushu. For example, the reason that soy sauce in Kyushu is sweet is thought to be that it was influenced by the sugar trade in Nagasaki and the production of brown sugar in Amami, making it an area where sugar was easily obtained. Now this sweet soy sauce is added as an inherent taste and salient feature of Kyushu. The fact that its food culture has evolved in an inimitable fashion is the reason behind Kyushu’s foods being “Oishii.”