Short answers, pulled from the story.
Emperor Tenmu issued a decree banning the eating of horses, dogs, monkeys, and chickens in 675 AD. This prohibition was part of a broader shift influenced by Buddhism that gradually changed the national diet away from meat consumption.
Narezushi began as a preservation technique where fish was salted and packed into boiled rice to ferment for months. By the 15th century fermentation time shortened to one or two weeks, and chefs in the late Edo period around the early 19th century began serving sushi without fermentation to create nigiri.
In 1872 Emperor Meiji staged a New Year's feast featuring European cuisine to publicly allow the consumption of meat for the first time in a millennium. This decree led to the rise of Western restaurants known as yōshokuya and dishes like gyūnabe.
Shun is a strict adherence to seasonality that dictates ingredients should be consumed at the peak of their natural availability. This philosophy influences everything from menu planning to the use of tree leaves and branches as decor to reflect the current month.
Japan overtook France to become the country with the most 3-starred Michelin restaurants in 2011. Tokyo maintained the title of the city with the most 3-starred restaurants in the world following this achievement.