"As a Japanese person, I think that our country's food is something to be proud of," Matsuoka wrote, expressing horror at the "Japanese" fare he'd found at some overseas eateries.
Critics, however, note that not only has Japan itself adapted foreign cuisine to its own tastes, but it now considers dishes such as "tonkatsu" pork cutlets and batter-fried "tempura" seafood and vegetables to be Japanese, despite their Western origins.
"Who can say what is authentic Japanese cuisine?" said Masuzoe, the lawmaker who opposes the initiative.
"Some nationalist members of the `agriculture tribe' said, `We have to defend Japanese food,'" he said, referring to lawmakers with close ties to domestic farmers.
"But this is not a matter for government interference, and to make Japanese food acceptable worldwide, each country can modify it," he said.
The Finance Ministry unveiled a draft budget on Wednesday and other ministries are trying to get pet projects reinstated ahead of final Cabinet approval tomorrow.
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