Today's globalization has accelerated significantly in recent years, thanks to new technologies, especially in communications. However, globalization was already present in past eras. For example, the arrival of the Portuguese in Japan in 1543 introduced many new objects and words into Japanese life and language—some of which remain in use today. These include pan (bread), tabako (cigarette), and paraizo (paradise), as well as items such as clocks, eyeglasses, and the tanegashima (matchlock guns), which were named after the island where the Portuguese first landed. Even a word commonly used in Italy today, “tempura,” actually originates from Portuguese. Specifically, it comes from Portuguese Jesuit missionaries who consumed a fried fish dish during periods (e.g., Lent) and specific days (e.g., Fridays) when eating meat was prohibited.  

The original Portuguese fried dish underwent significant development in Japan over the years, evolving into the well-known dish consisting of a light, crispy batter-fried assortment of vegetables, fish, shellfish, and shrimp. Initially, the high cost and limited availability of oil made tempura a delicacy reserved for the wealthy, but it eventually spread throughout Japan. What is less widely known is that the word "tempura" actually derives from the Latin tempus – poris, referring to the abstinence from meat on four specific dates—one for each season—known as the Quattuor Tempora (Ember Days). This tradition of meat abstinence naturally led to the preparation of fish-based dishes.

As this example illustrates, modern globalization is merely an acceleration driven by technological advancements, but a form of globalization has always existed.