But it wasn"t until after World War Two that fried chicken, and in particular karaage, became the touchstone that it is today. After the war, Japan was decimated, food shortages were rampant, and with a lack of rice, the Japanese diet dramatically changed. The United States was responsible for importing food and brought in wheat which led to more noodle-based dishes (like ramen), as well as broiler chickens, which are chickens raised for their meat and were easier and faster to raise than cows or pigs. The island of Kyushu had already become known as a poultry centre (today more than half of all broiler chickens come from Kyushu) and new methods of cooking meat quickly took off and helped nourish a starving country.