Nishime (simmered vegetables and root)Wi
Throughout Miyazaki Prefecture
Nishimeru means to simmer slowly until little liquid remains, and this dish is named for...
MIYAZAKI
Miyazaki Prefecture
The surveyed city is Miyazaki. Of all 394 items in the household survey, Miyazaki Prefecture stands out most for Horse mackerel — 2.5× the national average (Miyazaki 1,569 g / national 633 g). It is Japan’s top producer of Cucumbers (Ministry of Agriculture data). Across the 52 surveyed cities, Miyazaki ranks No.1 for Shochu, Mayonnaise & mayo-style dressing — 2 items in all.
2.5×Biggest standout
Horse mackerel
per household / year
Horse mackerel
per household / year
2Items ranked #1 nationally
30Regional dishes
RANK
Furthest above the national average
All figures are annual spending/quantity per household (not per person). 2023–2025 average, showing Miyazaki’s value as a multiple of the national average.
| Item | vs. average | Miyazaki | National | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horse mackerelSeafood | 2.48× | 1,569g | 633g | #3 |
| Shochu#1Alcohol | 2.10× | 16,503mL | 7,864mL | #1 |
| Gyoza dumplingsPrepared Foods | 1.75× | 3,478JPY | 1,984JPY | #2 |
| SardinesSeafood | 1.74× | 702JPY | 404JPY | #4 |
| Dried horse mackerelSeafood | 1.72× | 635g | 370g | #4 |
| MackerelSeafood | 1.69× | 1,041g | 617g | #4 |
| Green teaBeverages | 1.65× | 5,266JPY | 3,187JPY | #3 |
| MelonFruit | 1.56× | 1,442JPY | 927JPY | #6 |
| Manju bunsConfectionery | 1.51× | 1,406JPY | 930JPY | #9 |
| VinegarOils & Seasonings | 1.42× | 2,026mL | 1,429mL | #2 |
| Other citrusFruit | 1.40× | 3,090JPY | 2,200JPY | #4 |
| TaroFresh Vegetables | 1.40× | 1,060JPY | 758JPY | #8 |
MADE
What Miyazaki produces most in Japan
From Ministry of Agriculture statistics (2024): items where Miyazaki ranks No.1 nationally by harvest or catch. This is about what the prefecture produces; the #1 list below is about what households buy.
Also No.2–3: Green peppers (#2), Taro (#2), Horse mackerel (#3), Amberjack (farmed) (#3)
Source: MAFF Crop Statistics Survey and Marine Fishery Production Statistics (e-Stat, 2024 final figures).
#1
Where this prefecture ranks #1
Items where Miyazaki ranked #1 among the 52 surveyed cities.
- Shochu
- Mayonnaise & mayo-style dressing
Q&A
Miyazaki food: common questions
What is Miyazaki famous for producing?
By Ministry of Agriculture statistics (2024), Miyazaki is Japan’s top producer of Cucumbers.
What food is Miyazaki No.1 in Japan for?
In Japan’s household spending survey (2023–2025 average), Miyazaki ranked No.1 of 52 cities for Shochu, Mayonnaise & mayo-style dressing. This ranks what households buy, not what the prefecture produces.
What to eat in Miyazaki?
Households here buy far more than the national average of Horse mackerel, Shochu, Gyoza dumplings, Sardines, Mackerel.
What are the local dishes of Miyazaki?
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture records 30 regional dishes from Miyazaki, including Nishime (simmered vegetables and root), Chicken nanban, Sakana-zushi (whole fish sushi), Futatabi dango (mugwort dumpling).
LINK
Where regional dishes meet the statistics
Ingredients used in regional dishes here that also show up as standout spending in the household survey — cross-referencing MAFF's regional-dish database with Japan's Statistics Bureau data.
Nishime (simmered vegetables and root)
Main ingredients: Shiitake mushrooms, taro, bamboo shoots, konjac, deep-fried tofu, dried shredded daikon, kelp
→ Taro is 1.4× the national average in Miyazaki (1,615 g, #9 nationally)
Seri no yogoshi (dressed Japanese parsley)
Main ingredients: Japanese parsley (seri), salt, tofu, sesame, sugar, miso
→ Sugar is 1.3× the national average in Miyazaki (4,660 g, #3 nationally)
Hiyajiru (cold soup over rice)
Main ingredients: Dried sardines (iriko), tofu, cucumber, eggplant, barley rice, green shiso, myoga ginger
→ Cucumbers is 1.2× the national average in Miyazaki (8,180 g, #6 nationally)
Renkon suri-nagashi soup (grated lotus root soup)
Main ingredients: Lotus root, fried tofu, green onion, miso, yuzu citron peel
→ Miso is 1.2× the national average in Miyazaki (2,627 JPY, #7 nationally)
Toshitorizen (New Year's Eve feast)
Main ingredients: Fish such as sea bream or salted sardine, kelp, daikon radish, carrot, tofu, shiitake mushrooms
→ Fresh shiitake mushrooms is 1.1× the national average in Miyazaki (2,177 JPY, #12 nationally)
Chicken nanban
Main ingredients: Chicken (breast)
→ Chicken is 1.1× the national average in Miyazaki (20,402 g, #10 nationally)
DISHES
30 regional dishes from Miyazaki Prefecture
From Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) “Regional Dishes to Pass on to the Next Generation.” Each dish name links to the MAFF page.
Chicken nanban
Throughout Miyazaki Prefecture
Known to have originated in Nobeoka City. In the 1950s-60s, it began as a staff meal at a Western-style restaurant in the city...
Sakana-zushi (whole fish sushi)SuWi
Northern coastal Miyazaki
A whole-fish sushi made with mackerel or horse mackerel, generally what people mean by...
Futatabi dango (mugwort dumpling)Sp
Northern coastal Miyazaki
Nobeoka City, in the northeastern part of Miyazaki, faces the Hyuga Sea to the east and is fed by five rivers...
Mehikari karaage (fried greeneye fish)
Northern coastal Miyazaki, Nobeoka City
Mehikari is a 5-15 cm fish caught around 300 m deep in the Hyuga Sea off Nobeoka City...
Toshitorizen (New Year's Eve feast)Wi
Northern and central regions
On New Year's Eve, families gather to eat an elaborate meal served on raised trays before welcoming the new year...
Natofu (herb tofu)
Northern mountain area
Shiiba Village lies in the mountains bordering Kumamoto Prefecture, a quiet village linked to legends of fleeing Heike warriors...
Kappodori (bamboo-steamed chicken)
Northern mountain area
Takachiho Town, known as a town of myths and legends, calls bamboo 'kappo' in the local dialect...
Somage (buckwheat porridge)Wi
Northern mountain area
In "somage," soma means buckwheat and ge means porridge; a local dish of Shiiba Village...
Hie zushi (millet porridge)Wi
Northern mountain area, Miyazaki
Zushi means rice porridge; rice was precious and reserved for New Year's and festivals, so everyday meals...
Toukibi meshi (corn rice)
Northern mountain area
Once a staple food alongside barley rice in this area...
Hiyajiru (cold soup over rice)Su
Central Miyazaki region
A quick cold soup, mainly a local dish of Miyazaki's flatland areas; in recent years...
Madaka-zuke (pickled shredded dried daikon)Wi
Central Miyazaki region
Madaka-zuke is a Miyazaki pickle so delicious that people are said to have impatiently asked "is it ready yet" (mada ka)...
Nutaimo (miso-dressed taro)Au
Central Miyazaki region
Miyazaki is a major taro producer, consistently ranking among the top prefectures alongside Saitama and Chiba...
Tea leaf tempura
Hyuga City, Miyakonojo City, Kushima City, Kawaminami Town, Takachiho Town, Gokase Town, and others
Eaten when the season's first tea is harvested; Miyazaki's warm climate...
Zabujiru (root vegetable soup)
Eastern central Miyazaki
Named for the "zabu-zabu" sound of simmering various root vegetables together...
Torimeshi (chicken rice)
Throughout Miyazaki Prefecture, Shintomi Town
A farmhouse-style rice dish made with seasonal vegetables and chicken, traditionally cooked for rice-harvest gatherings...
Simmered Hyuga black-skin pumpkinWi
Miyazaki City
Miyazaki enjoys a warm climate and some of Japan's longest sunshine hours, and its sun-drenched pumpkins...
Renkon suri-nagashi soup (grated lotus root soup)
Central Miyazaki region
The lotus root grown by Mizunuma Shrine's lake pond was planted by the seventh Takanabe domain lord, Akizuki Tanenari, for the poor...
Gane (vegetable and sweet potato fritters)
Central Miyazaki region
A signature local dish of southern Kyushu, including Miyakonojo City and Kagoshima Prefecture...
Iriko mochi (parched rice cake)Su
Throughout Miyazaki Prefecture
Named for being made from parched glutinous rice...
Jidori no miso korobakashi (miso-tossed free-range chicken)
Western Miyazaki region (Kobayashi City)
In Miyazaki, "jidori" (free-range chicken) usually means jitokko, a breed raised in Miyazaki and Kagoshima...
Sunoshui (vinegared sardine and daikon soup)AuWi
Western Miyazaki region
A warm vinegar-based soup made by simmering grated daikon and sardines in vinegar and soy sauce...
Seri no yogoshi (dressed Japanese parsley)SpSu
Throughout Miyazaki Prefecture
Seri (Japanese parsley) is a perennial in the carrot family that grows wild throughout Japan, already recorded in the Nara period...
Nanatoko-zushi (seven-neighbor rice)
Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki City, Nichinan Town, Takachiho Town, Nobeoka City, Hyuga City
Handed down in the Miyakonojo region of the former Shimazu domain...
Meno mochi arare (rice cracker from New Year's decoration)Wi
Nishimorokata District (Takaharu Town, Kobayashi City), Shiiba Village
Meno mochi kazari is a traditional Little New Year's decoration in southern Kyushu, wishing for a good harvest and household safety...
Obiten (fried fish cake)
Obi district
A local dish of the Obi district of Nichinan City, made from ground fish paste...
Kanimaki-jiru (crab miso soup)
Kitago, Sakatani areas of Nichinan City
A local dish of Kitago Town in southern Miyazaki...
Nerikuri (sweet potato and mochi dumpling)Wi
Miyakonojo City
In Miyazaki, sweet potatoes are called kansho; this dish is made by kneading kansho with mochi...
Stir-fried tsuwabuki (leopard plant)SpAu
Miyazaki City, Miyakonojo City, Nichinan City
Tsuwabuki is native to Japan, growing wild south of Fukushima and Ishikawa prefectures on Honshu, but mainly in Kyushu...
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