Guzoni (Shimabara-style vegetable mochi soup)Wi
Shimabara Peninsula
One of Shimabara's signature local dishes, said to trace back to the Shimabara Rebellion of 1637, when the rebel leader...
NAGASAKI
Nagasaki Prefecture
The surveyed city is Nagasaki. Of all 394 items in the household survey, Nagasaki Prefecture stands out most for Castella sponge cake — 6.6× the national average (Nagasaki 5,906 JPY / national 897 JPY). It is Japan’s top producer of Loquats, Mackerel, Horse mackerel and more (Ministry of Agriculture data). Across the 52 surveyed cities, Nagasaki ranks No.1 for Castella sponge cake, Horse mackerel, Ground beef & pork mix and 4 more — 7 items in all.
6.6×Biggest standout
Castella sponge cake
per household / year
Castella sponge cake
per household / year
7Items 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 Nagasaki’s value as a multiple of the national average.
| Item | vs. average | Nagasaki | National | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castella sponge cake#1Confectionery | 6.58× | 5,906JPY | 897JPY | #1 |
| Horse mackerelSeafood | 2.72× | 1,719g | 633g | #2 |
| Sea breamSeafood | 2.02× | 840g | 416g | #4 |
| Fish cake (kamaboko)Seafood | 1.99× | 6,400JPY | 3,214JPY | #2 |
| SardinesSeafood | 1.98× | 799JPY | 404JPY | #3 |
| Fried fish cakeSeafood | 1.87× | 4,526JPY | 2,426JPY | #2 |
| YellowtailSeafood | 1.73× | 2,182g | 1,264g | #3 |
| Other vegetables, misc.#1Fresh Vegetables | 1.67× | 11,545g | 6,909g | #1 |
| Fish paste products#1Seafood | 1.67× | 15,548JPY | 9,310JPY | #1 |
| Ground beef & pork mix#1Meat | 1.67× | 5,466JPY | 3,280JPY | #1 |
| Other fresh fish#1Seafood | 1.61× | 6,117g | 3,796g | #1 |
| Green teaBeverages | 1.45× | 4,635JPY | 3,187JPY | #5 |
MADE
What Nagasaki produces most in Japan
From Ministry of Agriculture statistics (2024): items where Nagasaki 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: Sardines (#2), Turban shells (#2), Potatoes (#3)
Source: MAFF Crop Statistics Survey and Marine Fishery Production Statistics (e-Stat, 2024 final figures).
#1
Where this prefecture ranks #1
Items where Nagasaki ranked #1 among the 52 surveyed cities.
Q&A
Nagasaki food: common questions
What is Nagasaki famous for producing?
By Ministry of Agriculture statistics (2024), Nagasaki is Japan’s top producer of Loquats, Mackerel, Horse mackerel, Bluefin tuna (farmed), Pufferfish (farmed).
What food is Nagasaki No.1 in Japan for?
In Japan’s household spending survey (2023–2025 average), Nagasaki ranked No.1 of 52 cities for Castella sponge cake, Horse mackerel, Ground beef & pork mix and 4 more. This ranks what households buy, not what the prefecture produces.
What to eat in Nagasaki?
Households here buy far more than the national average of Castella sponge cake, Horse mackerel, Sea bream, Fish cake, Sardines.
What are the local dishes of Nagasaki?
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture records 30 regional dishes from Nagasaki, including Guzoni (Shimabara-style vegetable mochi soup), Hikitoshi (Iki-style hotpot), Urakami Soboro (stir-fried pork and vegetables), Nigomi (Omura-style peanut stew).
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.
Urakami Soboro (stir-fried pork and vegetables)
Main ingredients: Pork, fried fish cake, shredded konjac noodles, bean sprouts, carrot, burdock root
→ Fish cake (kamaboko) is 2.0× the national average in Nagasaki (6,400 JPY, #2 nationally)
Pastie (Nagasaki-style meat pie)
Main ingredients: Chicken, mountain yam, fresh shiitake mushrooms, ginkgo nuts, bean sprouts, boiled egg, frozen puff pastry
→ Bean sprouts is 1.4× the national average in Nagasaki (1,408 JPY, #4 nationally)
Nigomi (Omura-style peanut stew)
Main ingredients: Chicken thigh, peanuts, deep-fried tofu, potato, carrot, konjac, lotus root, burdock root, dried shiitake mushrooms, shredded kelp
→ Kelp is 1.3× the national average in Nagasaki (241 g, #13 nationally)
Guzoni (Shimabara-style vegetable mochi soup)
Main ingredients: Round mochi, chicken, napa cabbage, carrot, burdock root, dried shiitake mushrooms, freeze-dried tofu, grilled conger eel, rolled omelet
→ Dried shiitake mushrooms is 1.3× the national average in Nagasaki (481 JPY, #7 nationally)
Kujira-jaga (whale meat and potato stew)
Main ingredients: Salted whale meat, potato, carrot, onion, shredded konjac (dark), green beans
→ Potatoes is 1.1× the national average in Nagasaki (9,477 g, #5 nationally)
DISHES
30 regional dishes from Nagasaki 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.
Hikitoshi (Iki-style hotpot)Wi
Iki City
A signature local dish of Iki, a remote island in Nagasaki Prefecture. Farming households on Iki once...
Urakami Soboro (stir-fried pork and vegetables)
Urakami district, Nagasaki City
A local dish that originated in Nagasaki's Urakami district. In the late 1500s, missionaries spreading Christianity there...
Nigomi (Omura-style peanut stew)
Omura City
A local dish of Omura City, Nagasaki, known for its peanuts; one ingredient is unshelled peanuts with their skins...
Omura Sushi (pressed sushi)
Omura City
A local dish handed down in Omura City since ancient times. In the Muromachi period, after losing his territory in battle, Omura Sumikore...
Rokubee (sweet potato noodles)
Shimabara City, Tsushima City
A local dish handed down since the Edo period in the Shimabara and Tsushima areas; preparation varies slightly by region...
Sara udon (crispy fried noodles)
Nagasaki Prefecture
A nationally known Nagasaki noodle specialty, created in 1899 as a variation on champon...
Champon noodles
Nagasaki Prefecture
A nationally known Nagasaki noodle specialty. In 1899, the Chinese restaurant Shikairo...
Iriyaki (Tsushima-style hotpot)
Tsushima City
A hotpot long handed down on Tsushima, a remote island in the Sea of Japan; local households have traditionally made it...
Igirisu (seaweed and tofu terrine)
Shimabara Peninsula
A local dish handed down on Nagasaki's Shimabara Peninsula; ingredients and methods vary slightly by household...
Hikado (fish and sweet potato stew)AuWi
Nagasaki City
A local dish handed down in Nagasaki since the early 1600s, brought by Portuguese missionaries and traders once living there...
Jigokudaki (Goto udon / Shimabara somen hotpot)
Goto Islands
Goto udon is a longstanding specialty of the Goto Islands, Nagasaki's westernmost point; the islands once...
Torimeshi (Isahaya-style chicken rice)Wi
Isahaya area
A festive mixed rice dish handed down in the Mokuyo district of Isahaya City, traditionally served at New Year's and Obon...
Nuppe (Isahaya-style vegetable stew)
Isahaya area
A local dish long handed down in the Isahaya area; similar dishes actually exist all over Japan...
Hanahajiki (radial vegetable platter)
Isahaya area
A local dish handed down in the Isahaya area, in which various ingredients are arranged in a radial pattern on a single plate...
Morobuta-zushi (pressed sushi)Au
Throughout northern Nagasaki Prefecture
A pressed sushi long handed down in Sasa Town, northern Nagasaki, whose origins trace to a dish from Omura City...
Kankoro mochi (sweet potato rice cake)Wi
Goto region
A traditional food long handed down in Nagasaki's Goto region, where sweet potatoes are...
Nagasaki tempura
Nagasaki Prefecture
A local dish handed down for about 400 years; its batter is said to derive from that of Portuguese traders during the Nanban trade era...
Kujira-jaga (whale meat and potato stew)
Nagasaki Prefecture
Whaling has taken place in Nagasaki since the Jomon period, and in the Edo period, Sonogi...
Pastie (Nagasaki-style meat pie)
Nagasaki Prefecture
Said to have been introduced by Dutch traders visiting Dejima during Japan's period of national isolation...
Almado (egg and fish paste roll)AuWi
Hirado area
Said to have first been made in Hirado, where Dejima was originally located, during Japan's period of isolation; a fish paste roll filled with boiled egg...
Peanut tofu
Ojika Town
First made about 70 years ago on Ojika Island, in the northern Goto Islands, where peanut farming began...
Simmered dried daikon and fish cake
Saikai City
A local dish of Saikai City, made by simmering boiled-and-dried daikon radish with kanboko, a local fish cake...
Lemon steak
Sasebo City
A local specialty that became popular in Sasebo City, Nagasaki, from around 1955...
Kuritsubo (chestnut and vegetable stew)
Kawatana Town, Higashisonogi Town
A traditional simmered dish long eaten in Kawatana and Higashisonogi towns; the name...
Taishu soba (Tsushima buckwheat)
Tsushima
A variety of buckwheat long cultivated on Tsushima; the name "Taishu" refers to...
Tsubojiru (tofu and vegetable soup)
Yukiura district
A local dish of the Yukiura district, Saikai City, also known regionally as ingejiru or tsuboki...
Nagasaki milk seiki (frozen milkshake dessert)Su
Nagasaki City
An icy dessert born in Nagasaki City between the late Taisho and early Showa periods...
Hatoshi (shrimp toast)
Nagasaki City
Introduced to Nagasaki from Qing-era China during the Meiji period; the name comes from the Chinese...
Kanzarashi (rice dumplings in syrup)Su
Shimabara area
A traditional sweet long made throughout the Shimabara City area; sugar there was once...
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