Kakinoha-zushi (persimmon leaf sushi)Su
Gojo City, Yoshino region
Salt-cured mackerel wrapped with vinegared rice in a persimmon leaf, a pressed sushi...
NARA
Nara Prefecture
The surveyed city is Nara. Of all 394 items in the household survey, Nara Prefecture stands out most for Persimmons — 2.2× the national average (Nara 4,031 g / national 1,826 g). Across the 52 surveyed cities, Nara ranks No.1 for Persimmons, Pumpkin, Milk and 4 more — 7 items in all.
2.2×Biggest standout
Persimmons
per household / year
Persimmons
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 Nara’s value as a multiple of the national average.
| Item | vs. average | Nara | National | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PersimmonsFruit | 2.21× | 4,031g | 1,826g | #2 |
| OystersSeafood | 2.11× | 732g | 347g | #2 |
| FlounderSeafood | 1.81× | 1,500JPY | 828JPY | #6 |
| Sea breamSeafood | 1.77× | 1,816JPY | 1,024JPY | #5 |
| Dried baby sardinesSeafood | 1.60× | 600g | 376g | #6 |
| Other soy products#1Dried Foods, Seaweed & Soy Products | 1.58× | 1,428JPY | 906JPY | #1 |
| PeachesFruit | 1.57× | 1,646g | 1,050g | #8 |
| Black teaBeverages | 1.55× | 298g | 192g | #7 |
| BeefMeat | 1.54× | 32,581JPY | 21,217JPY | #4 |
| Mandarin orangesFruit | 1.51× | 11,471g | 7,621g | #3 |
| Other citrusFruit | 1.48× | 5,458g | 3,694g | #5 |
| CrabSeafood | 1.42× | 2,426JPY | 1,705JPY | #9 |
MADE
Where Nara is a top-3 producer
From Ministry of Agriculture statistics (2024): items where Nara ranks No.2–3 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: Persimmons (#2)
Source: MAFF Crop Statistics Survey and Marine Fishery Production Statistics (e-Stat, 2024 final figures).
#1
Where this prefecture ranks #1
Items where Nara ranked #1 among the 52 surveyed cities.
- Pumpkin
- Sushi (boxed)
- Onions
- Other soy products
- Persimmons
- Milk
- Fresh fruit
Q&A
Nara food: common questions
What food is Nara No.1 in Japan for?
In Japan’s household spending survey (2023–2025 average), Nara ranked No.1 of 52 cities for Persimmons, Pumpkin, Milk and 4 more. This ranks what households buy, not what the prefecture produces.
What to eat in Nara?
Households here buy far more than the national average of Persimmons, Oysters, Flounder, Sea bream, Dried baby sardines.
What are the local dishes of Nara?
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture records 30 regional dishes from Nara, including Kakinoha-zushi (persimmon leaf sushi), Nara noppei (taro and vegetable stew), Yamato-style zoni (New Year soup), Chagayu (tea-simmered rice porridge).
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.
Nanairo o-ae (seven-vegetable salad)
Main ingredients: Carrot, kabocha squash, eggplant, green beans, taro stems (zuiki), myoga ginger, burdock root, and others
→ Pumpkin is 1.3× the national average in Nara (2,123 JPY, #2 nationally)
Asuka nabe (milk-based chicken hot pot)
Main ingredients: Chicken, milk, glass noodles, shiitake mushroom, napa cabbage, chrysanthemum greens, carrot, green onion, burdock root, and others
→ Milk is 1.2× the national average in Nara (82.7 L, #1 nationally)
Nara noppei (taro and vegetable stew)
Main ingredients: Taro, thick fried tofu, daikon radish, carrot, dried shiitake mushroom, konnyaku
→ Fresh shiitake mushrooms is 1.2× the national average in Nara (1,736 g, #4 nationally)
Yamato-style zoni (New Year soup)
Main ingredients: Round mochi, celebratory daikon radish, kintoki carrot, taro, cotton tofu, white miso, roasted soybean flour
→ Carrots is 1.1× the national average in Nara (3,058 JPY, #5 nationally)
DISHES
30 regional dishes from Nara 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.
Nara noppei (taro and vegetable stew)
Throughout Nara Prefecture
A hearty local stew made with taro, daikon, carrot, and other vegetables...
Yamato-style zoni (New Year soup)
Throughout the prefecture
A white miso-based New Year soup in Nara containing tofu, celebratory daikon, kintoki carrot, taro, and round mochi...
Chagayu (tea-simmered rice porridge)
Throughout the prefecture
In the early 9th century, the monk Kobo Daishi (Kukai) is said to have brought tea seeds back from Tang China and sown them at Butsuryuji Temple in Uda City...
Nara chameshi (tea rice)
Throughout the prefecture
The 'Omizutori' ritual held every March at Todaiji Temple has a history spanning over 1,200 years, and during its ascetic practices...
Imobota (taro rice cake)Au
Throughout the prefecture
A botamochi rice cake made with taro mixed in; since glutinous rice was once a precious commodity...
Kashiwa sukiyaki (chicken sukiyaki)
Throughout the prefecture
In the Kansai region, edible chicken is called 'kashiwa.' Because the guardian deity of the Tenjin shrine is a cow...
Nyumen (hot somen noodle soup)SuWi
Throughout the prefecture
Miwa in Sakurai City, Nara, is considered the birthplace of somen noodles, and the somen made there is known as Miwa somen...
Asuka nabe (milk-based chicken hot pot)Wi
Central-south Nara Basin
A local Nara dish of chicken and vegetables simmered in a broth of milk and dashi...
Hangesho mochi / wheat mochi / sanaburi mochi
Throughout the prefecture
The 11th day after the summer solstice is called 'hangesho.' In the Nara Basin...
Kuzumochi (arrowroot jelly)
Throughout the prefecture
A translucent, jiggly rice cake made from arrowroot starch, prized for its smooth texture...
Warabimochi (bracken starch jelly)SpSu
Throughout the prefecture
A confection made by heating and stirring bracken starch with water and sugar, then chilling it until set...
Shaved iceSu
Throughout the prefecture
Finely shaved fluffy ice topped with syrup, with each shop offering its own variations...
Tako momiuri (massaged cucumber and octopus salad)SuAu
Throughout the prefecture
Thinly sliced cucumber rubbed with salt until softened, then mixed with octopus...
Sanma-zushi (Pacific saury sushi)AuWi
Totsukawa Village
Sanma-zushi is passed down mainly as a local dish of Totsukawa Village in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture...
Ayu-zushi (sweetfish sushi)SuAu
Yoshino River basin
Wild sweetfish raised in the clear streams of the Yoshino mountains feed on algae growing on riverbed stones, giving them their distinctive fragrance...
Nara-ae (narazuke pickle salad)
Throughout the prefecture
A salad made with narazuke, Nara's signature sake-lees pickles, popular even with children...
Kaki namasu (persimmon and daikon salad)Wi
Throughout the prefecture
In Nara, red-and-white namasu made from daikon and carrot has long been prepared with dried persimmon added...
Dengara (leaf-wrapped mochi)Sp
Higashiyoshino Village, Kawakami Village
A traditional confection of mochi filled with sweet bean paste and wrapped in a magnolia leaf...
Fuki-dawara (bean-filled rice bundle)
Yamato Highlands region
In the Yamato Highlands region, the start of rice planting is called 'sabiraki,' and 'fuki-dawara' is made for the occasion...
Mana mehari (pickled mustard green rice balls)
Shimokitayama Village area
A mehari-zushi rice ball made with salt-pickled Shimokita spring greens (haru-mana)...
Iro gohan (soy-flavored mixed rice)
Throughout the prefecture
In Nara, soy sauce-seasoned mixed rice is called 'iro gohan.' Mixed rice has a long history...
Simmered zuiki (taro stems)Su
Throughout the prefecture
'Zuiki' refers to the leaf stalks of taro; the stalks of red-stemmed varieties like karanoimo and yatsugashira...
Nanairo o-ae (seven-vegetable salad)Su
Throughout the prefecture
'Nanairo o-ae' is one of the Obon offering dishes in the Shingon Buddhist tradition. The seven colors refer to eggplant, kabocha squash...
Shikishiki (thin wheat pancake)
Central Nara Basin
'Shikishiki' is a Nara snack dating to before the war, made by thinly cooking a batter of wheat flour, water, and sugar...
Simmered Yamato-mana and thin fried tofuWi
Throughout the prefecture
A home-style dish made with Yamato-mana, a traditional Nara vegetable...
Simmered itadori (Japanese knotweed)
Throughout the prefecture, mainly the Yoshino mountain area
'Itadori' is a perennial plant of the knotweed family that grows wild throughout Japan and is a staple spring wild vegetable...
Amago fish simmered in sweet soy glaze
Yoshino District, Uda District
Amago is a freshwater fish about 20cm long (sometimes over 30cm), a member of the salmon family related to the satsukimasu trout...
Simmered dried bonito and green onion
Throughout the prefecture
Landlocked Nara Prefecture has long favored simmered dishes using namabushi, a lightly smoked, long-keeping bonito...
Jellied simmered stingraySpSuWi
Throughout the prefecture, mainly the Katsuragi region
Red stingray simmered sweet and savory, a standard local dish especially in the Katsuragi area; the broth sets into a jelly when cooled...
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