Lightly pickled Senshu mizunasu eggplantSuAu
Senshu region
Senshu mizunasu, a prized eggplant variety from the Senshu region of southern Osaka, lightly pickled in rice bran or a pickling liquid...
OSAKA
Osaka
The surveyed city is Osaka. Of all 394 items in the household survey, Osaka stands out most for Crab — 1.5× the national average (Osaka 2,582 JPY / national 1,705 JPY). It is Japan’s top producer of Chrysanthemum greens (Ministry of Agriculture data). Across the 52 surveyed cities, Osaka ranks No.1 for Shrimp — 1 item in all.
1.5×Biggest standout
Crab
per household / year
Crab
per household / year
1Items 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 Osaka’s value as a multiple of the national average.
| Item | vs. average | Osaka | National | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrabSeafood | 1.51× | 2,582JPY | 1,705JPY | #7 |
| Chuhai & cocktailsAlcohol | 1.50× | 7,861JPY | 5,242JPY | #3 |
| Sea breamSeafood | 1.49× | 621g | 416g | #16 |
| Chinese foodDining Out | 1.47× | 7,535JPY | 5,121JPY | #7 |
| BeefMeat | 1.44× | 8,028g | 5,594g | #3 |
| Happoshu (low-malt beer)Alcohol | 1.41× | 11,822JPY | 8,363JPY | #4 |
| FlounderSeafood | 1.41× | 1,167JPY | 828JPY | #15 |
| Ground beef & pork mixMeat | 1.41× | 3,259g | 2,317g | #6 |
| SauceOils & Seasonings | 1.39× | 1,886mL | 1,357mL | #4 |
| YellowtailSeafood | 1.38× | 3,896JPY | 2,818JPY | #11 |
| Other tea leavesBeverages | 1.36× | 1,577g | 1,161g | #4 |
| Other fresh meatMeat | 1.34× | 4,315JPY | 3,228JPY | #5 |
※ The household survey covers the 47 prefectural capitals plus 5 designated cities. Osaka also includes Sakai in the survey, but to compare prefectures on equal terms this table uses the capital-city value only.
MADE
What Osaka produces most in Japan
From Ministry of Agriculture statistics (2024): items where Osaka 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: Butterbur (#3)
Source: MAFF Crop Statistics Survey and Marine Fishery Production Statistics (e-Stat, 2024 final figures).
#1
Where this prefecture ranks #1
Items where Osaka ranked #1 among the 52 surveyed cities.
- Shrimp
Q&A
Osaka food: common questions
What is Osaka famous for producing?
By Ministry of Agriculture statistics (2024), Osaka is Japan’s top producer of Chrysanthemum greens.
What food is Osaka No.1 in Japan for?
In Japan’s household spending survey (2023–2025 average), Osaka ranked No.1 of 52 cities for Shrimp. This ranks what households buy, not what the prefecture produces.
What to eat in Osaka?
Households here buy far more than the national average of Crab, Sea bream, Beef, Happoshu, Flounder.
What are the local dishes of Osaka?
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture records 30 regional dishes from Osaka, including Lightly pickled Senshu mizunasu eggplant, Jakogoko (aged pickled eggplant with dried shrimp), Barazushi (scattered sushi), Kujira no harihari nabe (whale and mizuna hot pot).
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.
Doteyaki (miso-simmered beef tendon)
Main ingredients: Beef tendon, miso, mirin
→ Beef is 1.4× the national average in Osaka (29,588 JPY, #7 nationally)
Barazushi (scattered sushi)
Main ingredients: Rice, dried baby sardines, lotus root, carrot, freeze-dried tofu, dried shiitake mushroom, burdock root, snow peas, egg
→ Lotus root is 1.3× the national average in Osaka (1,306 JPY, #7 nationally)
Osaka-zushi (Osaka-style sushi)
Main ingredients: Rice, egg, sea bream, shrimp, conger eel
→ Shrimp is 1.3× the national average in Osaka (3,761 JPY, #3 nationally)
Hamo nabe (conger pike eel hot pot)
Main ingredients: Conger pike eel, onion, potato
→ Onions is 1.2× the national average in Osaka (17,147 g, #5 nationally)
DISHES
30 regional dishes from Osaka
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.
Jakogoko (aged pickled eggplant with dried shrimp)SuAu
Senshu region
Old pickled Senshu mizunasu eggplant, desalted and simmered sweet and savory with small dried shrimp...
Barazushi (scattered sushi)
Throughout Osaka Prefecture
A mixed sushi made by finely chopping ingredients such as conger eel and shiitake mushroom into vinegared rice...
Kujira no harihari nabe (whale and mizuna hot pot)Wi
Throughout Osaka Prefecture
Whale meat, once a common everyday ingredient, and mizuna greens, long cultivated mainly in the Kansai region...
Battera (pressed mackerel sushi)
Throughout Osaka Prefecture
Pressed sushi made by layering thinly sliced vinegar-cured mackerel and white kelp over vinegared rice in a wooden mold...
Goyorimame / jakomame (sweet-savory soybeans with dried fish)
Senshu to Kawachi regions
An everyday dish from the Senshu and Kawachi regions: soybeans simmered sweet and savory together with dried small fish and shrimp...
Shiro-miso zoni (white miso New Year soup)Wi
Throughout Osaka Prefecture
A white miso soup with round mochi and neatly cut daikon, carrot, and taro...
Akaneko (steamed sweet rice cake)
Naka-Kawachi to Minami-Kawachi region
A mochi made by pounding steamed glutinous rice and wheat flour together, then coating it with sugar and roasted soybean flour...
Hansuke dofu (eel head and tofu stew)
Within Osaka City
Tofu simmered with grilled eel heads glazed in a sweet soy sauce; a dish that also appears in the classic Osaka rakugo tale 'Yusenbune'...
Wakagobo no itameni (stir-simmered young burdock)Au
Kawachi region (Yao City)
A local dish of fried tofu and young burdock, a specialty of Yao City, stir-fried and simmered together...
Hamokawa zakuzaku (crispy conger pike eel skin salad)Su
Osaka City
In Osaka, long prosperous through shipping and trade, large catches of conger pike eel (hamo) were once landed and distributed; a summer...
Kurumi mochi (Sakai sweet bean-paste mochi)
Senshu region (Sakai City)
A traditional confection famous in Sakai; despite the name (kurumi means walnut), it doesn't actually contain walnuts...
Ehomaki / makizushi (lucky-direction sushi roll)
Semba, throughout Osaka Prefecture
A Setsubun custom of eating a thick sushi roll whole while facing that year's lucky direction...
Osaka-zushi (Osaka-style sushi)
Osaka City, throughout Osaka Prefecture
A general term for sushi made in Osaka, including pressed sushi, rolled sushi, and steamed sushi...
Takoyaki (octopus balls)
Osaka City
Perhaps the first dish that comes to mind as the taste of Osaka: batter made with dashi and other ingredients poured into round molds on a griddle...
Semba-jiru (salted mackerel and daikon soup)AuWi
Osaka City
A clear soup made with salted mackerel trimmings and daikon radish, long enjoyed as a home-style dish in the Semba district...
Kitsune udon (fried tofu udon)
Throughout Osaka Prefecture
Udon noodles in a broth of kelp and bonito dashi, topped with sweet-savory simmered fried tofu...
Detchi yokan (apprentice's sweet bean jelly)Wi
Hokusetsu region
In the mountain villages of the Hokusetsu region, after agar production succeeded in the late Edo period, this simple bean jelly was made during the harsh winter farming off-season...
Renkon mochi (lotus root rice cake)
Kadoma City
Red and white glutinous rice packed into the holes of lotus root and steamed; the holes are said to symbolize good fortune, a way of 'seeing through' to the future...
Okonomiyaki (savory pancake)
Throughout Osaka Prefecture
A batter of wheat flour, water, and egg mixed with finely chopped cabbage, meat, squid, and other ingredients, cooked flat on a griddle...
Gaccho no karaage (fried dragonet fish)SpSu
Senshu region
Gaccho refers to small fish, 10-20cm long, commonly caught in Osaka Bay, including dragonet and related species...
Odamaki mushi (udon chawanmushi)
Osaka City
A large savory egg custard containing udon noodles, a local dish that originated in Osaka; named after a spool of spun hemp thread...
Doteyaki (miso-simmered beef tendon)
Within Osaka City
Beef tendon slow-simmered for hours in miso and mirin, named for the way miso is banked like an embankment (dote) around the pot's rim...
Hamo nabe (conger pike eel hot pot)
Senshu region
Conger pike eel has long inhabited Osaka Bay and came into wide circulation in Osaka by the mid-early-modern period...
Beni-zuiki to aburaage no taitan (taro stem and fried tofu simmer)
Senshu and Minami-Kawachi regions
Zuiki refers to taro leaf stems, long enjoyed in Kansai as a traditional summer vegetable...
Sakuramochi (cherry blossom rice cake)Sp
Throughout Osaka Prefecture
A pink mochi confection wrapped in a salt-pickled cherry leaf, a classic seasonal reference for spring; sakuramochi is found nationwide...
Osaka shirona no karashi-ae (mustard-dressed Osaka shirona greens)Au
Osaka City
Osaka shirona is said to be a hybrid of Shandong cabbage or napa cabbage with tainai greens...
Kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers)
Osaka City, throughout Osaka Prefecture
A wide variety of ingredients, from beef to vegetables and seafood, skewered and deep-fried...
Osaka-zuke (Osaka-style pickles)
Osaka City
A type of quick pickle made with chopped daikon or turnip, leaves and stems included, salted for anywhere from a few hours to overnight...
Beni-shoga ten (red pickled ginger tempura)
Throughout Osaka Prefecture
As the name suggests, thin slices of red pickled ginger battered and deep-fried; found in Osaka, Nara...
NEARBY