Isaza mame (simmered goby and soybeans)SpAu
Throughout the prefecture, mainly Nagahama and Takashima cities
"Isaza mame" is a tsukudani-style preserve made by simmering isaza, a goby species endemic to Lake Biwa, together with soybeans...
SHIGA
Shiga Prefecture
The surveyed city is Otsu. Of all 394 items in the household survey, Shiga Prefecture stands out most for Crab — 1.9× the national average (Otsu 675 g / national 355 g).
1.9×Biggest standout
Crab
per household / year
Crab
per household / year
5Items 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 Otsu’s value as a multiple of the national average.
| Item | vs. average | Otsu | National | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrabSeafood | 1.90× | 675g | 355g | #11 |
| FlounderSeafood | 1.74× | 1,443JPY | 828JPY | #7 |
| Meal-kit ingredientsPrepared Foods | 1.74× | 6,715JPY | 3,859JPY | #5 |
| BeefMeat | 1.43× | 30,336JPY | 21,217JPY | #6 |
| CroquettePrepared Foods | 1.41× | 3,192JPY | 2,261JPY | #3 |
| Simmered seafood (tsukudani)Seafood | 1.38× | 1,224JPY | 889JPY | #8 |
| Chinese foodDining Out | 1.37× | 7,027JPY | 5,121JPY | #9 |
| Ground beef & pork mixMeat | 1.37× | 4,485JPY | 3,280JPY | #10 |
| SauceOils & Seasonings | 1.35× | 1,838mL | 1,357mL | #6 |
| YellowtailSeafood | 1.35× | 3,814JPY | 2,818JPY | #13 |
| WineAlcohol | 1.35× | 4,223mL | 3,138mL | #13 |
| Other grains, misc.#1Grains | 1.34× | 5,540g | 4,133g | #1 |
#1
Where this prefecture ranks #1
Items where Otsu ranked #1 among the 52 surveyed cities.
- Candy
- Coffee (beans/grounds)
- Coffee & cocoa
- Other grains
- Other grains, misc.
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.
Junjun (sukiyaki-style hot pot)
Main ingredients: Beef (or chicken or lake fish), tofu, ito-konnyaku noodles, green onion, garland chrysanthemum, etc.
→ Beef is 1.3× the national average in Otsu (7,022 g, #14 nationally)
Shijimi clam soup
Main ingredients: Shijimi clams, kombu, miso, green onion
→ Kelp is 1.2× the national average in Otsu (858 JPY, #14 nationally)
Ame-no-io gohan (Biwa trout rice)
Main ingredients: Biwa trout, rice, carrot, shiitake mushrooms, etc.
→ Fresh shiitake mushrooms is 1.1× the national average in Otsu (2,108 JPY, #20 nationally)
Saba somen (mackerel somen noodles)
Main ingredients: Grilled mackerel, somen noodles, green onion, etc.
→ Green onions is 1.1× the national average in Otsu (3,758 JPY, #15 nationally)
Dorogame-jiru (eggplant miso soup)
Main ingredients: Eggplant, miso, dashi stock, sesame, etc.
→ Eggplant is 1.1× the national average in Otsu (4,351 g, #20 nationally)
Itoko-ni (simmered azuki and taro)
Main ingredients: Azuki beans, taro, soy sauce, etc.
→ Taro is 1.0× the national average in Otsu (1,158 g, #28 nationally)
DISHES
30 regional dishes from Shiga 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.
Gori no tsukudani (simmered river goby)SuAu
Throughout the prefecture, mainly around the north lake
"Gori no tsukudani" is a soy-simmered preserve made from gori, a small fish that lives in Lake Biwa...
Itoko-ni (simmered azuki and taro)Wi
Throughout the prefecture, mainly the Kohoku region
"Itoko-ni" is a dish of azuki beans simmered with taro or kabocha squash...
Funazushi (fermented crucian carp sushi)Wi
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
Narezushi, one of the oldest forms of sushi, is made by salting fish and packing it with rice to ferment...
Ame-no-io gohan (Biwa trout rice)Au
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
"Ame-no-io gohan" is rice cooked together with biwa trout, a species endemic to Lake Biwa...
Ko-ayu no sansho-ni (sweetfish simmered with sansho pepper)SpSu
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
"Ko-ayu no sansho-ni" simmers small sweetfish, a Lake Biwa specialty caught from May to early August, in a sweet-savory sauce...
Detchi yokan (steamed sweet bean cake)
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
"Detchi yokan" is a steamed sweet made by mixing wheat flour (or rice flour) into a paste of azuki beans and sugar...
Junjun (sukiyaki-style hot pot)Wi
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
"Junjun" is a hot pot dish in which beef, chicken, or lake fish are seasoned sukiyaki-style...
Simmered red konjac
Omi-Hachiman area
"Aka-konnyaku ni" is a simmered dish made with red konjac, a Shiga Prefecture specialty...
Shijimi clam soupSpWi
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
"Shijimijiru" is a Shiga local dish made with Seta shijimi clams; of Japan's three native shijimi species...
Ebi-mame (simmered shrimp and soybeans)
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
"Ebi-mame" is a Shiga local dish of sujiebi shrimp from Lake Biwa simmered sweet-savory together with soybeans...
Saba somen (mackerel somen noodles)SpAu
Kohoku region
"Saba somen" simmers grilled mackerel and tosses it with somen noodles, a dish centered mainly on the Kohoku region...
Choji-fu with mustard vinegar-misoSuAu
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
"Choji-fu no karashi-ae" is a standard local dish using choji-fu, a local wheat gluten specialty of Shiga...
Hinana-zuke (pickled Hino turnip)
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
"Hinana-zuke" is a pickle made from hinana, a traditional Shiga vegetable; it was registered in 1998...
Uchimame-jiru (flattened soybean miso soup)Wi
Kohoku region
"Uchimame-jiru" is a miso soup made by simmering uchimame (flattened soybeans) with turnip, daikon radish, taro, and other vegetables...
Lake fish tempura
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
"Koyo no tenpura" is a Shiga local dish made with small fish from Lake Biwa, such as young sweetfish, isaza goby, and pond smelt...
Kofuku mame (soybean sweet)
Kohoku region
"Kofuku mame" is a traditional soybean confection representative of Shiga Prefecture, made by farming households...
Saba no bo-zushi (pressed mackerel sushi)AuWi
Throughout the prefecture, mainly the Kohoku region
"Saba no bo-zushi" is a standard local dish served as a festival delicacy; besides pressed mackerel sushi...
Zeitaku-ni (simmered takuan pickles)
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
"Zeitaku-ni" is a local dish made by soaking takuan pickles in water to remove the salt, then simmering them...
Tofu dengaku (grilled miso tofu)Wi
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
Shiga has a high number of temples per capita and a deeply religious culture, so shojin (Buddhist vegetarian) dishes using tofu are common...
Dorogame-jiru (eggplant miso soup)Su
Koto region
Also known as "dongame-jiru" or "dorogame-jiru," this dish gets its name from eggplant cooked near the Gokasho district...
Oae dango (tofu-salad dumplings)
Moriyama area, Yasu area
"Oae dango" are rice-flour dumplings added to shira-ae (mashed tofu salad) made with carrot, shiitake mushrooms, and greens...
Omi beef miso-zuke (miso-marinated beef)
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
"Omi beef miso-zuke" is Omi beef marinated in white miso, left to rest for several days, then grilled and eaten...
Kurumi gobo (edamame-dressed burdock root)Au
Koka City
"Kurumi gobo" is burdock root tossed with a paste made from edamame, a dish from the Shigaraki area of Koka City, Shiga...
Shoi meshi (soy sauce rice)
Takashima City, Shin-Asahi
"Shoi meshi" is rice cooked with soy sauce, a traditional dish handed down in the Shin-Asahi area of Takashima City...
Hakusai no tatami-zuke (folded napa cabbage pickles)
Kohoku region
"Hakusai no tatami-zuke" is made by peeling napa cabbage leaves off one by one and pickling them with red chili pepper and kombu, a dish of the lakeside...
Hasu gyoden (grilled predatory carp with miso)SpSuWi
Lakeshore, Maibara area
The "hasu" was originally a species endemic to Lake Biwa and Lake Mikata, a rare piscivorous freshwater fish among the carp family...
Hitokawa-zushi (box sushi)
Aisho Town, Higashiomi City
"Hitokawa-zushi" is a box sushi once commonly made in Sakuragawa village, Gamo District, Shiga Prefecture, for gatherings...
Biwa trout sashimiSpSu
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
Biwa trout, a species found only in Lake Biwa, is a freshwater fish of the salmon family. Shiga Prefecture...
Grilled honmoroko with vinegared misoSpWi
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
Honmoroko is a freshwater fish in the carp family's Moroco genus, found only around Lake Biwa...
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