Shimotsukare (simmered salmon head, beans, and daikon)Wi
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
One of Tochigi Prefecture's signature local dishes, made from the head of salted salmon eaten at New Year's and roasted lucky beans from Setsubun...
TOCHIGI
Tochigi Prefecture
The surveyed city is Utsunomiya. Of all 394 items in the household survey, Tochigi Prefecture stands out most for Japanese pears — 2.4× the national average (Utsunomiya 6,082 g / national 2,530 g).
2.4×Biggest standout
Japanese pears
per household / year
Japanese pears
per household / year
3Items 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 Utsunomiya’s value as a multiple of the national average.
| Item | vs. average | Utsunomiya | National | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese pearsFruit | 2.40× | 6,082g | 2,530g | #3 |
| Western food (dining out)#1Dining Out | 1.69× | 22,654JPY | 13,378JPY | #1 |
| Strawberries#1Fruit | 1.62× | 3,229g | 1,994g | #1 |
| Gyoza dumplingsPrepared Foods | 1.61× | 3,192JPY | 1,984JPY | #3 |
| Ramen (chuka soba)Dining Out | 1.55× | 13,592JPY | 8,752JPY | #4 |
| Dried baby sardinesSeafood | 1.49× | 2,363JPY | 1,587JPY | #8 |
| TunaSeafood | 1.46× | 2,471g | 1,698g | #8 |
| Other soy productsDried Foods, Seaweed & Soy Products | 1.45× | 1,313JPY | 906JPY | #3 |
| School lunchDining Out | 1.41× | 10,934JPY | 7,756JPY | #17 |
| Sweet bean jelly (yokan)Confectionery | 1.40× | 1,043JPY | 745JPY | #8 |
| Soba & udon noodlesDining Out | 1.37× | 10,233JPY | 7,467JPY | #4 |
| Salted salmonSeafood | 1.33× | 1,614g | 1,213g | #10 |
#1
Where this prefecture ranks #1
Items where Utsunomiya ranked #1 among the 52 surveyed cities.
- Strawberries
- Western food (dining out)
- Tea drinks
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.
Mimi udon (ear-shaped dumpling udon)
Main ingredients: Wheat flour (medium-gluten), taro, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, carrots
→ Taro is 1.3× the national average in Utsunomiya (1,482 g, #11 nationally)
Wheat manju (steamed wheat buns)
Main ingredients: Wheat flour, red beans
→ Wheat flour is 1.2× the national average in Utsunomiya (753 JPY, #5 nationally)
Dojo-jiru (loach soup)
Main ingredients: Loach, green onions, burdock, onions
→ Green onions is 1.1× the national average in Utsunomiya (4,801 g, #14 nationally)
Shimotsukare (simmered salmon head, beans, and daikon)
Main ingredients: Daikon radish, soybeans, salted salmon head, sake lees, carrots, fried tofu
→ Daikon radish is 1.1× the national average in Utsunomiya (11,268 g, #12 nationally)
Botamochi (sweet rice cake)
Main ingredients: Glutinous rice, non-glutinous rice, red beans
→ Rice cakes (mochi) is 1.1× the national average in Utsunomiya (2,007 JPY, #9 nationally)
Shiraae (tofu-dressed vegetables)
Main ingredients: Tofu, carrots, konnyaku
→ Tofu is 1.1× the national average in Utsunomiya (88.3 blocks, #11 nationally)
DISHES
30 regional dishes from Tochigi 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.
Mimi udon (ear-shaped dumpling udon)Wi
Kuzuu district of Sano City, Utsunomiya City
Mimi udon is a dish passed down in the Kuzuu district of Sano City and the Shiroyama district of Utsunomiya City. Though the name includes "udon,"...
Kanpyo no tamagotoji (dried gourd strips with egg)
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
Kanpyo no tamagotoji is a local dish made with kanpyo (dried gourd strips), a specialty of Tochigi Prefecture. Tochigi is...
Imogushi (grilled taro skewers)SpAuWi
Northwestern Tochigi, Central Tochigi
Imogushi, skewered taro grilled until the miso glaze chars fragrantly, was made to mark ceremonies and events...
Simmered sagambo (spiny dogfish)Wi
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
In landlocked Tochigi Prefecture, before refrigerators became common, sagambo (spiny dogfish) was the fresh saltwater fish people knew...
Bandai mochi (rice cake on a board)Su
Western region, Nikko City (former Kuriyama Village)
A local dish long passed down in the Kuriyama district of Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, made not with glutinous rice but with firmly cooked non-glutinous rice...
Wheat manju (steamed wheat buns)Au
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
Wheat manju is a steamed bun of red bean paste wrapped in a wheat-flour skin, often called simply "manju"...
Kate soba (bulked-up soba)SpAuWi
Central to southern Tochigi, Kanuma City
"Kate" here refers to a bulking ingredient. Adding daikon radish or garlic chives increases the volume of the noodles...
Chitake udon (or soba)Su
Central and eastern Tochigi
Chitake udon is udon served in a broth made by stir-frying chitake mushrooms and eggplant, a dish from the flatland forest areas...
Simmered moro (mako shark)
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
Moro no nitsuke is made from salmon shark (mouka-zame) caught off northern Ibaraki, Fukushima, and Miyagi...
Kanpyo with sesame vinegar dressingSu
Around Shimotsuke City and Mibu Town
Among the many kanpyo dishes, kanpyo with sesame vinegar dressing is, along with kanpyo no tamagotoji, one of the prefecture's...
Yuzu-maki (yuzu peel rolled in daikon)AuWi
Northern Utsunomiya City
Yuzu-maki is a local dish of yuzu peel rolled in daikon radish and pickled in sweet vinegar for two to three days. Eaten at autumn festivals...
Gomoku gohan (mixed rice)
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
Gomoku gohan is made for special occasions such as festivals and farmers' rest days, using kanpyo and dried...
Inari sushiSp
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
Fried tofu, said to be the favorite food of the fox messengers of the Inari deity, became an offering at Inari shrines, giving rise to sushi made with it...
Aiso no kanroni (sweet-simmered dace)Sp
Naka River basin, middle reaches of the Kinu and Omoi rivers
Aiso no kanroni is a Tochigi local dish of dace (ugui, locally called aiso) caught in early spring and simmered until sweet...
Simmered age-maki yuba (fried rolled tofu skin)SpAuWi
Nikko City
Age-maki yuba no nimono is made by rolling and deep-frying yuba (tofu skin), then simmering it in seasoning; it represents Nikko City...
Battou-jiru / dango-jiru (dumpling soup)Wi
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
A miso soup with vegetables and kneaded dumplings of wheat or rice flour is generally called "suiton,"...
Kanpyo nori roll sushiSp
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
Thin rolls of sweet-savory simmered kanpyo, or thick rolls with egg and cucumber added...
Nishime (simmered vegetables)Wi
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
A local dish served at community festivals, household annual events, and formal occasions such as weddings and funerals. Tochigi...
Simmered herring and bamboo shoots
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
Dried herring and bamboo shoots simmered in a sweet-savory sauce. Inland Tochigi Prefecture, where fresh seafood...
Botamochi (sweet rice cake)SpAu
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
An essential treat for the equinox holidays. In spring, when peonies bloom, it's called "botamochi"; in autumn, with bush clover...
Ayu meshi (sweetfish rice)Su
Middle reaches of the Naka River
Ayu meshi, rice cooked with sweetfish, has long been made by people living along rivers where sweetfish are caught, such as the Naka and Kinu rivers...
Ebi daikon (shrimp and daikon)
Southern Tochigi
A winter dish made around the first frost in the southern region, where river shrimp are caught as the weather turns cold...
Kusa mochi (mugwort rice cake)
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
Kusa mochi is rice cake pounded with mochigusa (mugwort), made from mid-March when the mugwort has sprouted and grown a little...
Shiraae (tofu-dressed vegetables)Wi
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
Enjoyed by many not only at gatherings and celebratory occasions but also as an everyday home-cooked dish...
Stir-fried chitake mushrooms and eggplantSuAu
Central Tochigi
A dish of Tochigi's signature mushroom, chitake, stir-fried with eggplant. "Chitake" is short for "chichitake" (milk mushroom)...
Eggplant and green beans with misoSuAu
All areas except the northwestern mountains
Eggplant is a signature vegetable from summer through autumn. Inland Tochigi, where summer temperatures run high, is well suited to...
Dojo-jiru (loach soup)Su
Plains area of Tochigi
Dojo-jiru is a dish regularly made in summer, eaten to help get through the harsh heat...
Yaki mochi (pan-fried rice cake)
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
In the era when snacks were homemade, leftover rice was mixed with wheat flour and miso, rolled into balls, flattened...
Simmered dried daikon strips
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
Dried daikon strips are rehydrated until firm, then slowly simmered with seasoning. In winter, Tochigi's dry...
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