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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). It is Japan’s top producer of Strawberries (Ministry of Agriculture data). Across the 52 surveyed cities, Utsunomiya ranks No.1 for Strawberries, Tea drinks, Western food — 3 items in all.

2.4×Biggest standout
Japanese pears
per household / year
3Items ranked #1 nationally
30Regional dishes

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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.

Annual spending/quantity per household vs. national average (Utsunomiya, highest multiple first)
Itemvs. averageUtsunomiyaNationalRank
Japanese pearsFruit2.40×6,082g2,530g#3
Western food (dining out)#1Dining Out1.69×22,654JPY13,378JPY#1
Strawberries#1Fruit1.62×3,229g1,994g#1
Gyoza dumplingsPrepared Foods1.61×3,192JPY1,984JPY#3
Ramen (chuka soba)Dining Out1.55×13,592JPY8,752JPY#4
Dried baby sardinesSeafood1.49×2,363JPY1,587JPY#8
TunaSeafood1.46×2,471g1,698g#8
Other soy productsDried Foods, Seaweed & Soy Products1.45×1,313JPY906JPY#3
School lunchDining Out1.41×10,934JPY7,756JPY#17
Sweet bean jelly (yokan)Confectionery1.40×1,043JPY745JPY#8
Soba & udon noodlesDining Out1.37×10,233JPY7,467JPY#4
Salted salmonSeafood1.33×1,614g1,213g#10

MADE

What Tochigi produces most in Japan

From Ministry of Agriculture statistics (2024): items where Tochigi 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: Garlic chives (#2), Konjac (#3)

Source: MAFF Crop Statistics Survey and Marine Fishery Production Statistics (e-Stat, 2024 final figures).

#1

Where this prefecture ranks #1

Items where Utsunomiya ranked #1 among the 52 surveyed cities.

Q&A

Tochigi food: common questions

What is Tochigi famous for producing?

By Ministry of Agriculture statistics (2024), Tochigi is Japan’s top producer of Strawberries.

What food is Tochigi No.1 in Japan for?

In Japan’s household spending survey (2023–2025 average), Utsunomiya ranked No.1 of 52 cities for Strawberries, Tea drinks, Western food. This ranks what households buy, not what the prefecture produces.

What to eat in Tochigi?

Households here buy far more than the national average of Japanese pears, Strawberries, Gyoza dumplings, Ramen, Dried baby sardines.

What are the local dishes of Tochigi?

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture records 30 regional dishes from Tochigi, including Shimotsukare (simmered salmon head, beans, and daikon), Mimi udon (ear-shaped dumpling udon), Kanpyo no tamagotoji (dried gourd strips with egg), Imogushi (grilled taro skewers).

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,"...

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...

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...

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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