Nishinzuke (pickled herring with vegetables)
Rumoi region
Nishinzuke reflects the history of Hokkaido's herring industry, dating back to the late Edo period...
SPRING / Mar–May
Spring in Japan
Of the 1,365 regional dishes recorded by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 153 are eaten in spring.
153Spring dishes
44Prefectures represented
Mar–MayApproximate season
Ingredients
Ingredients most tied to spring
Ingredients that appear often in the "main ingredients" of spring dishes, matched against the city that buys the most of each — cross-referencing the regional-dish database with the household spending survey.
| Ingredient | Dishes | #1 city | Amount | vs. average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miso | 24 | NaganoNagano Prefecture | 3,133JPY | 1.4× |
| Sugar | 24 | TottoriTottori Prefecture | 1,629JPY | 1.4× |
| Rice cakes (mochi) | 20 | FukuiFukui Prefecture | 3,057JPY | 1.7× |
| Carrots | 17 | NahaOkinawa Prefecture | 3,984JPY | 1.4× |
| Tofu | 15 | NahaOkinawa Prefecture | 7,708JPY | 1.4× |
| Fresh shiitake mushrooms | 13 | ToyamaToyama Prefecture | 2,467JPY | 1.3× |
| Green onions | 10 | KyotoKyoto | 4,397JPY | 1.3× |
| Daikon radish | 9 | KyotoKyoto | 2,154JPY | 1.2× |
DISHES
Spring regional dishes by prefecture
Each dish name links to its page on the MAFF (Japan's agriculture ministry) website.
Hokkaido4
Tokishirazu (grilled, marinated off-season salmon)
Throughout Hokkaido
Salmon that migrates to Hokkaido's coast from autumn to early winter to spawn is called akizake, or autumn salmon...
Bekomochi (leaf-shaped rice cake)
Throughout Hokkaido
Long loved by Hokkaido residents, bekomochi is typically a leaf-shaped cake in two tones, white and black...
Jingisukan (grilled mutton)
Throughout Hokkaido
In the Taisho era, when the outbreak of World War I made wool imports difficult, Japan promoted domestic sheep farming as national policy...
Aomori Prefecture3
Bekomochi
Shimokita region
Handed down as a festive food for the Boys' Festival, bekomochi is now also eaten as a snack...
Hoshimochi (dried rice cake)
Tsugaru region
A preserved food long made in the coldest, driest part of winter, also known as 'kori-mochi' (frozen rice cake)...
Inarizushi
Tsugaru region
The Tsugaru plain has a relatively mild climate for a snow country and has grown rice since the late Jomon period...
Iwate Prefecture7
Simmered Suki-Kombu (shredded kelp)
Sanriku coastal area
Suki-kombu is young kelp from the Sanriku coast, boiled, cut into thin strips, and pressed into sheets...
Mame Shitogi (green soybean sweet)
Northern region
Mame shitogi is a fresh confection of boiled, mashed green soybeans kneaded with rice flour and sugar...
Nishime (simmered vegetables)
Throughout Iwate
Nishime is customarily made statewide whenever people gather, for weddings, funerals, New Year's, and Obon...
Hina Manju (Doll Festival sweet buns)
Central region
The central Kitakami River region has plenty of flat land and grows rice, wheat, barley, and buckwheat widely...
Ukogi no Horohoro (five-leaf aralia salad)
Central region
Ukogi is a deciduous shrub in the same family as tara-no-me and udo, growing 2 to 7 meters tall with many short branches...
Tofu Dengaku (grilled tofu with miso)
Northern region
The cool northern region struggled to grow rice, so it turned to soybeans, which thrive even in a harsh climate...
Mizutataki (grated uwabamisō)
Ou and Kitakami mountain areas
The Ou mountain range on the border with Akita Prefecture is cold and snowy but rich in mountain produce...
Miyagi Prefecture4
Okuzukake (thick vegetable and noodle soup)
Southern region
A meatless dish eaten mainly in southern Miyagi during the spring and autumn equinox and Obon periods...
Azara (fish and pickled cabbage stew)
Kesennuma City
Kesennuma City in Miyagi is known for fresh fish; menuke rockfish is especially fatty and in season in winter...
Takenoko Gohan (bamboo shoot rice)
Throughout Miyagi
Bamboo shoots are essential to Japanese cuisine, mentioned as far back as the Kojiki...
Bakke Miso (butterbur sprout miso)
Miyagi Prefecture
In the Edo period, a belief spread that eating tree leaves and roots without miso would bring on their toxicity...
Akita Prefecture3
Sasamaki (bamboo leaf-wrapped mochi)
Throughout Akita
Glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo grass leaves, tied with rush grass, and steamed; a traditional food made across the prefecture...
Tara-jiru (cod soup)
Nikaho City
Tara-jiru simmers cod and green onion in a miso-based broth; in Akita, 'tara' often specifically means 'hatahata'...
Oyaki (sweet bean-filled rice cake)
Throughout Akita
Oyaki is a traditional sweet made by wrapping sweet bean paste in a glutinous rice dough and lightly grilling it...
Yamagata Prefecture11
Natto-jiru (fermented soybean soup)
Throughout Yamagata
In Yamagata, homemade natto was once a preserved food to help get through winters short on ingredients...
Udo and Dried Daikon Simmer
Mogami region
Dried daikon and dried mochi are preservation methods common across Tohoku, suited to snow country...
Warabi Tataki (pounded bracken)
Northern region
Yamagata leads Japan in bracken production; its bracken is prized for being tender with a strong, silky texture...
Simmered Dried Kukitachi Greens
Yonezawa City (Okitama and Murayama regions)
This dish uses kukitachi, a brassica vegetable; kukitachi...
Tama-konnyaku (skewered konnyaku balls)
Throughout Yamagata
Affectionately called 'tamakon,' tama-konnyaku is a soul food for Yamagata residents...
Masu no Ankake (trout in thick sauce)
Shonai region
Masu no ankake, a representative spring dish of the Shonai region, uses the most prized variety of trout...
Seisaizuke (pickled Yamagata mustard greens)
Throughout Yamagata
Yamagata has a rich pickling culture; seisaizuke uses 'Yamagata seisai,' a variety of mustard greens...
Ukogi no Kiri-ae (chopped aralia with miso)
Okitama region, Yonezawa City
Kiri-ae, finely chopped ukogi mixed with miso, comes from the Okitama region, where ukogi hedges are most common...
Kujiramochi (rice cake, despite the whale name)
Mogami and Murayama regions
Despite its name meaning 'whale mochi,' this rice cake contains no whale meat at all; the name comes from...
Sasamaki (bamboo leaf-wrapped mochi)
Throughout Yamagata
Sasamaki is made by soaking and draining glutinous rice, wrapping it in bamboo leaves, tying it, and boiling it...
Hiyajiru (cold vegetable steep)
Okitama region, Yonezawa City
Despite the name suggesting a soup, hiyajiru is actually seasonal vegetables steeped in cold dashi...
Fukushima Prefecture2
Herring Pickled with Sansho Pepper Leaves
Throughout the Aizu region
In the Edo period, when fresh fish rarely reached Fukushima, dried herring from Hokkaido...
Sangohachi-zuke (rice bran pickle)
Nihonmatsu City
In the vegetable-rich farming area around Nihonmatsu City, vegetable pickles are a local tradition...
Ibaraki Prefecture1
Hamaguri gohan (clam rice)
Throughout Ibaraki Prefecture
The Kashima Sea, stretching from Cape Oarai in Ibaraki to Cape Inubo in Chiba, is where the cold Oyashio and warm Kuroshio currents meet...
Tochigi Prefecture7
Imogushi (grilled taro skewers)
Northwestern Tochigi, Central Tochigi
Imogushi, skewered taro grilled until the miso glaze chars fragrantly, was made to mark ceremonies and events...
Kate soba (bulked-up soba)
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...
Inari sushi
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)
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)
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...
Kanpyo nori roll sushi
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
Thin rolls of sweet-savory simmered kanpyo, or thick rolls with egg and cucumber added...
Botamochi (sweet rice cake)
Throughout Tochigi Prefecture
An essential treat for the equinox holidays. In spring, when peonies bloom, it's called "botamochi"; in autumn, with bush clover...
Gunma Prefecture1
Yaki manju (grilled miso-glazed buns)
Throughout Gunma Prefecture
Gunma, a major wheat producer, has many beloved local dishes made with wheat flour...
Saitama Prefecture3
Iga manju (chestnut-burr-shaped rice bun)
Konosu City, Kazo City, Hanyu City, Gyoda City
Iga manju, said to have originated in Konosu City (formerly Kawasato Town), is found mainly in the grain-producing region of northeastern Saitama...
Shio anbin (salted red bean mochi)
Kuki City, Kazo City, Gyoda City
In areas from northern to eastern Saitama, such as Kuki City, Kazo City, and Gyoda City, when the new rice harvest...
Shoten-zushi (Gyoda-style sushi)
Menuma area of Kumagaya City
The Menuma area of Kumagaya City flourished during the Edo period thanks to water transport on the Tone River, and its rich fields of rice paddies and farmland produced rice and...
Chiba Prefecture3
Futomaki sushi rolls
Throughout the prefecture, centered on the Kazusa and Shimosa regions
A type of sushi passed down in farming and other ordinary households, dating back to the Kansei era (1789-1801)...
Fukashi (steamed clam rice)
Bay area from Futtsu to Funabashi
Fukashi, made with clams, is a local dish from the bay area stretching from Futtsu to Funabashi...
Tempura salt-pickled bamboo shoots
Isumi region
Salt-pickled bamboo shoot tempura is made by washing the salt off pickled bamboo shoots, combining them with seasonings...
Tokyo3
Shima-zushi (island-style sushi)
Hachijojima and the Ogasawara Islands
Shima-zushi, from Hachijojima, is made by thinly slicing fish and marinating it in a soy-based sauce before pressing it onto vinegared rice...
Sakura mochi
Sumida Ward
Sakura mochi originated in 1717, when a man named Yamamoto Shinroku, who lived in front of Chomeiji Temple and served the temple...
Tsukudani (soy-simmered preserves)
Throughout the metropolis
Tsukudani, eaten as a preserved food since the Edo period, is named after Tsukudajima (present-day Tsukuda area of Chuo Ward)...
Kanagawa Prefecture2
Raw whitebait rice bowl
Shonan region
A rice bowl topped with fresh raw whitebait over vinegared or plain rice. In the Shonan area, including Chigasaki, Kamakura, and Enoshima...
Norabouna greens ohitashi
Kawasaki City
Norabouna, a traditional vegetable said to have been grown for around 800 years in the Suge district of Tama Ward, Kawasaki City...
Niigata Prefecture4
Sasa dango (bamboo-leaf wrapped rice dumplings)
Kaetsu region
Sasa dango, known as a Niigata specialty, is a bale-shaped dumpling wrapped in bamboo grass leaves and tied with sedge cord...
Zenmai no nimono (simmered flowering fern)
Throughout Niigata Prefecture
Mountain areas yield abundant wild vegetables in spring. Zenmai (flowering fern) is one of them, harvested in early spring...
Sado no nishime (Sado-style simmered vegetables)
Sado City
Made with dashi from grilled flying fish, vegetables, kombu, and grilled tofu simmered slowly...
Kujira jiru (whale and vegetable miso soup)
Chuetsu and Kaetsu regions
Kujira jiru is a regional dish of salted whale blubber simmered with vegetables in miso...
Toyama Prefecture3
Firefly squid with sweet vinegar miso
Throughout Toyama Prefecture
Hotaruika no su-miso ae is a dish that represents spring in Toyama. Firefly squid live at deep...
Osezushi (pressed sushi)
Uozu, Kurobe, Nyuzen, and Asahi towns in the Niikawa area, among others
Toyama Prefecture is rich in variations of pressed sushi, such as masuzushi and sasazushi. "Oshizushi"...
Yakitsuke (grilled mugwort rice cakes)
Throughout Toyama Prefecture
Yakitsuke, made by kneading fragrant mugwort into rice flour and grilling it, dates back to the food shortages of the early Showa era...
Ishikawa Prefecture3
Oshizushi (pressed sushi)
Around Kanazawa City, Kaga region
In Ishikawa Prefecture, oshizushi (pressed sushi) is eaten at festivals and other special occasions. In Kanazawa City...
Hinezushi (fermented fish and rice)
Noto region
Hinezushi is a fermented food made by packing salted fish with rice and letting it mature; it is passed down in Wajima, Ana...
Hasumushi (steamed stuffed lotus root)
Around Kanazawa City
Kanazawa City has a certified brand of vegetables called "Kaga vegetables." This brand name came into full use...
Fukui Prefecture2
Saba nuta (mackerel with vinegared miso)
Obama area
Obama, once the hub of the Wakasa Bay area, gave its name to the "Saba Kaido," the mackerel road along which fish were carried on foot to Kyoto...
Hazushi (leaf-wrapped sushi)
Denga area of Fukui City, Tannan area
Hazushi is sushi wrapped in the leaves of abura-giri (tung tree), a deciduous tree in the spurge family...
Nagano Prefecture4
Shioika no sunomono (vinegared salted squid)
Hokushin and Nanshin regions (throughout Nagano Prefecture)
Nagano Prefecture is far from the sea, so seafood was processed where it was landed and carried inland along the "Salt Road"...
Teuchi soba (hand-cut buckwheat noodles)
Throughout Nagano Prefecture
In Nagano Prefecture, soba is the signature regional dish—so much so it's called "Shinshu soba." In the cool climate...
Oyaki (stuffed grilled dumplings)
Hokushin and Chushin regions (throughout Nagano Prefecture)
Oyaki is made by mixing wheat flour and buckwheat flour with water or hot water, kneading it, rolling it thin, and wrapping it around sweet bean paste or...
Houba maki (magnolia leaf-wrapped rice cake)
Kiso region
Houba maki is made by kneading rice flour with boiling water, filling it with sweet bean paste, and wrapping it in magnolia leaves...
Gifu Prefecture2
Suttate jiru (ground soybean soup)
Shirakawa Village
Suttate jiru is made with "suttate," boiled soybeans ground in a mortar or stone mill...
Nita kumoji (simmered pickled greens)
Hida region
Simmered pickled greens that have been soaked in water to remove the salt; pickles that have turned sour by spring...
Shizuoka Prefecture1
Takenoko no arame ni (simmered bamboo shoots with arame seaweed)
Yoshida Town, Makinohara City, Yaizu City, and more (Chubu region), Seibu region
Takenoko no arame ni is bamboo shoots simmered together with arame seaweed, a dish centered on the Chubu region...
Aichi Prefecture5
Renkon no nimono (simmered lotus root)
Owari region
Lotus root cultivation is said to have begun in the Edo period when a temple priest in Aisai City, Aichi Prefecture, planted it in the paddy in front of the temple...
Fuki no nitsuke (simmered butterbur)
Owari region
Fuki (butterbur) grows wild in fields and mountains across Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa, and has been eaten since the Heian period...
Kushi asari (skewered dried clams)
Higashimikawa region, Chita region
Aichi Prefecture boasts Japan's top clam catch, with Nishio City and Gamagori City overwhelmingly leading...
Kiinai okowa (yellow sticky rice)
Nagoya City, Owari region
Chimaki and kashiwa mochi are the classic dishes for the Boys' Festival (Tango no Sekku), but in Aichi Prefecture, this...
Miso dengaku (grilled tofu with miso)
Throughout Aichi Prefecture
Tofu is said to have already arrived from China by the Nara and Heian periods, a prized ingredient in Buddhist vegetarian cooking...
Mie Prefecture5
Ibara mochi (catbrier-leaf rice cake)
Throughout Mie Prefecture
"Ibara mochi" is rice cake wrapped in sarutoriibara (catbrier) leaves, eaten around the Boys' Festival in May...
Tofu dengaku (grilled miso tofu)
Iga food culture region
In the mountain-ringed Iga basin, there were times when seafood was hard to come by, so soybeans were processed instead...
Kounago no kugini (simmered baby sand lance)
Hokusei food culture region, Central-southern Ise food culture region, Ise-Shima food culture region (mainly Toba), along the Ise Bay coast
Kounago, a herald of spring, is another name for icefish (ikanago); in Mie Prefecture it is generally called kounago...
Naisho mochi / Nabe mochi
Central-southern Ise food culture region
Since mochi is a food for celebratory occasions, it was customary to share pounded rice cakes with neighbors...
Salted fish (shiokara)
Ise-Shima food culture region
Where the Kumano-nada meets the freshwater-rich current flowing out of Ise Bay, plankton is abundant...
Shiga Prefecture7
Isaza mame (simmered goby and soybeans)
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...
Ko-ayu no sansho-ni (sweetfish simmered with sansho pepper)
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...
Shijimi clam soup
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
"Shijimijiru" is a Shiga local dish made with Seta shijimi clams; of Japan's three native shijimi species...
Saba somen (mackerel somen noodles)
Kohoku region
"Saba somen" simmers grilled mackerel and tosses it with somen noodles, a dish centered mainly on the Kohoku region...
Hasu gyoden (grilled predatory carp with miso)
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...
Biwa trout sashimi
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 miso
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
Honmoroko is a freshwater fish in the carp family's Moroco genus, found only around Lake Biwa...
Kyoto4
Bamboo shoots with kinome dressing
Yamashiro region, Kyoto City
Known for its white, tender flesh and mild bitterness, "Kyo-takenoko" is a moso bamboo shoot...
Niku-dofu (beef and tofu simmer)
Kyoto City
"Niku-dofu" is a simple dish of beef, tofu, and green onion simmered together, using Kyoto's traditional Kujo green onion...
Simmered bamboo shoots, butterbur, and dried bonito
Chutan region, Tango region
Kyoto's bamboo shoots are considered exceptionally high quality even nationally; they were introduced to Kyoto during the reign of Emperor Saga...
Ohagi (sweet rice cake)
Throughout the prefecture
"Ohagi" is enjoyed throughout Japan; the red color of azuki beans has long been believed to ward off evil...
Osaka2
Gaccho no karaage (fried dragonet fish)
Senshu region
Gaccho refers to small fish, 10-20cm long, commonly caught in Osaka Bay, including dragonet and related species...
Sakuramochi (cherry blossom rice cake)
Throughout Osaka Prefecture
A pink mochi confection wrapped in a salt-pickled cherry leaf, a classic seasonal reference for spring; sakuramochi is found nationwide...
Hyogo Prefecture3
Saba no jau (sukiyaki-style mackerel hot pot)
Toyooka City, Kami Town (Tajima region)
A sukiyaki-style hot pot of mackerel simmered with seasonal vegetables like green onion and napa cabbage, along with grilled tofu...
Deep-fried sailfin sandfish
Tajima region
Small sailfin sandfish (hatahata), head and innards removed, deep-fried whole; the fish has almost no visible scales...
Ibitsu mochi (leaf-wrapped rice cake)
Throughout the prefecture
Mochi with sweet bean paste in the center, wrapped in sarutoriibara leaves; known nationwide as 'kashiwa mochi'...
Nara Prefecture3
Warabimochi (bracken starch jelly)
Throughout the prefecture
A confection made by heating and stirring bracken starch with water and sugar, then chilling it until set...
Dengara (leaf-wrapped mochi)
Higashiyoshino Village, Kawakami Village
A traditional confection of mochi filled with sweet bean paste and wrapped in a magnolia leaf...
Jellied simmered stingray
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...
Wakayama Prefecture4
Mehari-zushi (pickled mustard green rice balls)
Southern region
A packed lunch food from the fishing- and forestry-heavy southern part of the prefecture, easy to eat during breaks in busy fishing or mountain work...
Shirasu-don (whitebait rice bowl)
Northern and central regions
Whitebait fishing peaks from late March through May; during this season, catches from around Tomogashima off Wakayama City...
Stir-fried gonbachi (Japanese knotweed)
Southern region
'Gonbachi' is properly known as itadori, a knotweed-family plant that grows wild in the mountains come spring...
Hatagonbo-zushi (local burdock sushi)
Hashimoto City
'Hatagonbo' is a burdock variety grown in the Nishihata district of Hashimoto City, on the slopes of 552-meter Mt. Kunigi...
Tottori Prefecture4
Iwashi dango (sardine dumplings)
Central region, Yumigahama Peninsula
Tottori's coastline runs about 130km, much of it sandy beach. From the Edo to Meiji periods...
Oiri (leftover rice confection)
Eastern region
Oiri is a home-made confection created to avoid wasting leftover rice...
Mosaebi sashimi (deep-sea shrimp sashimi)
Tottori's coastal areas
The shrimp called "mosaebi" in Tottori is officially known as kurozako shrimp. At seawater temperatures around 5°C...
Simmered grilled mackerel
Eastern region
A dish long loved as everyday fare in the eastern region. Large catches of mackerel are landed from the Sea of Japan...
Shimane Prefecture6
Simmered and stir-fried Oki arame seaweed
Oki region
The sea-surrounded Oki Islands yield a wide variety of seaweed, including wakame and nori. From the water's surface down...
Uzume-meshi (hidden ingredient rice)
Iwami region (Hamada City, Hikimi in Masuda City, Tsuwano Town, etc.)
At first glance it looks like ochazuke topped with dashi and wasabi, but small ingredients are hidden beneath the rice...
Whale rice
Iwami region (Hamada City, Masuda City, etc.)
Hamada City and Masuda City, in western Shimane, face the Sea of Japan. Together with Oda City, the area is known as "Iwami"...
Steamed ark shell in the shell
Izumo region
A lake holding water of intermediate salinity between sea and fresh water is called a "brackish lake." Japan has 18 such lakes...
Kashiwa mochi (oak leaf rice cake)
Throughout Shimane Prefecture
Made throughout Shimane around the Boys' Festival season and loved as a children's snack...
Sasa-maki (bamboo-leaf wrapped rice cake)
Eastern region, Oki region
Kneaded rice flour wrapped in bamboo grass leaves and boiled. A traditional food for the old-calendar Boys' Festival...
Okayama Prefecture2
Matsuri-zushi / Bara-zushi (scattered sushi)
Throughout Okayama Prefecture
Matsuri-zushi, also called "Okayama bara-zushi" or "Bizen bara-zushi," is a dish long known in the Bizen-Okayama area...
Deep-fried croaker whitebait
Seto Inland Sea coast
Croaker whitebait is a small fish caught in the Seto Inland Sea from spring through summer, called "nebuto" in some areas...
Hiroshima Prefecture2
Wakegi nuta (green onion miso salad)
Onomichi City, Mihara City, Kure City
Wakegi is a lily-family allium, a cross between green onion and shallot, milder than green onion...
Kaku-zushi (square pressed sushi)
Geihoku region, from Hiroshima City to Kitahiroshima Town and Akitakata City
A type of pressed sushi made by packing vinegared rice and toppings into a square wooden mold, found in the Geihoku region from Hiroshima City's Asakita ward...
Yamaguchi Prefecture4
Nuta (vinegar-miso salad)
Kitaura region
Nuta, eaten throughout Japan, is typically green onions dressed in vinegar-miso, but ingredients vary by region...
Gobo-maki (burdock root wrapped in fish paste)
Hagi City
Facing both the Seto Inland Sea and the Sea of Japan, Yamaguchi Prefecture has long benefited from the sea's bounty, and processed foods using seafood...
Kashiwa mochi (rice cake in oak leaf)
Throughout the prefecture
May 5th, the Tango no Sekku festival now celebrated as Children's Day, is marked with chimaki or other regional treats...
Takenoko no misoni (bamboo shoots simmered in miso)
Throughout the prefecture
Bamboo shoots, a sign of spring's arrival, are in season from March to May. Since they grow quickly and soon turn to bamboo...
Tokushima Prefecture4
Shusse-imo (taro or sweet potato with red beans)
Kaiyo Town, southern Tokushima
During times of rice shortage, people in southern Tokushima, including Kaiyo Town, often ate potatoes in place of rice...
Awa uiro (steamed rice cake)
Throughout the prefecture
Along with "Nagoya uiro" and "Yamaguchi uiro," "Awa uiro" is known as one of Japan's three great uiros...
Yubeshi (steamed citrus confection)
Naka Town (upper Naka River), Katsuura region, Kamikatsu
Naka Town in Tokushima is especially known for growing yuzu. Heavy rainfall and large swings between daytime and nighttime temperatures...
Shiro miso zoni (white miso New Year's soup)
Throughout the prefecture
Tokushima's zoni dishes come in great variety; for example, the "uchigae zoni" eaten in Iya uses dried sardines...
Kagawa Prefecture3
Barazushi (scattered sushi)
Throughout the prefecture
"Barazushi" is vinegared rice mixed with seasonal vegetables and other ingredients, served mainly on celebratory occasions...
Kankan-zushi (canned pressed sushi)
Tosan region
"Kankan-zushi" is a preserved food passed down since the Edo period, originating in the Kamobe area of Sanuki City...
Kakimaze (mixed rice with mountain and sea ingredients)
Shodoshima Island
"Kakimaze" is a local dish that makes generous use of the sea and mountain bounty of Shodoshima Island. Also called "omaze"...
Ehime Prefecture1
Tako meshi (octopus rice)
Chuyo region, Imabari City, and the island areas
Said to have begun when fishermen chopped up freshly caught octopus aboard their boats and cooked it into rice...
Kochi Prefecture2
Hachiku to endo no nimono (simmered bamboo shoots and peas)
Throughout the prefecture
Bamboo shoots are widely eaten in Kochi Prefecture. In early spring, moso bamboo shoots appear on the market...
Ha-ninniku no nuta (garlic leaf with vinegar-miso)
Throughout the prefecture
Nuta is a traditional Kochi seasoning made by mixing garlic with miso and vinegar, used with raw fish or konjac...
Fukuoka Prefecture3
Hakata no gomasaba (sesame-marinated mackerel)
Fukuoka district
Fukuoka and Hakata have long landed fresh seafood. Because mackerel spoils quickly, it is not usually eaten raw nationwide...
Senbukimage (Welsh onion with vinegar-miso)
Chikuho district
In Fukuoka, wakegi Welsh onion is called 'senbuki.' A variant of the onion, it is more tender and sweeter than regular scallions...
Kutsuzoko no nitsuke (simmered sole)
Ariake Sea coastal area
The Ariake Sea is bordered by four Kyushu prefectures. Its muddy seabed averages about 20 meters deep, and it holds Japan's largest tidal flats...
Saga Prefecture1
Futsumochi (mugwort mochi)
Throughout the prefecture
In Saga Prefecture, where rice farming thrives, glutinous rice as well as ordinary rice is widely grown, and nationally...
Kumamoto Prefecture4
Aso takana-zuke (pickled mustard greens)
Aso City
Aso takana is a traditional vegetable grown in Aso's cold climate and volcanic-ash soil, sown in autumn...
Tai somen (sea bream with somen noodles)
Amakusa region, Kamimashiki region (Mamihara, Yamato Town)
Sea bream has long been indispensable for celebrations, and Kumamoto Prefecture is one of Japan's leading producers of fresh...
Hitomoji no guruguru (rolled Welsh onion)
Throughout Kumamoto Prefecture
In the era of the sixth Hosokawa lord, Shigekata, the Higo domain's finances were strained and a sumptuary edict was issued...
Simmered jabara daikon (accordion-cut dried daikon)
Southern Aso region
Jabara daikon is a dried daikon long made in the southern Aso region using the cold winter wind...
Oita Prefecture3
Kirasumameshi (fish and okara rice bowl)
Usuki City
Usuki City, in southeastern Oita, stretches in a long oval toward the Hoyo Strait...
Sake manju (fermented rice bun)
Taketa City, Bungo-ono City
The Hobi region, made up of Taketa City and Bungo-ono City in southwestern Oita, lies at the foot of Mt. Sobo...
Ishigaki mochi (sweet potato dumpling)
Throughout Oita Prefecture
Wheat-based food culture is deeply rooted in Oita, once unsuited to rice farming...
Miyazaki Prefecture3
Futatabi dango (mugwort dumpling)
Northern coastal Miyazaki
Nobeoka City, in the northeastern part of Miyazaki, faces the Hyuga Sea to the east and is fed by five rivers...
Seri no yogoshi (dressed Japanese parsley)
Throughout Miyazaki Prefecture
Seri (Japanese parsley) is a perennial in the carrot family that grows wild throughout Japan, already recorded in the Nara period...
Stir-fried tsuwabuki (leopard plant)
Miyazaki City, Miyakonojo City, Nichinan City
Tsuwabuki is native to Japan, growing wild south of Fukushima and Ishikawa prefectures on Honshu, but mainly in Kyushu...
Kagoshima Prefecture5
Satsuma sumoji (scattered sushi)
Throughout Kagoshima Prefecture
In Kagoshima, chirashi-zushi is called sumoji, a term from old court ladies' vocabulary...
Kashamochi (mugwort rice cake wrapped in leaves)
Amami region
A mochi confection made with mugwort, prepared in the Amami region...
Akumaki (lye-boiled rice cake)
Throughout Kagoshima Prefecture
A distinctive Kagoshima mochi confection eaten mainly for the Boys' Day festival, similar to chimaki rice dumplings...
Kibinago sashimi (silver-stripe round herring)
Throughout Kagoshima Prefecture
Kagoshima is blessed with wide fishing grounds spanning Kagoshima Bay, the East China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean...
Sakezushi (sake-fermented sushi)
Throughout Kagoshima Prefecture
Said to date to the Edo period, when the Satsuma domain lord Shimazu hosted a flower-viewing...
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In season now: spring
Ingredients in season this time of year whose local consumption is far above the national average.
CrabTottori 7.8×
冷凍浜茹でセコガニ 大中6〜7杯（1kg超） 松葉ガニメス
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