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...
SUMMER / Jun–Aug
Summer in Japan
Of the 1,365 regional dishes recorded by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 229 are eaten in summer.
229Summer dishes
47Prefectures represented
Jun–AugApproximate season
Ingredients
Ingredients most tied to summer
Ingredients that appear often in the "main ingredients" of summer 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 | 32 | NaganoNagano Prefecture | 3,133JPY | 1.4× |
| Eggplant | 30 | KyotoKyoto | 2,964JPY | 1.4× |
| Green onions | 22 | KyotoKyoto | 4,397JPY | 1.3× |
| Sugar | 22 | TottoriTottori Prefecture | 1,629JPY | 1.4× |
| Carrots | 17 | NahaOkinawa Prefecture | 3,984JPY | 1.4× |
| Cucumbers | 16 | YokohamaKanagawa Prefecture | 4,450JPY | 1.3× |
| Tofu | 16 | NahaOkinawa Prefecture | 7,708JPY | 1.4× |
| Soy sauce | 16 | YamagataYamagata Prefecture | 2,941JPY | 1.6× |
DISHES
Summer regional dishes by prefecture
Each dish name links to its page on the MAFF (Japan's agriculture ministry) website.
Hokkaido3
Teppo-jiru (crab miso soup)
Eastern Hokkaido (mainly Nemuro region)
In eastern Hokkaido, miso soup made with crab is called teppo-jiru...
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 Prefecture6
Ichigoni (sea urchin and abalone soup)
Nambu region
A dish handed down along the Pacific coast around Hachinohe and Hashikami, essentially a clear soup of sea urchin and abalone...
Nasu no Akashiso-maki (eggplant wrapped in red shiso)
Tsugaru region
A summer everyday dish of the Tsugaru region, combining eggplant and shiso leaves, both abundant in summer...
Nerikomi (thick simmered vegetable stew)
Tsugaru region
Long ago, monks from Hirosaki's thirty-three Zen temples gathered vegetables through alms-collecting to make a dish called 'kuzuyose'...
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)...
Mizu to Hoya no Mizumono (uwabamisō and sea pineapple salad)
Tsugaru region
A dish savoring the brief bounty of a Tsugaru summer, also called 'hoyamizu'...
Shoga Miso Oden (oden with ginger miso sauce)
Aomori City
Around Aomori City, it is standard to eat oden with a grated-ginger miso sauce...
Iwate Prefecture3
Azuki Batto (sweet red bean noodle soup)
Sanriku coastal area
Azuki batto is short, wide wheat noodles simmered in sweetened azuki bean broth...
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...
Kurumi Dofu (walnut tofu)
Esashi area, Oshu City
Kurumi dofu is made by straining ground walnuts, adding water and sugar, and setting the mixture with kudzu starch...
Miyagi Prefecture7
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...
Vinegared Sea Pineapple (hoya)
Miyagi coastal area
Sea pineapple is farmed along the Sanriku coast, mainly the maboya variety, often cultivated on oyster shells...
Myoga Leaf-Wrapped Grilled Cake
Northern Miyagi
Myoga ginger is a perennial related to ginger that grows wild from Honshu to Okinawa, its flowers and stems used as an aromatic vegetable...
Aburafu Don (fried wheat gluten rice bowl)
Tome City
Around Obon, tofu shops once worked hard producing fried tofu and tofu for meatless dishes...
Salt-Grilled Char (iwana)
Kurihara City and other areas
Char lives only in the clear headwaters of mountain streams and is difficult to catch...
Nasu-iri (stir-fried eggplant)
Miyagi Prefecture
Eggplant is in season from summer to autumn, and the varieties grown differ greatly by region...
Heso Daikon Nishime (simmered dried daikon rings)
Southern Miyagi
In the harsh cold of the Tohoku region, there has long been a custom of preserving vegetables and fish by exposing them to cold winter wind...
Akita Prefecture6
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...
Tamago Kanten (egg agar jelly)
Throughout Akita
Tamago kanten is made by mixing beaten egg and sugar into agar liquid and letting it set; agar is made from tengusa seaweed...
Junsai-nabe (water shield hot pot)
Northwestern region
Junsai-nabe is a hot pot loaded with water shield alongside chicken and burdock root and other ingredients...
Kasube-ni (simmered dried ray)
Northern and southern regions
Kasube-ni is dried ray fish simmered in a sweet-savory sauce; in Hokkaido and Tohoku...
Hoshimochi (dried rice cake)
Throughout Akita
Hoshimochi is pounded mochi sliced, strung up to dry, and exposed to the cold after soaking up plenty of moisture...
Akazuke / Akazushi (red shiso fermented rice)
Throughout Akita
Akazuke is cooked glutinous rice fermented with salted red shiso leaves and vinegar...
Yamagata Prefecture6
Dashi (chopped raw vegetable relish)
Murayama and Okitama regions
A staple summer dish for eating raw vegetables easily; Yamagata's summers are hot and humid, surrounded by mountains...
Okahijiki with Mustard Dressing
Murayama and Okitama regions
Okahijiki, used in this mustard-dressed salad, is a plant that originally grows wild along the coast...
Karakai-ni (simmered dried ray cartilage)
Throughout Yamagata
'Karakai' is a dried food made from the cartilage of ray fins caught in Hokkaido...
Koi no Umani (sweet-simmered carp)
Okitama region, Yonezawa City
Koi no umani is carp cut into rounds and simmered in sugar, soy sauce, and sake...
Shio Kujira-jiru (salted whale soup)
Throughout Yamagata
Shio kujira-jiru is a traditional stamina dish for getting through hot inland summers; salted whale was once a preserved food...
Moso-jiru (bamboo shoot soup)
Shonai region
Moso-jiru uses bamboo shoots from moso bamboo; the shoots are in season...
Fukushima Prefecture6
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...
Simmered Crushed Soybeans and Shredded Kelp
Aizuwakamatsu City
This dish makes good use of long-storing ingredients like crushed dried soybeans and shredded kelp...
Ego (seaweed jelly)
Nishiaizu Town, Kitakata City
Ego is made by boiling and dissolving a seaweed called egogusa, then setting it into a firm square block, similar to agar...
Junen Hiyadare (cold perilla dipping noodles)
Samegawa Village
Fukushima grows large amounts of perilla, and dishes made with it are common...
Donko-jiru (flathead fish soup)
Soma City
Donko lives along the coast from around Hakodate, Hokkaido, down to the Hamadori area of Fukushima...
Ibaraki Prefecture3
Pickled smelt and lotus root
Throughout Ibaraki Prefecture
Pickled smelt and lotus root is a specialty of Lake Kasumigaura, Japan's second-largest lake by surface area...
Sudare-fu with sesame vinegar dressing
Yuki City
Sudare-fu with sesame vinegar dressing is a local dish made in Yuki City, Ibaraki Prefecture...
Kabocha itokoni (simmered pumpkin and red beans)
Throughout Ibaraki Prefecture
Ibaraki Prefecture is known for highly regarded pumpkin varieties, starting with Edosaki kabocha, along with Naka kabocha and...
Tochigi Prefecture7
Bandai mochi (rice cake on a board)
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...
Chitake udon (or soba)
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...
Kanpyo with sesame vinegar dressing
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...
Ayu meshi (sweetfish rice)
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...
Stir-fried chitake mushrooms and eggplant
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 miso
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)
Plains area of Tochigi
Dojo-jiru is a dish regularly made in summer, eaten to help get through the harsh heat...
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 Prefecture8
Hiyajiru / Suttate (cold miso soup)
Kawajima Town, Iruma region, northern Saitama
Made with vegetables and fish local to each area, this dish developed independently in various regions across Japan...
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...
Katemeshi (bulked rice with vegetables)
Chichibu region, Saitama City, Hiki District, Iruma region
Katemeshi has become established as a local dish of Saitama Prefecture, centered on the Chichibu region. Especially where rice production...
Ude manju (steamed wheat buns)
Throughout Saitama Prefecture
Saitama Prefecture, with its deep-rooted wheat culture, has produced many kinds of manju. Tokorozawa City in particular was once...
Oname (fermented barley-koji and soybean paste)
Chichibu region
Oname is a fermented food made from barley koji and soybeans. Refrigerated, it keeps for over half a year...
Simmered loach
Eastern Saitama, Tone River and Ayase River basins
In Saitama Prefecture, home to rivers such as the Arakawa and Tone, which originate in the Chichibu mountains, people have long enjoyed the rich bounty of the rivers...
Wheat manju (steamed wheat buns)
Throughout Saitama Prefecture
Since wheat was once widely grown in Saitama Prefecture as a secondary crop after rice, udon and manju...
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 Prefecture4
Sanga-yaki (grilled minced fish patties)
Around the Boso Peninsula
Around the Boso Peninsula, horse mackerel, sardines, and saury have long been abundant catches. Fishermen would take their catch...
Kinzanji miso
Togane City
Kinzanji miso is a specialty of Togane City, Chiba, and has long been made throughout the prefecture...
Barappa manju (leaf-wrapped steamed buns)
Hokuso region
Barappa manju has long been made in the Hokuso region of Chiba, for summer festivals and...
Yangome (roasted rice and red bean dish)
Boso Peninsula region
Yangome is a dish made by cooking roasted rice with boiled red beans and sugar. In appearance, it...
Tokyo1
Yanagawa hotpot (loach and burdock)
Asakusa and Komagata in Taito Ward, Takahashi in Koto Ward
There are two types of dojo soup: "marunabe," where live loach are put whole into boiling sake...
Kanagawa Prefecture3
Herahera dango (flat dumplings)
Yokosuka City, central Kanagawa region
A flat dumpling made from flour and glutinous rice flour, handed down in Sajima, Yokosuka City, on the western side of the Miura Peninsula...
Ume rice (pickled plum rice)
Odawara City
A rice dish cooked in dashi broth with pickled plum and dried baby sardines mixed in. The refreshing aroma of the plum...
Ishigaki dango (sweet potato dumplings)
Sagamihara City
A local dish of the Sagamihara area, a steamed bun made by kneading local flour with sweet potato...
Niigata Prefecture11
Shoyu okowa (soy sauce-colored sticky rice)
Nagaoka City (Chuetsu region)
Shoyu okowa, a dish from Nagaoka, is glutinous rice colored with soy sauce. Fluffy and...
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...
Sasazushi (sushi on bamboo leaves)
Joetsu region
Sasazushi is a regional dish from the Hokushin'etsu region, eaten mainly in the Joetsu area of Niigata Prefecture...
Kanzuri (fermented chili paste)
Joetsu region
Kanzuri, a traditional fermented condiment from Myoko City (formerly Arai City) in Niigata Prefecture, is made during the coldest...
Sado no nishime (Sado-style simmered vegetables)
Sado City
Made with dashi from grilled flying fish, vegetables, kombu, and grilled tofu simmered slowly...
Zuiki no suzuke (pickled taro stalks)
Throughout Niigata Prefecture
Zuiki refers to the leaf stalks of yatsugashira, a type of taro. As a summer vegetable, it is widely...
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...
Hiyashi shiru miso jitate (chilled miso soup)
Nagaoka City, Chuetsu region
Hiyashi shiru miso jitate is a cold soup seasoned with dashi and miso, eaten mainly in summer...
Fukashi nasu (steamed eggplant)
Throughout Niigata Prefecture
Niigata Prefecture, which consumes more eggplant than any other prefecture in Japan, has a regional dish called fukashi nasu. Locally...
Hegisoba (seaweed-bound soba noodles)
Throughout Niigata Prefecture
Hegisoba is soba noodles bound with funori seaweed, served on a wooden box tray called a hegi...
Takenoko jiru (bamboo shoot soup)
Joetsu region
In the mountainous areas of Niigata Prefecture, a bamboo shoot called hime-takenoko is harvested from late May to early July...
Toyama Prefecture7
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...
Tarajiru (cod soup)
Asahi Town
Asahi Town, at the eastern edge of Toyama Prefecture, has the Northern Alps on one side and a Sea of Japan coast where jade is found on the other...
Suzuki (vinegared taro stalks)
Throughout Toyama Prefecture
A dish of taro leaf stalks (zuiki) pickled in vinegar. Refreshing and...
Masuzushi (pressed trout sushi)
Throughout Toyama Prefecture
Masuzushi, a pressed sushi topped with pale pink trout on vinegared rice, is arguably Toyama's most famous regional dish...
Somen in dried glass shrimp broth
Throughout Toyama Prefecture
Shiroebi is called the jewel of Toyama Bay; today it's prepared many ways—sashimi, sushi, kakiage, and more...
Tsuboni (simmered dried vegetables)
Tateyama Town
The Ashikuraji area of Tateyama Town is the gateway to the Tateyama mountain range, one of Japan's three sacred peaks; in the Edo period...
Bekko / Ebesu (soy-flavored egg agar jelly)
Eastern Toyama
Bekko, a soy-flavored agar jelly with beaten egg poured in, is prized for its smooth texture and beautiful appearance...
Ishikawa Prefecture8
Nasu somen (eggplant and somen noodles)
Around Kanazawa City
Ishikawa Prefecture was once known for producing somen noodles. In Wajima City, in the remote Oku-Noto area, a major production hub...
Kagabuto kyuri no ankake (thick cucumber with starch sauce)
Around Kanazawa City
Kanazawa City, once a flourishing castle town, has passed down specialty vegetables since the feudal era...
Mitama (black bean sticky rice)
Throughout Ishikawa Prefecture
Mitama refers to glutinous rice steamed with black soybeans. Depending on the region and...
Sazaemeshi / Sazaebeshi (turban shell rice)
Noto region
About 50 km north of Wajima Port in Wajima City lies Hegura Island, a remote island in the Sea of Japan, where...
Bekanabe (dried sardine hot pot)
Coastal areas
Ishikawa Prefecture sees snow, but winters are moderately cold and summers hot and humid—a distinctive climate...
Nasu no orandani (deep-fried simmered eggplant)
Around Kanazawa City
Kanazawa City brands vegetables traditionally grown locally as "Kaga vegetables"...
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 Prefecture5
Maruyaki saba (whole grilled mackerel)
Wakasa region
The Wakasa region has, since as far back as the Asuka and Nara periods, been recognized for supplying food to the imperial court...
Nishinzushi (fermented herring and rice)
Reinan region
From the mid-Edo period (mid-18th century) to the 1900s, ships crossed the Sea of Japan from Hokkaido to Osaka...
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...
Happazushi (leaf-wrapped trout sushi)
Kuzuryu River basin (mainly the Eiheiji area)
Happazushi is vinegared rice and fish wrapped in the leaves of abura-giri (tung tree), a deciduous tree in the spurge family...
Tobitsuki dango (Obon offering dumplings)
Awara City, parts of Sakai City
Tobitsuki dango is a traditional food once made in every household as an offering for the Obon festival...
Yamanashi Prefecture7
Azuki houtou (adzuki bean flat noodle soup)
Hokuto City, Ichikawamisato Town, Minobu Town, Kai City, Kofu City
Hakutaku, the noodle houtou descends from, is recorded in aristocratic diaries as having been eaten in adzuki bean broth during the Heian period...
Ozara (cold flat noodles)
Kofu City, Kai City, Minobu Town, Showa Town
Houtou is Yamanashi's best-known regional dish, but because of the basin's climate, winters are...
Yakome (bean and rice dish)
Throughout Yamanashi Prefecture (especially the Chuhoku region)
For rice farmers, sowing seedbeds around the start of spring is marked by a ritual called "Mizuguchi Matsuri," one of the year's...
Imogara iri futomaki zushi (dried taro stalk sushi roll)
Throughout Yamanashi Prefecture
Imogara, eaten regularly throughout Yamanashi Prefecture, comes from the stalks of yatsugashira, akame-imo, and other taro varieties...
Mogura uri no hiyajiru (cold melon soup)
Hayakawa Town
Mogura uri no hiyajiru comes from the Mogura area of Hayakawa Town, at the foot of the Southern Alps at 800m elevation, where for 130...
Jagaimo to hijiki no nimono (simmered potato and hijiki)
Fujiyoshida City, Fujikawaguchiko Town
Oshi, who provided lodging and hospitality to worshippers visiting for Mt. Fuji faith, served this on the mountain's opening day...
Yugao no misoshiru (bottle gourd miso soup)
Fuji-Hokuroku region
Yugao (bottle gourd) is a summer fixture of the Fuji-Hokuroku area, and yugao miso soup often appears on the table...
Nagano Prefecture8
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...
Takenoko jiru (bamboo shoot miso soup)
Hokushin region
Takenoko jiru is a miso soup made with nemagari-take bamboo shoots, eaten in the Hokushin region and Niigata's Joetsu area...
Notamochi (edamame-coated rice cake)
Suwa region, Kamiina region
Notamochi is a regional dish eaten in the Suwa and Kamiina regions. The "nota" in notamochi...
Yatara (chopped vegetable and pickle mix)
Hokushin region
Yatara is finely chopped vegetables and pickles mixed together, a summer vegetable topping...
Hoshi kabocha no egoma ae (dried pumpkin with perilla dressing)
Hokushin region
The Kinasa area, also called the "capital of the valley," has a food culture of drying vegetables for preservation...
Tanabata houtou (Star Festival noodle soup)
Matsumoto region
Matsumoto City, with the Northern Alps to the west and the Utsukushigahara plateau to the east, sits near the center of Nagano Prefecture...
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...
Gifu Prefecture5
Keichan (stir-fried chicken)
Gujo City, Gero City, southern Takayama City
Seasoning varies by area and household, but it's chicken and vegetables stir-fried with a special sauce...
Ayu zosui (sweetfish rice porridge)
Chuno region along the Kiso River, Gifu region along the Nagara River, Seino region along the Ibi River
Ayu zosui is made by lightly simmering grilled, fragrant ayu (sweetfish) with rice and dashi; it used to be...
Myogabochi (fava bean dumpling wrapped in myoga leaf)
Kitagata Town, Gifu City
Myogabochi wraps sweet fava bean paste in a wheat flour dough, then wraps that in myoga ginger leaves...
Ayu narezushi (fermented sweetfish sushi)
Gifu City
Ayu narezushi, made as a preserved food, packs freshly cooked rice into the belly of salted ayu...
Mizu manju (chilled water dumpling)
Ogaki City
Mizu manju wraps sweet bean paste in a dough made from kudzu and bracken starch, then chills it in well water...
Shizuoka Prefecture4
Gawa (chilled bonito soup)
Omaezaki City
Shizuoka Prefecture boasts one of Japan's top bonito catches. Omaezaki Port, at the prefecture's southernmost point...
Tokoroten (agar jelly noodles)
Toi (western Izu), Inatori (eastern Izu)
The Izu Peninsula is Japan's top producer of tengusa seaweed, the raw material for tokoroten. Since about 1,600 years ago...
Oridonasu no dengaku (grilled eggplant with miso)
Shizuoka City
Oridonasu is a native eggplant variety from Miho in Shizuoka City's Shimizu Ward, round in shape with sharp thorns and a deep blackish...
Magochazuke (fish over tea-soaked rice)
Ito City, Izu region
Magochazuke was originally fishermen's food eaten aboard the boat during fishing, found across the Izu Peninsula...
Aichi Prefecture6
Juroku sasage no goma miso ae (long beans in sesame miso)
Throughout Aichi Prefecture
Juroku sasage is a traditional Aichi vegetable, named because each pod holds 16 beans...
Tako meshi (octopus rice)
Owari region, Himakajima Island
Tako meshi is octopus, chopped into pieces by fishermen right on the boat, cooked together with rice—said to be...
Karimori no kasuzuke (pickled melon in sake lees)
Throughout Aichi Prefecture
Karimori and early-season karimori are white melon varieties grown for pickling in the Nobi Plain since the Meiji era...
Sumiso somen (somen with vinegar miso)
Throughout Aichi Prefecture
Soybean miso (red miso), typified by hatcho miso, is an essential seasoning in Aichi cuisine. Soybean miso is...
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...
Togan jiru (winter melon soup)
Throughout Aichi Prefecture, centered on the Owari and Nishimikawa regions
Aichi Prefecture ranks second nationally in winter melon shipments, after Okinawa, and winter melon dishes are widely established here...
Mie Prefecture5
Chagayu (tea porridge)
Iga food culture region, Higashi-Kishu food culture region, Central-southern Ise food culture region
According to the Meiji-era encyclopedia Kojiruien, it has been eaten since the era of Emperor Shomu...
Ahodaki (simmered aged pickles)
Hokusei food culture region
Daikon radish has been eaten since ancient times, appearing in Japan's oldest texts, the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki...
Cold cucumber miso soup
Iga food culture region
In the Iga region, appetite fades in the basin's humid summer heat, so this chilled soup helps people get through it...
Tako-meshi (octopus rice)
Ise-Shima food culture region (mainly Toba City)
Octopus has been eaten in Japan since ancient times, and in Mie Prefecture too, many oyster shells have been found...
Simmered peanuts
Higashi-Kishu food culture region, Central-southern Ise food culture region
The southern Higashi-Kishu and Central-southern Ise regions get plenty of sunshine and have warm average temperatures, making them well suited to growing peanuts...
Shiga Prefecture6
Gori no tsukudani (simmered river goby)
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...
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...
Choji-fu with mustard vinegar-miso
Throughout Shiga Prefecture
"Choji-fu no karashi-ae" is a standard local dish using choji-fu, a local wheat gluten specialty of Shiga...
Dorogame-jiru (eggplant miso soup)
Koto region
Also known as "dongame-jiru" or "dorogame-jiru," this dish gets its name from eggplant cooked near the Gokasho district...
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...
Kyoto10
Simmered Manganji peppers with dried baby sardines
Chutan region, Kyoto City
This dish uses Manganji peppers, one of Kyoto's branded specialty vegetables...
Bara-zushi (scattered mackerel sushi)
Tango region
On the Tango Peninsula facing Wakasa Bay, mackerel has long been caught in abundance and cherished as an everyday fish...
Kigosho peppers
Kyoto City
"Fushimi togarashi" is a traditional Kyoto vegetable once grown around Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City...
Uji Kintoki (matcha shaved ice)
Kyoto City, Yamashiro region
"Uji tea" is one of Japan's finest premium teas; in 1191, the priest Eisai brought tea seeds back from Song-dynasty China...
Minazuki (triangular rice cake)
Throughout the prefecture
Alongside rakugan pressed in wooden molds from sugar and starch syrup, and other premium confections...
Grilled hamo (pike conger)
Kyoto City, Chutan region, Tango region
Hamo (pike conger eel) is indispensable to Kyoto cuisine; it lives in seas influenced by warm currents, and off Tango...
Simmered herring and eggplant
Throughout the prefecture
Pairing seasonal ingredients, or ingredients that complement each other well, is called "deai" in the world of Kyoto cuisine...
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...
Zuiki no taitan (simmered taro stalks)
Chutan region, Tango region
"Zuiki no taitan" is a simmered dish made from zuiki, the leaf stalk of taro, a homestyle dish...
Kamo eggplant dengaku
Kyoto City
Among Kyoto's traditional vegetables, Kamo eggplant is especially popular, round and over 10cm across...
Osaka4
Lightly pickled Senshu mizunasu eggplant
Senshu region
Senshu mizunasu, a prized eggplant variety from the Senshu region of southern Osaka, lightly pickled in rice bran or a pickling liquid...
Jakogoko (aged pickled eggplant with dried shrimp)
Senshu region
Old pickled Senshu mizunasu eggplant, desalted and simmered sweet and savory with small dried shrimp...
Hamokawa zakuzaku (crispy conger pike eel skin salad)
Osaka City
In Osaka, long prosperous through shipping and trade, large catches of conger pike eel (hamo) were once landed and distributed; a summer...
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...
Hyogo Prefecture5
Banshu tenobe somen (hand-pulled wheat noodles)
Harima region
Banshu somen, known by the brand name 'Ibonoito,' is prized for its firm, springy texture and resistance to overcooking...
Hamosuki (conger pike eel hot pot)
Awaji Island
Conger pike eel and Awaji Island onions simmered in a yosenabe-style broth, a specialty of Awaji Island...
Jabu (chicken and vegetable stew)
Shin'onsen Town
A home-style side dish of chicken simmered with shirataki noodles, green onion, tofu, onion, burdock root, and other vegetables...
Tako meshi (octopus rice)
Awaji Island, East Harima
Hyogo Prefecture ranks second nationally in octopus catch and first for common octopus, landed from Awaji Island, Kobe, and along the coast to Ako...
Yatarazuke (mixed vegetable pickles)
Harima (Shiso City)
Named for its use of 'yatara' (all sorts of) vegetables — eggplant, cucumber, shiso seeds, myoga ginger, and more...
Nara Prefecture9
Kakinoha-zushi (persimmon leaf sushi)
Gojo City, Yoshino region
Salt-cured mackerel wrapped with vinegared rice in a persimmon leaf, a pressed sushi...
Nyumen (hot somen noodle soup)
Throughout the prefecture
Miwa in Sakurai City, Nara, is considered the birthplace of somen noodles, and the somen made there is known as Miwa somen...
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...
Shaved ice
Throughout the prefecture
Finely shaved fluffy ice topped with syrup, with each shop offering its own variations...
Tako momiuri (massaged cucumber and octopus salad)
Throughout the prefecture
Thinly sliced cucumber rubbed with salt until softened, then mixed with octopus...
Ayu-zushi (sweetfish sushi)
Yoshino River basin
Wild sweetfish raised in the clear streams of the Yoshino mountains feed on algae growing on riverbed stones, giving them their distinctive fragrance...
Simmered zuiki (taro stems)
Throughout the prefecture
'Zuiki' refers to the leaf stalks of taro; the stalks of red-stemmed varieties like karanoimo and yatsugashira...
Nanairo o-ae (seven-vegetable salad)
Throughout the prefecture
'Nanairo o-ae' is one of the Obon offering dishes in the Shingon Buddhist tradition. The seven colors refer to eggplant, kabocha squash...
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 Prefecture5
Kinzanji miso (chunky vegetable miso)
Central region
In 1249, the eminent monk Kakushin of Yura is said to have brought the recipe back from Song-dynasty China, where he had trained...
Kokera-zushi (flaked fish sushi)
Northern and southern regions
Grilled, flaked fish along with shiitake mushroom, carrot, and egg are layered over sushi rice...
Shoga meshi (ginger rice)
Wakayama City
In the soft sandy soil areas along the Kinokawa River, such as Kasai and Nunobiki in Wakayama City, the mild climate favors ginger cultivation...
Wakame-zushi (seaweed sushi)
Yura Town
The coast from Hi-no-Misaki to Wakayama City faces the Kii Channel, rich in seafood...
Wasabi-zushi (wasabi leaf sushi)
Aridagawa Town
In the Arida region, this sushi has long been indispensable for seasonal events such as rice planting, Obon, and autumn festivals...
Tottori Prefecture1
Gancha-jiru (river crab soup)
Throughout Tottori Prefecture
Gancha-jiru uses river crabs caught in Tottori's clear rivers. In Tottori, mitten crabs...
Shimane Prefecture5
Simmered flying fish roe
Oki region
Flying fish, Shimane's prefectural fish, migrate in from mid-May onward, and locals...
Loach kenchin soup
Eastern region (Yasugi City, etc.)
"Yasugi-bushi" is a folk song long passed down in Yasugi City, performed with a colander and humorous...
Flying fish sashimi
Eastern region, Oki region
Shimane has a large flying fish catch. Locals affectionately call it "ago." Nationwide...
Freshwater clam soup
Eastern region (Izumo region, etc.)
Lake Shinji, at the mouth of the Hii River in eastern Shimane, is Japan's 7th-largest lake...
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
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...
Simmered shiso seeds
Mimasaka City
Shiso seeds are stripped from the stem and mixed into soy sauce for fragrance, used when eating sashimi...
Hiroshima Prefecture1
Igisu tofu (seaweed jelly)
Mihara City, Onomichi City, Osakikamijima Town, Kure City, etc.
Igisu seaweed is simmered and dissolved with raw soybean flour, then set firm like agar, without added coagulants...
Yamaguchi Prefecture4
Chagayu (tea-brewed rice porridge)
Yanai area, Suo-Oshima area, Iwakuni area, Hagi area
Chagayu, also rooted as a local food outside Yamaguchi Prefecture, is said to have originated in the Nara region...
Tsushima (simmered tofu with vegetables)
Shunan region
Tsushima is a local dish handed down in the Shunan region, centered on Shunan City in southeastern Yamaguchi Prefecture...
Hasuimo no sunomono (vinegared taro stem salad)
Hagi City
Hasuimo, a taro variety widespread in tropical Southeast Asia, is grown in Japan in Kochi, Tokushima, Okinawa, and other prefectures...
Natsumikan-gashi (summer mandarin sweets)
Hagi City
Each prefecture selects a flower to represent it. Yamaguchi Prefecture's flower is the natsumikan (summer mandarin), which originated in Odai, Nagato...
Tokushima Prefecture4
Iya soba (buckwheat noodles)
Iya region of Miyoshi City
The Iya region of Miyoshi City is a renowned soba-producing area. It's said the Heike clan, defeated in the Genpei War, fled to Iya...
Zukigashi (taro stem sweet)
Throughout the prefecture
"Zuiki," the leaf stem of the yatsugashira taro variety, is a common ingredient in Tokushima's local cuisine...
Ayu rousui (whole sweetfish rice porridge)
Katsuura Town
"Ayu rousui" refers to a rice porridge made with a whole sweetfish; "rousui" is a corrupted form of "zosui" (rice porridge)...
Hasuimo no kuki no sunomono (vinegared taro stem)
Southern Tokushima
"Hasuimo," eaten mainly in Tokushima and Kochi, is a type of taro said to originate in Southeast Asia...
Kagawa Prefecture5
Nasu somen (eggplant somen noodles)
Chusan region
A home-style dish using seasonal eggplant and somen noodles, a specialty of Shodoshima Island, with chili pepper to brighten the flavor...
Aji no sanbai (horse mackerel in three-flavor vinegar)
Throughout the prefecture
In summer, when children and adults alike once helped haul in beach seine nets, fishermen would reward them with horse mackerel and sardines...
Hage dango (wheat and red bean dumplings)
Throughout the prefecture
In Kagawa, the busy farming season runs from barley harvest in May to rice planting in June. Hangesho...
Dojo-jiru (loach soup)
Chusan region and parts of Tosan region
Loach is said to be at its best from June to July, before spawning season, and has more fat than eel...
Ochirashi ame (barley malt candy)
Throughout the prefecture
"Ochirashi ame" is a confection made by kneading ochirashi flour with millet jelly (mizuame). Ochirashi is...
Ehime Prefecture3
Satsuma (fish and miso over barley rice)
Nanyo region
"Satsuma" is known as a local dish throughout the Nanyo region, including Yawatahama City...
Igisu-dofu (seaweed jelly tofu)
Imabari region
Igisu is a seaweed that grows on rocks in shallow seas, a thin, branching red algae...
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 Prefecture5
Imo no kuki no itameni (stir-simmered potato stems)
Throughout the prefecture
In Kochi Prefecture, there's a food culture of eating the stems of sweet potatoes and kabocha squash. Though called "stems," both leaf and stem...
Katsuo no tataki (seared bonito)
Throughout the prefecture
Bonito, Kochi Prefecture's official fish, is eaten as an everyday ingredient. "Katsuo no tataki"...
Ryukyu no sunomono (vinegared taro stem)
Throughout the prefecture
In Kochi Prefecture, the petiole connecting leaf and stem of hasuimo (a taro-family plant) is called "ryukyu"...
Kyuri to kawaebi no nimono (simmered cucumber and river shrimp)
Throughout the prefecture
"Kawaebi" refers to the whisker shrimp, a Kochi specialty caught in the Shimanto and Niyodo rivers; its body length...
Hange dango (steamed dumplings)
Otoyo Town
Otoyo Town, in the central Shikoku Mountains, sits about 40km from Kochi City, the prefectural capital. Long ago...
Fukuoka Prefecture4
Achara-zuke (sweet-and-sour pickled vegetables)
Fukuoka region
A vinegared dish of chopped seasonal vegetables with red chili pepper added, combining a refreshing sweet-and-sour taste with the chili's...
Kabocha no dango-jiru (pumpkin dumpling soup)
Buzen City
The Mikekado district of Buzen City, in the northeast of the prefecture, is known for a large Japanese pumpkin weighing nearly 4kg each...
Abutte kamo (salt-grilled damselfish)
Fukuoka City
Abutte kamo is salt-grilled damselfish eaten mainly along the coast of Fukuoka City; the skin and...
Mitori manju (steamed bun)
Kitakyushu area
A local confection long made at home. Fukuoka Prefecture is a major wheat producer, with a cultivated area ranking among the...
Saga Prefecture3
Niimoji (simmered taro stems)
Throughout the prefecture
Saga Prefecture enjoys a mild climate year-round, but summer brings daily temperatures around 30°C. At times like this...
Kuchizoko no nitsuke (simmered sole)
Ariake Sea coast
The Ariake Sea, with Japan's greatest tidal range and vast mudflats, is home to mudskippers, mekaja, and...
Hiyashi somen (chilled somen noodles)
Kanzaki City
Hiyashi somen has long been eaten in Saga Prefecture. Kanzaki City, in the eastern part of the prefecture, is famed for...
Nagasaki Prefecture2
Nagasaki milk seiki (frozen milkshake dessert)
Nagasaki City
An icy dessert born in Nagasaki City between the late Taisho and early Showa periods...
Kanzarashi (rice dumplings in syrup)
Shimabara area
A traditional sweet long made throughout the Shimabara City area; sugar there was once...
Kumamoto Prefecture4
Nankan-age maki-zushi (fried tofu sushi roll)
Nankan Town
A sushi roll made with Nankan-age, a type of fried tofu handed down in Nankan Town since the Edo period...
Butaae (octopus and eggplant salad)
Amakusa region
The Amakusa region, made up of roughly 120 large and small islands, is rich in seafood, especially shrimp and octopus...
Shaku tempura (mud shrimp tempura)
Yatsushiro, Arao, Tamana areas
Shaku, a taste of Kumamoto summer, is formally known as anajako (mud shrimp), and comes from the Yatsushiro region and Arao area...
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...
Oita Prefecture7
Koneri (miso-simmered summer vegetables)
Bungo-ono City
Made by frying summer vegetables such as eggplant and bitter melon in oil, then seasoning with dashi-thinned miso...
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...
Toriijiru (chicken soup)
Bungo-ono region
Oita, where households buy more chicken per year than almost anywhere else in Japan, has long made soups with chicken...
Taraosa (dried cod)
Hita, Kusu region
A dried cod product eaten in the inland Hita and Kusu areas of the prefecture...
Okata-zushi (bean and horse mackerel sushi)
Takenaka district, Oita City
Oita has many regional sushi dishes; this one is handed down in the Takenaka district of Oita City...
Yaseuma (wheat noodles with soybean flour)
Throughout Oita Prefecture
A traditional treat made by boiling flattened kneaded wheat dough and coating it with kinako soybean flour and sugar...
Hocho (hand-pulled wheat noodles)
Hetsugi district, Oita City, Ono River basin
Grain farming based on dry fields has long been common in Oita; flour milled from harvested wheat, called jiko...
Miyazaki Prefecture4
Sakana-zushi (whole fish sushi)
Northern coastal Miyazaki
A whole-fish sushi made with mackerel or horse mackerel, generally what people mean by...
Hiyajiru (cold soup over rice)
Central Miyazaki region
A quick cold soup, mainly a local dish of Miyazaki's flatland areas; in recent years...
Iriko mochi (parched rice cake)
Throughout Miyazaki Prefecture
Named for being made from parched glutinous rice...
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...
Kagoshima Prefecture4
Miki (fermented rice and sweet potato drink)
Amami region
A lactic-fermented drink made from rice, sweet potato, and sugar, also found in Okinawa...
Papaiya-zuke (pickled papaya)
Amami region
Made by salting young papaya, then pickling it in miso or soy sauce...
Shirokuma (shaved ice dessert)
Throughout Kagoshima Prefecture
Shaved ice topped with condensed milk and fruit such as cherries, raisins, mandarin orange, and pineapple...
Hechima-jiru (loofah miso soup over somen)
Throughout Kagoshima Prefecture
A Kagoshima dish in which loofah miso soup is poured over a bowl of somen noodles...
Okinawa Prefecture2
Taanmu dinngaku (sweet mashed taro)
Throughout Okinawa Prefecture
Made by cooking taro down into a sweet paste like kinton chestnut confection, also called sata danmu...
Goya champuru (bitter melon stir-fry)
Throughout Okinawa Prefecture
Champuru, a beloved everyday Okinawan dish, is made by stir-frying grilled island tofu with seasonal ingredients...
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