WINTER / Dec–Feb

Winter in Japan

Of the 1,365 regional dishes recorded by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 466 are eaten in winter.

466Winter dishes

47Prefectures represented

Dec–FebApproximate season

Ingredients

Ingredients most tied to winter

Ingredients that appear often in the "main ingredients" of winter dishes, matched against the city that buys the most of each — cross-referencing the regional-dish database with the household spending survey.

Ingredients that recur most in winter dishes, and their #1 city
Ingredient	Dishes	#1 city	Amount	vs. average
Carrots	117	NahaOkinawa Prefecture	3,984JPY	1.4×
Daikon radish	116	KyotoKyoto	2,154JPY	1.2×
Tofu	72	NahaOkinawa Prefecture	7,708JPY	1.4×
Miso	66	NaganoNagano Prefecture	3,133JPY	1.4×
Chicken	58	KagoshimaKagoshima Prefecture	23,534JPY	1.2×
Green onions	55	KyotoKyoto	4,397JPY	1.3×
Fresh shiitake mushrooms	51	ToyamaToyama Prefecture	2,467JPY	1.3×
Konjac	48	YamagataYamagata Prefecture	2,910JPY	1.8×

DISHES

Winter regional dishes by prefecture

Each dish name links to its page on the MAFF (Japan's agriculture ministry) website.

Hokkaido16

Chanchan-yaki (grilled salmon and vegetables)

Ishikari region

Chanchan-yaki is salmon caught from autumn to winter, steam-grilled together with seasonal vegetables...

Nishinzuke (pickled herring with vegetables)

Rumoi region

Nishinzuke reflects the history of Hokkaido's herring industry, dating back to the late Edo period...

Ishikari-nabe (salmon and miso hot pot)

Ishikari region

Ishikari-nabe is a signature Hokkaido dish, named for the Ishikari River, famed for its salmon...

Kobumaki (fish rolled in kelp)

Hidaka region

Hokkaido, a leading kelp producer, wraps fish such as salmon and herring in kelp...

Bibai Torimeshi (chicken rice)

Bibai City

Still a beloved home-cooked dish in Bibai City, this chicken rice traces its origins back to...

Kujira-jiru (whale soup)

Southern Hokkaido

Kujira-jiru is an essential New Year dish in southern Hokkaido; as the new year nears, salted whale meat is simmered in a large pot...

Ruibe (frozen raw salmon)

Coastal areas including Ishikari, Hakodate, and Kushiro

Ruibe is salmon or trout that is frozen and eaten as sashimi without thawing...

Shishamo no Kanroni (sweet-simmered shishamo smelt)

Iburi, Hidaka, Kushiro, and Tokachi regions

A dish featuring shishamo, one of Hokkaido's signature fish...

Kasube no Nitsuke (simmered ray)

Multiple coastal areas

A winter dish often made at home; kasube is ray caught in Hokkaido's coastal waters...

Ikura no Shoyuzuke (soy sauce-marinated salmon roe)

Throughout Hokkaido

Ikura, one of Hokkaido's signature seafoods, is well known nationwide and loved by all ages...

Tachi no Misoshiru (cod milt miso soup)

Throughout Hokkaido

In Hokkaido, cod milt is called 'tachi' — true cod milt is 'ma-dachi' and walleye pollock milt is...

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...

Izushi (fermented fish and rice sushi)

Throughout Hokkaido

Izushi is sushi made by pickling fish and vegetables in rice malt and lactic-fermenting the mixture...

Matsumaezuke (squid and kelp pickle)

Southern Hokkaido, around Matsumae

Matsumaezuke is made by shredding dried squid and kelp and marinating them in soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar...

Teppo-jiru (crab miso soup)

Eastern Hokkaido (mainly Nemuro region)

In eastern Hokkaido, miso soup made with crab is called teppo-jiru...

Sanpei-jiru (salted fish and vegetable soup)

Throughout Hokkaido

Sanpei-jiru simmers salted fish such as salmon or herring together with vegetables like carrot and daikon...

Aomori Prefecture13

Kenojiru (vegetable and bean soup)

Tsugaru region

A representative dish of the Tsugaru region; its name is said to come from 'ke', a Tsugaru dialect word for rice porridge...

Senbei-jiru (rice cracker hot pot)

Hachinohe City

Nambu senbei is a traditional food of the area spanning southeastern Aomori and northern Iwate, once the domain of the Nambu clan...

Tara no Jappa-jiru (cod offcut soup)

Tsugaru region

'Jappa' is Tsugaru dialect for zappa, meaning 'things to discard'...

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...

Tara no Ko-ae (cod roe salad)

Tsugaru region

Cod has long been essential to New Year's in Aomori; until around 1945, large cod were bought whole at year's end...

Niaekko (simmered vegetable medley)

Shimokita region

Niaekko is a dish of the Shimokita region, where cold damage from the yamase wind long made rice farming difficult...

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'...

Sake no Iizushi (fermented salmon and rice)

Tsugaru region

The Tsugaru region, shut in by snow through winter, has long caught and preserved crops and seafood while they're in season...

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...

Sushiko (fermented glutinous rice pickle)

Tsugaru region

A dish eaten mainly in the northwestern, Sea of Japan side of the Tsugaru region, made with glutinous rice...

Akakabu no Senmaizuke (thin-sliced red turnip pickle)

Tsugaru region

A traditional Tsugaru pickle; red turnips harvested just before the first snowfall are pickled with kelp stock, vinegar, and coarse sugar...

Same no Sukume (vinegared shark)

Tsugaru region

The word 'sukume' comes from 'wrapped in vinegar'; in the Tsugaru region it's pronounced 'sugume'...

Kujira-jiru (whale soup)

Shimokita Peninsula, Hachinohe City

Because Hachinohe City was once home to a whaling base, a whale food culture developed in the surrounding area...

Iwate Prefecture14

Hittsumi (hand-torn wheat dumpling soup)

Statewide, centered on the central region

The central Kitakami River region has plenty of flat, long-cultivated paddy land and a strong rice-producing history...

Mamebu-jiru (wheat dumpling and vegetable soup)

Yamagata-cho, Kuji City

Mamebu-jiru is a soy-based soup flavored with dried sardine and kelp stock, filled with everyday vegetables and grilled tofu...

Traditional Mochi Dishes

Southern region, centered on Ichinoseki City

The relatively mild southern region has long centered on rice farming, allowing stable rice cultivation...

Yanagi-batto (buckwheat dumpling soup)

Northern region

Northern Iwate's cool climate makes rice hard to grow, so hardy grains like millet, foxtail millet, and buckwheat...

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...

Hizu Namasu (vinegared salmon cartilage)

Sanriku coastal area, central region

Iwate ranks among the top prefectures on Honshu for autumn salmon landings; the Tsugaruishi River, in particular, flows clear into the innermost part of Miyako Bay...

Kamamochi (wheat and miso rice cake)

Throughout Iwate

Iwate's cold climate meant that crop damage could sometimes make rice alone unreliable for a stable diet...

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...

Donko-jiru (flathead fish soup)

Sanriku coastal area

'Donko' refers to fish such as Ezo eelpout and gray eelpout commonly caught off the Sanriku coast, in season through winter...

Kenchin-jiru (vegetable and tofu soup)

Northern region

Kenchin-jiru is made by stir-frying finely cut carrot, daikon radish, burdock root, and tofu in oil before simmering...

Shidami Dango (acorn dumplings)

Northern region, Ou and Kitakami mountain areas

'Shidami' means acorns, and shidami dango are dumplings made by adding sugar to shidami...

Kurumi Zoni (walnut-sauce New Year soup)

Northern Sanriku coastal area

Also called kurumi-mochi, this dish is eaten on New Year's morning in the Miyako area along the Sanriku coast...

Miyagi Prefecture9

Sendai Zoni (New Year mochi soup)

Sendai area and throughout Miyagi

Eaten since the late Edo period, Sendai zoni is famous for grilled goby so large it overflows the bowl, along with salmon roe...

Zunda Mochi (sweet edamame rice cake)

Throughout Miyagi

Mochi is eaten often in Miyagi, essential at New Year's, weddings, memorial services, and funerals...

Simmered Nameta Flounder

Sendai City

Known elsewhere as babagarei or India flounder, nameta flounder is prized for its slick skin...

Ebimochi (shrimp rice cake)

Kurihara City and other northern areas

Miyagi is known for its rich variety of mochi dishes, said to number over fifty...

Donko-jiru (flathead fish soup)

Throughout Miyagi

Donko, also known as Ezo eelpout or gray eelpout, is in season from autumn to winter...

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...

Kaki Namasu (persimmon and daikon salad)

Southern Miyagi

As the old saying goes, 'when persimmons turn red, doctors turn pale,' reflecting the fruit's vitamin content...

Gojiru (ground soybean soup)

Throughout Miyagi

Soybeans are called 'meat of the field' for their well-balanced essential amino acids and high-quality protein...

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 Prefecture17

Iburigakko (smoked pickled daikon)

Southern inland Akita

Akita's signature smoked and dried takuan pickle, now made across the prefecture, though once...

Hatahata Zushi (sandfish sushi)

Throughout Akita, mainly coastal areas

Hatahata is originally a deep-sea fish that surfaces briefly during spawning season, when the sea grows rough and thunder rolls...

Damako-nabe (mashed rice dumpling hot pot)

Akita City, Oga, Minami-Akita, and the northern coast to Noshiro-Yamamoto

A winter Akita hot pot of chicken-bone broth with chicken, vegetables, and dumplings made from mashed rice...

Natto-jiru (fermented soybean miso soup)

Inland southern region, Nakanaone area of Yurihonjo City

Natto-jiru is a miso soup mixed with finely mashed natto, a dish handed down in southern Akita

Kakizuke (pickled daikon and persimmon)

Southern region

Kakizuke is a pickle of plentiful daikon and astringent persimmon cured with salt and sugar, part of the region's fermentation tradition...

Natazuke (sweet sake-pickled daikon)

Throughout Akita

Natazuke is daikon cut with a hatchet (nata) and pickled in sweet sake (amazake), one of Akita's three famous gakko pickles...

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...

Tofu Castella (sponge cake)

Daisen City, Yokote City

Tofu castella is made by pressing water out of tofu, then mixing in sugar and egg and baking it into a sponge cake...

Tara no Ko-iri (stir-fried cod roe)

Sea of Japan coastal area

Cod is an essential winter fish in Akita; while 'tarako' generally refers to walleye pollock roe...

Kamabuku (potato and rice cake bar)

Northern region

Kamabuku is made by boiling and mashing potatoes, mixing in mochi rice flour and sugar, and shaping it like a kamaboko fish cake...

Nasu no Hanazushi (eggplant flower sushi)

Southern region

Nasu no hanazushi is made by pickling thick rings of eggplant stuffed with glutinous rice, chrysanthemum petals, and red chili pepper...

Koi no Amani (sweet-simmered carp)

Inland region

Koi no amani is bled carp cut into rounds and slowly simmered in a sweet-savory sauce...

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...

Shottsuru-nabe (fish sauce hot pot)

Throughout Akita, mainly coastal areas

Shottsuru-nabe uses Akita's traditional fish sauce, shottsuru, as its broth, with hatahata sandfish added in...

Tororo Manma (grated yam over rice)

Northern and southern regions, Yurihonjo City in central Akita

Tororo manma is mountain yam grated in a mortar and mixed with a strong miso soup...

Kyanokko-jiru / Kenojiru (vegetable miso soup)

Central to northern region, part of the southern region

Kyanokko-jiru is a soup of finely chopped vegetables, wild greens, and kintoki beans seasoned with dashi and miso...

Nasu no Kojizuke (malted eggplant pickle)

Southern region

Nasu no kojizuke is eggplant pickled with rice and rice malt, made mainly in southern Akita...

Yamagata Prefecture17

Edible Chrysanthemum Ohitashi

Throughout Yamagata

Yamagata, a major grower of edible chrysanthemum (excluding the small garnish variety used for sashimi), has dishes built around it...

Natto-jiru (fermented soybean soup)

Throughout Yamagata

In Yamagata, homemade natto was once a preserved food to help get through winters short on ingredients...

Dongara-jiru / Kandara-jiru (winter cod soup)

Shonai region

True cod spawns amid the rough winter waves of the Sea of Japan and is a beloved winter taste of the Shonai region...

Imoni (taro and beef stew)

Throughout Yamagata

Imoni dates back as far as the mid-1600s; it originated at the terminus of shipping on the Mogami River...

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...

Tamago Kanten / Shoyu Kanten (egg or soy sauce agar jelly)

Shonai region

Agar-based dishes have long been eaten in Yamagata, served as a treat with tea...

Karakai-ni (simmered dried ray cartilage)

Throughout Yamagata

'Karakai' is a dried food made from the cartilage of ray fins caught in Hokkaido...

Seisaizuke (pickled Yamagata mustard greens)

Throughout Yamagata

Yamagata has a rich pickling culture; seisaizuke uses 'Yamagata seisai,' a variety of mustard greens...

Omizuke (chopped mixed pickle)

Murayama, Mogami, and Okitama regions

Yamagata has a rich pickling culture; omizuke uses 'Yamagata seisai,' a variety of mustard greens...

Yukina no Fusubezuke (smoked-pickled snow greens)

Okitama region

This dish uses yukina, one of the branded 'Yamagata Okitama heirloom vegetables' of the Okitama region...

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...

Simmered Dried Hyo (gourd flower buds)

Murayama and Okitama regions

All of Yamagata is designated heavy-snow country, and in an era of poor distribution, securing winter food...

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...

Toyama Turnip Sake Lees Soup

Yonezawa City

Toyama turnip is a heirloom vegetable of Yamagata originating in Yonezawa City, named for the Toyama district there...

Hiyajiru (cold vegetable steep)

Okitama region, Yonezawa City

Despite the name suggesting a soup, hiyajiru is actually seasonal vegetables steeped in cold dashi...

Fukushima Prefecture13

Ika Ninjin (squid and carrot pickle)

Fukushima City

Shredded dried squid and carrot are marinated in a sweet-savory sauce of soy sauce and coarse sugar or mirin...

Miso Kanpura (miso-glazed potatoes)

Furudono Town

In parts of Fukushima such as Furudono, potatoes are called 'kanpura' and were once eaten as a staple food...

Mame Kazunoko (soybeans with herring roe)

Koriyama City, Iwaki City, Fukushima City

Fukushima produces large amounts of soybeans, including varieties such as Osuzu, Fukuibuki, and Sato no Hohoemi...

Sangohachi-zuke (rice bran pickle)

Nihonmatsu City

In the vegetable-rich farming area around Nihonmatsu City, vegetable pickles are a local tradition...

Ankou no Tomo-ae (monkfish with liver dressing)

Soma City

Monkfish, in season in winter, is said to have no part that goes to waste, its liver as prized as its flesh...

Anpogaki Namasu (dried persimmon and daikon salad)

Date City, Fukushima City

Persimmons have been eaten in Fukushima since around the Edo period; in the Yanagawa area...

Ohira (mixed simmered stew)

Tadami Town

A simmered dish balancing the bounty of sea, mountain, and river, with seaweed, maitake mushroom, and dace (a river fish)...

Koi no Arai (chilled sliced raw carp)

Koriyama City

Carp farming began in Koriyama in the Meiji era; the area had little rainfall in the Edo period...

Kohridofu no Tamagotoji (freeze-dried tofu with egg)

Fukushima City

Kohridofu, freeze-dried tofu made by freezing, rehydrating, and drying tofu, is a dish unique to cold regions...

Shingoro (grilled rice cakes with perilla miso)

Shimogo Town, Minami-Aizu Town

Fukushima grows large amounts of perilla, called 'junen' locally, used in many dishes...

Boudara-ni (simmered dried stockfish)

Aizuwakamatsu City

Inland Aizuwakamatsu once had difficulty obtaining fresh seafood, so...

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...

Donko-jiru (flathead fish soup)

Soma City

Donko lives along the coast from around Hakodate, Hokkaido, down to the Hamadori area of Fukushima...

Ibaraki Prefecture16

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...

Garigari namasu (crunchy vinegared radish and fish)

Throughout Ibaraki Prefecture

Ibaraki Prefecture has practiced agriculture since ancient times, drawing on its mild year-round climate and abundant water quality...

Tsuke-kenchin (kenchin dipping soba)

Throughout Ibaraki Prefecture

Ibaraki Prefecture has large temperature swings between morning and night and many well-drained slopes, and since the Edo period...

Niai (vinegared vegetable medley)

Central Ibaraki region

Ibaraki Prefecture has some of the largest farmland acreage in Japan, growing lotus root, burdock, green onions, and other vegetables year-round...

Tagane mochi (mixed rice mochi)

Southern region, Rokko region

Ibaraki Prefecture, still known for its rural landscapes, is one of Japan's leading rice-producing regions...

Hoshi-imo (dried sweet potato)

Throughout Ibaraki Prefecture

Hoshi-imo, a processed sweet potato product loved by people of all ages, is produced in Ibaraki Prefecture, a leading producer nationwide...

Ogura renkon (lotus root with sweet red beans)

Throughout Ibaraki, Lake Kasumigaura area

Ibaraki Prefecture ranks first nationwide in both lotus root shipment volume and cultivated area, accounting for over 50% of...

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...

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...

Gosai-zuke (pickled saury and daikon)

Rokko region, Kashima and Hokota

The Kashima Sea, stretching from Cape Oarai in Ibaraki to Cape Inubo in Chiba, is a prime fishing ground where the cold Oyashio and warm Kuroshio currents meet...

Kaiso-yose (seaweed jelly)

Kashima City, Namegata City

Kaiso-yose is a local dish eaten along the Kashima coast, from Kashima in Ibaraki to Choshi in Chiba...

Yuzu daikon (yuzu-pickled radish)

Northern region

Ibaraki Prefecture, one of Japan's leading agricultural areas, ranks first nationwide in the harvest of many crops including green peppers, lotus root, and burdock...

Imogara gomoku-ni (simmered taro stem medley)

Throughout Ibaraki Prefecture

Imogara is the dried stem of taro leaves. Its name varies by prefecture...

Handmade sashimi konnyaku

Northern region

The Okukuji region of Ibaraki Prefecture has long cultivated konnyaku and is said to be its birthplace...

Shimi-konnyaku (freeze-dried konnyaku)

Northern region

The Okukuji area in northern Ibaraki Prefecture has long cultivated konnyaku, and since the Edo period...

Anko no tomozu (monkfish with liver vinegar-miso)

Northern region

A local dish of boiled monkfish dipped in vinegar-miso mixed with its liver. Monkfish is a local...

Tochigi Prefecture10

Shimotsukare (simmered salmon head, beans, and daikon)

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...

Mimi udon (ear-shaped dumpling udon)

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)

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)

Throughout Tochigi Prefecture

In landlocked Tochigi Prefecture, before refrigerators became common, sagambo (spiny dogfish) was the fresh saltwater fish people knew...

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...

Yuzu-maki (yuzu peel rolled in daikon)

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...

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...

Battou-jiru / dango-jiru (dumpling soup)

Throughout Tochigi Prefecture

A miso soup with vegetables and kneaded dumplings of wheat or rice flour is generally called "suiton,"...

Nishime (simmered vegetables)

Throughout Tochigi Prefecture

A local dish served at community festivals, household annual events, and formal occasions such as weddings and funerals. Tochigi...

Shiraae (tofu-dressed vegetables)

Throughout Tochigi Prefecture

Enjoyed by many not only at gatherings and celebratory occasions but also as an everyday home-cooked dish...

Gunma Prefecture5

Shime-dofu (pressed tofu)

Shirasawa area of Numata City, Kanna Town, Naganohara Town, Numata City and Tone District

In times of food shortage when meat and fish were scarce, soybeans were valued as a protein source...

Mayudama (cocoon-shaped rice dumplings)

Throughout Gunma Prefecture

Gunma has long been a center of sericulture, and today still produces "Gunma Silk" using original silkworm varieties...

Zaku-ni (simmered konnyaku and root vegetables)

Takasaki City

In Gunma, this dish was originally prepared for events such as the autumn and New Year (spring) Ebisu festivals and Setsubun...

Goju (soybean miso soup)

Oizumi Town

Gunma, where crops grow abundantly, produces large quantities of flavorful soybeans. As a prefecture, it also...

Yuzu-maki (yuzu peel rolled in daikon)

Throughout Gunma Prefecture

In winter, Gunma is swept by the dry "karakkaze" wind that descends over the mountains. Also, during the winter season...

Saitama Prefecture6

Goju (soybean miso soup)

Throughout Saitama Prefecture

Goju is a local dish loved throughout Saitama Prefecture, especially in areas that practiced rice and field farming...

Nibouto / Himokawa (simmered flat udon)

Fukaya City, Iruma District, Hiki District, Chichibu region

In Saitama Prefecture, where wheat was widely grown as a secondary crop after rice, many different regions developed their own varieties of...

Neji / Azuki bouto (twisted noodles with red bean soup)

Chichibu region, Hiki District

Neji, which originated in Ogano Town in Chichibu District, is short udon noodles twisted into a spiral, served with sweet red bean paste...

Simmered chestnuts with inner skin

Hidaka City

Hidaka City is one of Saitama Prefecture's top chestnut-producing areas, where the largest chestnuts weigh over 30 grams each...

Yuzu-maki (yuzu peel rolled in daikon)

Chichibu region, Ogose Town, Moroyama Town

In Saitama Prefecture, where yuzu has long been cultivated, especially around Ogose Town in Iruma District, dishes using yuzu...

Simmered arrowhead bulbs

Saitama City

Arrowhead (kuwai) is planted in paddies from late June to early July, with a harvest season from late November to mid-December...

Chiba Prefecture8

Sesame-pickled sardines (seguro iwashi)

Kujukuri Town

Sardines have been eaten since the Heian period and are a fish deeply familiar to Japanese people. Once brought ashore...

Haba zoni (New Year's soup with haba seaweed)

Kazusa region, especially Sanbu District

Haba refers to dried habanori, a seaweed from the Boshu region. (Habanori releases spores in autumn...)

Kaiso (seaweed jelly)

Mainly the Choshi and Kujukuri areas, and the Kaiso and Sanbu regions

Kotoji tsunomata, the base ingredient for kaiso, is a seaweed about 20cm tall that grows on rocks in the intertidal zone...

Sardine dumpling soup

Hokuso and Kujukuri regions

The Kujukuri area is a treasure trove of seafood and farm produce, and has long been known as a rich fishing ground...

Sardines pickled with okara

Kaiso and Kujukuri regions

The Kujukuri area is a treasure trove of seafood and farm produce, and has long been known as a rich fishing ground...

Teppo-zuke pickled melon

Narita and Katori cities

The inside of a melon is hollowed out like a gun barrel and stuffed with chili peppers wrapped in shiso leaves to resemble gunpowder, then...

Kinzanji miso

Togane City

Kinzanji miso is a specialty of Togane City, Chiba, and has long been made throughout the prefecture...

Chicken rice porridge (tori-zosui)

Ichihara City

Tori-zosui is served on festive occasions such as New Year's and life ceremonies, as well as gatherings and festivals...

Tokyo8

Oden

Throughout the metropolis

Oden is a dish of ingredients such as fried fish cake, daikon, konjac, and chikuwabu (wheat gluten cake) simmered in a broth made from bonito flakes and kelp...

Ozoni (New Year's mochi soup)

Throughout the metropolis

Ozoni is a New Year's dish of grilled mochi topped with cooked chicken and greens, served in a clear broth. Since the Muromachi period...

Bettara-zuke pickled daikon

Throughout the metropolis

Bettara-zuke is a pickle made by first salting daikon, then pickling it in rice malt and sugar. Since the Edo period...

Shokkara soup (fermented mackerel scad soup)

Shikinejima, Niijima, and Mikurajima islands

Shokkara-jiru is a soup made with "shokkara," small round scad minced whole, salted, and fermented...

Noshikomi udon

Okutama region and surrounding areas

Noshikomi udon is chewy udon noodles served in a broth made from dried sardines and shiitake mushrooms, seasoned with sake, salt, and soy sauce...

Soba noodles

Throughout the metropolis

Soba is a noodle dish made by kneading buckwheat flour with a binder and water, then cutting it into thin strands...

Kohada no awazuke (millet-pickled gizzard shad)

Throughout the metropolis

Kohada (gizzard shad) has been a signature Edomae ingredient since the Edo period, its preparation demanding a craftsman's skill...

Grilled eel (unagi kabayaki)

Throughout the metropolis

Edomae-style unagi kabayaki is made by splitting live eel, skewering it, grilling it plain, steaming it...

Kanagawa Prefecture6

Kenchin-jiru (vegetable and tofu soup)

Kamakura, and nationwide

A dish made by sauteing vegetables such as daikon and carrot in oil before simmering. Its origins are debated, with one theory tracing it to China...

Candied pond smelt (wakasagi kanroni)

Hakone Town

Pond smelt caught in Lake Ashi in Hakone, at the westernmost edge of Kanagawa, are unglazed-grilled then slowly simmered...

Nigomi udon

Tsukui area, Sagamihara City

A local dish of the Tsukui area, Sagamihara City, in which udon noodles are simmered directly in a vegetable broth...

Harihari-zuke pickled dried daikon strips

Miura City

A local dish handed down in Miura City at the tip of the Miura Peninsula. Daikon, a local specialty, is cut...

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...

Odawara kamaboko (fish cake)

Odawara City

Seasoned, well-kneaded fish paste is shaped on a wooden board and steamed, a specialty of Odawara City...

Niigata Prefecture14

Noppe (vegetable and seafood stew)

Throughout Niigata Prefecture

Noppe is a classic Niigata home-style dish, a type of regional dish found all over Japan...

Igoneri (seaweed jelly)

Throughout Niigata Prefecture

Igoneri is a Sado specialty made from igogusa seaweed harvested in the Sea of Japan. In autumn...

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...

Kakiae namasu (chrysanthemum and vegetable salad)

Throughout Niigata Prefecture (Chuetsu and Kaetsu regions)

Kakiae namasu is a regional dish made with reddish-purple edible chrysanthemum. The custom of eating chrysanthemum flowers...

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...

Kurumafu no nimono (simmered wheel-shaped wheat gluten)

Kaetsu region

Fu is a processed food made mainly from gluten, produced by kneading wheat flour with water. Since the Muromachi period...

Nina (simmered salted greens)

Throughout Niigata Prefecture

Nina is a regional dish of simmered salted greens, a very common home-cooked dish in Niigata Prefecture...

Hoshi daikon zuke (pickled dried daikon)

Throughout Niigata Prefecture

In snowy Niigata Prefecture, hoshi daikon zuke was made as a preserved food to get through winter...

Kensan yaki (grilled miso rice balls)

Throughout Niigata Prefecture

Kensan yaki is a regional dish of rice balls coated with ginger miso or sweet miso and grilled...

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...

Namagusa kouko (sardine and daikon pickle)

Niigata City (Kakudahama area, Nishikan Ward)

Sardine catches have declined in recent years, but in the past large numbers came in along the Sea of Japan coast in April and May...

Migaki nishin no kouji zuke (dried herring pickled in rice koji)

Kaetsu region, centered on Tsugawa in Aga Town

Among the goods carried by the Kitamae trading ships, Hokkaido herring held a prominent place. Herring, fresh...

Izushi (fermented rice and fish sushi)

Murakami City

Izushi, long passed down in Murakami City, is a type of narezushi (fermented sushi) that served as a preserved food...

Akakabu zuke (pickled red turnips)

Sanpoku area of Murakami City (and surrounding parts)

In the Sanpoku area of Murakami City, on the border with Yamagata Prefecture, slash-and-burn fields are cultivated around mid-August, and...

Toyama Prefecture12

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...

Buri daikon (simmered yellowtail and daikon)

Throughout Toyama Prefecture

In Toyama, the fierce windy, thundery weather of late autumn to early winter is called...

Kaburazushi (fermented turnip and fish)

Western Toyama

Kaburazushi is made by slitting salted turnips, sandwiching in yellowtail or other fish, and slowly fermenting it with rice koji...

Itokoni / Nizai (simmered beans and vegetables)

Throughout Toyama Prefecture

Toyama Prefecture, where Jodo Shinshu Buddhism is deeply rooted and known as a "Shinshu kingdom," marks the death anniversary of founder Shinran...

Kobumaki (kelp rolls)

Throughout Toyama Prefecture

In the Edo period, Kitamae trading ships carried large amounts of kombu from Hokkaido...

Osuwai / Subai (vinegared daikon and carrot)

Throughout Toyama Prefecture

"Osuwai" is a corruption of "osu-ae" (vinegar dressing), and many Toyama natives grew up eating it as children...

Bai no nimono (simmered sea snails)

Throughout Toyama Prefecture

Bai is a type of sea snail living in the deep waters of Toyama Bay; in Toyama it's a familiar food eaten...

Burishabu (yellowtail shabu-shabu)

Throughout Toyama Prefecture

Kanburi, winter yellowtail caught in Toyama Bay—called a natural fish tank—was designated "the fish of Toyama Prefecture" in...

Ika to satoimo no nimono (simmered squid and taro)

Throughout Toyama Prefecture

Squid is caught year-round in Toyama, with different species in season, giving rise to many squid dishes...

Zoni (New Year's mochi soup)

Throughout Toyama Prefecture

Zoni varies widely across Japan, and even within Toyama Prefecture the versions eaten differ by area...

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...

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 Prefecture15

Aimaze (shredded root vegetable mix)

Noto region

The Noto Peninsula is surrounded by sea on three sides. Vegetables grown in its sticky red-clay soil...

Nishin no kobumaki (herring kelp rolls)

Throughout Ishikawa Prefecture

The Noto Peninsula, jutting into the Sea of Japan, has long been a hub of maritime trade...

Jibuni (simmered duck and vegetables)

Throughout Ishikawa Prefecture

Jibuni is a signature simmered dish of Ishikawa Prefecture, made with duck meat, sudarefu wheat gluten, and seasonal vegetables...

Sawara no kobujime (kelp-cured Spanish mackerel)

Around Kanazawa City

Spanish mackerel sashimi cured between sheets of kombu; "sawara" usually refers to...

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...

Megisu no dangojiru (deep-sea smelt dumpling soup)

Throughout Ishikawa Prefecture

Megisu is a slender fish about 20 cm long found along the Sea of Japan and Pacific coasts...

Tara no kotsuke (cod roe pickle)

Noto region, around Kanazawa City

Cod is one of the essential winter tastes of Ishikawa Prefecture. The cod eaten locally includes walleye pollock...

Mako no nitsuke (simmered cod roe)

Throughout Ishikawa Prefecture

In Ishikawa Prefecture, "tara" generally refers to Pacific cod rather than walleye pollock...

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...

Kaburazushi (fermented turnip and yellowtail)

Throughout Ishikawa Prefecture

A traditional fermented food representative of Ishikawa Prefecture, made by sandwiching salted yellowtail between salted turnip slices. Traditionally...

Daikonzushi (fermented daikon and herring)

Throughout Ishikawa Prefecture

A traditional fermented food alongside kaburazushi, representative of the Kaga region. Dried herring and daikon radish are fermented with rice and koji...

Ishirunabe (fish sauce hot pot)

Noto region

Ishiru is a fish sauce passed down in the Noto region, said to be a corruption of "uoshiru" (fish broth)...

Ebisu / Berobero (egg agar jelly)

Throughout Ishikawa Prefecture

Ebisu is beaten egg set in agar jelly, an essential festive-occasion dish. Since the Edo period...

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 Prefecture13

Heshiko (rice-bran pickled mackerel)

Wakasa region (including the Kono area of Reihoku)

A traditional dish of the Wakasa region and the Echizen coast, made by removing the fish's innards, salting it, and further pickling in rice bran...

Honkosan / Hoonko ryori (memorial feast dishes)

Throughout Fukui Prefecture

Fukui Prefecture has long been devoted to Buddhism, especially Jodo Shinshu, and marks the death anniversary of its founder Shinran...

Gojiru (soybean miso soup)

Reihoku region

Around the death anniversary of founder Shinran (November 28 on the old lunar calendar, January 16 on the new), from autumn into...

Suko (pickled taro stalks)

Okuetsu region

Around the death anniversary of founder Shinran (November 28 on the old lunar calendar, January 16 on the new), from autumn into...

Kobumaki / Bomaki (kelp-wrapped herring rolls)

Throughout Fukui Prefecture

From the mid-Edo period (mid-18th century) to the 1900s, ships sailing from Hokkaido stopped at ports throughout Fukui...

Choju namasu (long-life vinegared vegetables)

Reihoku region

Choju namasu, true to its name ("long-life namasu"), is said to bring long life to those who eat it and is essential at New Year's...

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...

Oroshi soba (soba with grated daikon)

Throughout Fukui Prefecture (mainly the Reihoku region)

In Fukui Prefecture, which ranks among the top in Japan for life expectancy, the most commonly eaten soba is oroshi soba...

Zoni (New Year's mochi soup)

Throughout Fukui Prefecture

Mochi is an essential, auspicious food for the Japanese at celebrations; to welcome the new year...

Hamana miso (winter soybean paste)

Reihoku region

Hamana miso is a regional dish made only in winter. Amazake is made from rice koji, then combined with soybean koji and soy...

Bokkake (simmered fried tofu and vegetables)

Reihoku region, Sakai City, Katsuyama City, and more

Bokkake is a regional dish eaten in Fukui Prefecture for over 100 years, since the early Taisho era...

Aka kabura no suzuke (pickled red turnips)

Miyama area

Fukui's famous red turnip has been cultivated for over 800 years in the Kawachi hamlet of the Miyama area of Fukui City...

Decchi youkan (soft red bean jelly)

Throughout Fukui Prefecture

Decchi youkan is a water-based yokan cherished as an everyday taste among ordinary people in Fukui Prefecture...

Yamanashi Prefecture6

Houtou (flat udon hot pot)

Throughout Yamanashi Prefecture

Houtou is flat wheat noodles, called "houtou-men," simmered with plenty of ingredients...

Mimi (square dumplings)

Totani area, Fujikawa Town

Mimi refers to square, bite-sized pieces cut from kneaded and rolled wheat flour dough, mainly in the Totani area of Fujikawa Town...

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...

Yoshida no udon (thick chewy udon)

Fujiyoshida City

Yoshida no udon features surprisingly chewy, firm, thick wheat noodles...

Shoyu no mi (fermented soybean relish)

Ashiyasu area

Shoyu no mi is a food long passed down in the Ashiyasu area, made by fermenting soybeans and rice koji...

Nagano Prefecture9

Koikoku (miso carp soup)

Saku City

Saku City in eastern Nagano Prefecture, on the Saku Plain where double-cropping is difficult, has a tradition of raising carp in paddy fields...

Oshibori udon (udon with spicy daikon juice)

Hokushin region

Oshibori udon, passed down around Sakaki Town in Hanishina District, is made by grating spicy daikon and mixing the juice...

Gudakusan misoshiru (hearty miso soup)

Throughout Nagano Prefecture (especially around Nagano City, Matsumoto City)

Gudakusan misoshiru is a hearty soup packed with seasonal vegetables, meat, fish, and more...

Sake no kasuni (salmon simmered in sake lees)

Toshin region, Kamiina region

In Japan, it's customary to prepare a New Year's Eve feast to welcome the toshigami (New Year deity)...

Shimi daikon no otaue no nimono (simmered freeze-dried daikon)

Throughout Nagano Prefecture

Shimi daikon is a preserved food made using winter's cold, exposing daikon to the outdoor winter wind...

Shoyu mame / Shoyu no mi (soy sauce-fermented beans)

Hokushin and Chushin regions

Shoyu mame, also called shoyu no mi, is a steamed bean dish passed down in the Hokushin and Chushin regions...

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...

Sunkizuke (fermented turnip greens)

Kiso region

The mountainous Kiso region has long had its own distinctive food culture, one example being fermented pickles made from red turnip leaves...

Nozawana zuke (pickled Nozawana greens)

Throughout Nagano Prefecture (Nozawa Onsen Village)

In this prefecture with severe cold, no greens can be harvested from the fields in winter, so in late autumn...

Gifu Prefecture17

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 narezushi (fermented sweetfish sushi)

Gifu City

Ayu narezushi, made as a preserved food, packs freshly cooked rice into the belly of salted ayu...

Funamiso (crucian carp miso)

Seino region

Funamiso is made by simmering roasted crucian carp with miso, coarse sugar, soybeans, and more; within the prefecture...

Hoba miso (miso grilled on magnolia leaf)

Hida-Takayama region

Homemade koji miso grilled on a magnolia leaf. Goes well with rice and is also enjoyed as a drinking snack...

Otoshi no gottsuo (New Year's Eve feast stew)

Chuno, Tono, and Hida regions

Otoshi no gottsuo is eaten across a wide area of Gifu Prefecture from New Year's Eve, December 31, through the first three days of January...

Nezushi (fermented rice and trout)

Hida region centered on Gero City, Chuno region

Nezushi is a type of narezushi long served as a New Year's dish, mainly in the Hida region...

Morokozushi (pressed sushi with moroko fish)

Seino region

Morokozushi is vinegared rice packed into a sushi box, topped with sweet-savory simmered moroko (a small freshwater fish)...

Suttate jiru (ground soybean soup)

Shirakawa Village

Suttate jiru is made with "suttate," boiled soybeans ground in a mortar or stone mill...

Kuri kinton (sweet chestnut paste)

Tono district centered on Nakatsugawa City and surrounding areas

Hearing "kuri kinton," most people picture the New Year's dish, but in the area centered on the Tono district...

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...

Akakabu zuke (pickled red turnips)

Hida region centered on Takayama City, Hida City

A pickle that was a vital food source in the mountainous Hida region, cut off by snow in winter. Daikon, turnips, and...

Kaki namasu (vinegared vegetables with dried persimmon)

Chuno, Gifu, and Seino regions

Kaki namasu is a regional dish of vinegared daikon and carrot with dried persimmon added. In some areas...

Aka datsu no suzubute (vinegared red taro stalks)

Gifu region centered on Yamagata City

Taro leaf stalks (zuiki) dressed in mixed vinegar. "Datsu" means "zuiki," and...

Tsugi jiru (chili and tofu soup)

Kanomizu area of Meiho, Gujo City

Tsugi jiru, a regional dish of the Kanomizu area in Meiho, is a taste found nowhere else...

Tsukemono misoni (miso-simmered pickles)

Gujo City

Salty soybean miso called Gujo miso, in a broth of dried sardine dashi, simmered with sliced pickled napa cabbage...

Kanboshi daikon ni (simmered cold-dried daikon)

Hida City

A dish of Hida City's specialty kanboshi daikon (cold-dried daikon), simmered in dashi or soy sauce...

Komo tofu (straw-wrapped boiled tofu)

Hida region centered on Hida City, Takayama City

Komo tofu is tofu wrapped in a straw mat called komo and boiled; once it develops air pockets...

Shizuoka Prefecture5

Tororo jiru (grated mountain yam soup)

Chubu region (Shizuoka City)

Tororo jiru is grated wild mountain yam mixed with dashi and miso, poured over barley rice...

Iruka no misoni (dolphin simmered in miso)

Ito City

Dolphin hunting in Shizuoka Prefecture has mainly taken place around the Izu region; bays off the Izu Peninsula...

Mikuriya soba (chicken and vegetable soba)

Gotemba City

A regional dish of the Mikuriya area of Gotemba City. Because this area grew a lot of soba and barley, farming households...

Rakkasei namasu (vinegared vegetables with peanuts)

Tobu region (Fujinomiya City, Fuji City)

Kohaku namasu (red-and-white namasu), essential to New Year's osechi dishes, is sweet-and-sour daikon and carrot dressed in vinegar and sugar...

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...

Aichi Prefecture10

Furofuki daikon (simmered daikon with miso)

Throughout Aichi Prefecture

Aichi Prefecture enjoys a mild climate year-round, partly thanks to the Kuroshio Current flowing through the Pacific. Also...

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...

Haze tsukudani (sweet-simmered goby)

Coastal areas

Mikawa Bay, wedged between the Chita and Atsumi peninsulas of Aichi Prefecture, has long stretches of shallow water including the Rokujogata and Shiogawa tidal flats...

Nimiso (simmered miso vegetables)

Throughout Aichi Prefecture

Soybean miso (red miso), typified by hatcho miso, is essential to Aichi cuisine. Made from soybeans...

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...

Funamiso (crucian carp miso)

Owari region, Kiso Sanzen river basin

Funamiso uses fish from the Kiso Sanzen, the collective name for the Kiso, Nagara, and Ibi rivers flowing through the Nobi Plain...

Miso oden (miso-simmered oden)

Throughout Aichi Prefecture

Soybean miso (red miso), typified by hatcho miso, is essential to Aichi cuisine. Made from soybeans...

Miso nikomi udon (miso-simmered udon)

Throughout Aichi Prefecture

Miso nikomi udon, alongside kishimen, is one of Aichi's signature noodle dishes. Hatcho miso...

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...

Zoni (New Year's mochi soup)

Throughout Aichi Prefecture

Zoni varies by region across Japan, in its dashi, seasoning, ingredients, and mochi shape...

Mie Prefecture17

Arame-maki (kelp-wrapped rolls)

Ise-Shima food culture region (Toba area, including Toshi and Kamishima islands), Hokusei food culture region, Higashi-Kishu food culture region

Mie Prefecture is home to sagarame (arame kelp), akamoku, hijiki, and aonori seaweeds...

Aimaze (mixed simmered vegetables)

Central-southern Ise food culture region, Ise-Shima food culture region (around Ise City and Toba City)

Called "aimaze" ("mixed together") because each ingredient is simmered and seasoned separately, then combined...

Sanma-zushi (Pacific saury sushi)

Higashi-Kishu food culture region

At Ubuta Shrine in Arima-cho, Kumano City, sanma-zushi made with the backbone left in is served to children...

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...

Fish jifu (fish sukiyaki)

Higashi-Kishu food culture region (mainly fishing villages along the Kumano-nada coast)

Commonly called "sakana-suki" or "oki-suki," this dish thinly slices seafood, vegetables, and other ingredients...

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...

Narezushi (fermented sushi)

Throughout Mie Prefecture

"Narezushi," an ancient form of sushi, is made by packing salted fish with rice and letting it ferment...

Noppei (thick vegetable stew)

Iga food culture region

One of Japan's most famous local dishes, "noppei" is also called noppei-jiru, noppe, or nupe...

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...

Garagara-oroshi (bamboo-grated daikon)

Hokusei food culture region / Central-southern Ise food culture region

"Garagara-oroshi" is a Mie local dish made using a special bamboo oni-oroshi grater...

Zoni (New Year's mochi soup)

Throughout Mie Prefecture

Mie is a distinctive region nationally where eastern and western food cultures intermingle...

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...

Sunfish salad with vinegared miso

Higashi-Kishu food culture region

Along the Kumano-nada coast, from the Shima region to the Nanki area, ocean sunfish are caught in a traditional fishery...

Fish tataki / Namerou

Higashi-Kishu food culture region, Ise-Shima food culture region (fishing villages along the Kumano-nada coast)

A way of preparing small blue-backed fish common in fishing communities from the Shima region to Higashi-Kishu along the Kumano-nada coast...

Chatsu (simmered root vegetables)

Hokusei food culture region / Central-southern Ise food culture region

A local dish made for gatherings, originally prepared in monastery halls and for Buddhist ceremonies...

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...

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 Prefecture9

Itoko-ni (simmered azuki and taro)

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)

Throughout Shiga Prefecture

Narezushi, one of the oldest forms of sushi, is made by salting fish and packing it with rice to ferment...

Junjun (sukiyaki-style hot pot)

Throughout Shiga Prefecture

"Junjun" is a hot pot dish in which beef, chicken, or lake fish are seasoned sukiyaki-style...

Shijimi clam soup

Throughout Shiga Prefecture

"Shijimijiru" is a Shiga local dish made with Seta shijimi clams; of Japan's three native shijimi species...

Uchimame-jiru (flattened soybean miso soup)

Kohoku region

"Uchimame-jiru" is a miso soup made by simmering uchimame (flattened soybeans) with turnip, daikon radish, taro, and other vegetables...

Saba no bo-zushi (pressed mackerel sushi)

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...

Tofu dengaku (grilled miso tofu)

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...

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...

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...

Kyoto10

White miso zoni

Throughout the prefecture

Zoni (New Year's mochi soup) varies distinctively by region across Japan, in its dashi base, flavor, ingredients, and shape of mochi...

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...

Senmai-zuke (sliced turnip pickles)

Kyoto City

"Senmai-zuke" is a pickle of thinly sliced Shogoin turnip cured in salt; along with suguki-zuke and shiba-zuke...

Furofuki daikon (simmered daikon)

Throughout Kyoto Prefecture

Kyoto eats many varieties of daikon radish, including the aomi daikon of Nakagyo Ward and the spicy daikon of Kita Ward...

Tai-kabu (simmered sea bream and turnip)

Kyoto City

"Tai-kabu," simmered Shogoin turnip and sea bream, is a local dish long eaten in Kyoto City...

Heshiko (salt-and-rice-bran cured fish)

Tango region

Kyoto is often thought to lack seafood, but the Tango region, facing the Sea of Japan...

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...

Korogaki namasu (dried persimmon salad)

Yamashiro region

"Korogaki" is a dried persimmon made from the astringent "Tsuru-no-ko" variety, a specialty of Ujitawara Town...

Ebi-imo and dried cod simmer

Kyoto City, Chutan region, Tango region

This dish uses ebi-imo, a Kyoto vegetable known for its shrimp-like shape and striped pattern...

Natto mochi

Kyoto City, Nantan region

Various regions claim to be the birthplace of natto, and Kyoto Prefecture is said to be one of them...

Osaka4

Kujira no harihari nabe (whale and mizuna hot pot)

Throughout Osaka Prefecture

Whale meat, once a common everyday ingredient, and mizuna greens, long cultivated mainly in the Kansai region...

Shiro-miso zoni (white miso New Year soup)

Throughout Osaka Prefecture

A white miso soup with round mochi and neatly cut daikon, carrot, and taro...

Semba-jiru (salted mackerel and daikon soup)

Osaka City

A clear soup made with salted mackerel trimmings and daikon radish, long enjoyed as a home-style dish in the Semba district...

Detchi yokan (apprentice's sweet bean jelly)

Hokusetsu region

In the mountain villages of the Hokusetsu region, after agar production succeeded in the late Edo period, this simple bean jelly was made during the harsh winter farming off-season...

Hyogo Prefecture8

Botan nabe (wild boar hot pot)

Tamba Sasayama City

Wild boar meat and seasonal vegetables simmered in a dashi broth based on blended white and red miso...

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...

Kasujiru (sake-lees soup)

Throughout the prefecture

Daikon, carrot, burdock root, and konnyaku simmered in a broth made with sake lees, a byproduct of sake brewing...

Miso-dare gyoza (miso-dipped dumplings)

Kobe City

Pan-fried gyoza are usually dipped in a vinegar, soy sauce, and chili oil sauce, but in Kobe...

Kokerazushi (pressed fish-floss sushi)

Awaji City

A pressed sushi topped with dried, flaked sea bream, wrasse, and goby over vinegared rice...

Tororo rice (grated yam over rice)

Tamba Sasayama City

Grated mountain yam thinned with a dashi broth of dried sardines and bonito flakes, valued as an aid to digestion...

Simmered black soybeans

Tamba Sasayama City

Tamba Sasayama's black soybeans grow plump and richly flavored, thanks to the region's fertile clay soil and sharp day-night temperature swings...

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 Prefecture6

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...

Asuka nabe (milk-based chicken hot pot)

Central-south Nara Basin

A local Nara dish of chicken and vegetables simmered in a broth of milk and dashi...

Sanma-zushi (Pacific saury sushi)

Totsukawa Village

Sanma-zushi is passed down mainly as a local dish of Totsukawa Village in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture...

Kaki namasu (persimmon and daikon salad)

Throughout the prefecture

In Nara, red-and-white namasu made from daikon and carrot has long been prepared with dried persimmon added...

Simmered Yamato-mana and thin fried tofu

Throughout the prefecture

A home-style dish made with Yamato-mana, a traditional Nara vegetable...

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 Prefecture6

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...

Sanma-zushi (Pacific saury sushi)

Southern region

From late October through March, Pacific saury ride the cold current down from off Sanriku to spawn in the Kumano Sea...

Simmered igami (parrotfish)

Around Tanabe City

Commonly called 'budai,' igami is a signature rocky-shore fish of the prefecture's southern region, though it can carry a distinctive fishy smell in summer...

Moray eel dishes / tsukudani-style moray eel

Southern region

Known as the 'gangster of the sea,' the moray eel is aggressive and armed with sharp upper and lower teeth...

Bouri (whole simmered taro)

Tanabe City

Named for a legend involving Prince Morinaga, son of Emperor Go-Daigo, also known as Otonomiya...

Wakame-zushi (seaweed sushi)

Yura Town

The coast from Hi-no-Misaki to Wakayama City faces the Kii Channel, rich in seafood...

Tottori Prefecture11

Igisu (seaweed jelly)

Central region

Igisu is a dish made from igisu seaweed, also called egonori. It is said to date back to the Asuka and Nara periods...

Kaki-no-ha-zushi (persimmon leaf sushi)

Chizu Town

This local dish, long passed down in Chizu, Tottori, was served for hospitality at Obon and festivals...

Dondoroke-meshi (tofu rice)

Eastern region, Central region

A rice dish cooked with tofu and local vegetables, known from eastern to central Tottori...

Imobota (sweet potato botamochi)

Yumihama Peninsula

Imobota is a botamochi rice cake made with sweet potato, long passed down on the Yumihama Peninsula...

Tochi mochi (horse chestnut mochi)

Yazu District, Kawahara (Tottori City), Misasa Town

The horse chestnuts used in tochi mochi carry strong bitterness, so eaten raw they are harshly bitter and numb the tongue...

Oyagani miso soup (female crab soup)

Tottori City

A simple miso soup made with oyagani (female snow crab) and daikon radish...

Akagarei no komaburi (flounder sashimi with roe)

Around Amijiro, Iwami Town

Flounder sashimi coated with roe from egg-bearing flathead flounder...

Surume no koji-zuke (koji-pickled dried squid)

Throughout Tottori Prefecture

Facing the Sea of Japan, Tottori sees heavy winter snowfall from cold northern air, so in the mountain areas...

Gancha-jiru (river crab soup)

Throughout Tottori Prefecture

Gancha-jiru uses river crabs caught in Tottori's clear rivers. In Tottori, mitten crabs...

Jabu (chicken hot pot)

Central region, Eastern region

In an era when meat wasn't as easy to come by as today, this was a special feast made with home-raised chicken...

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 Prefecture10

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...

Kaki-namasu (persimmon and daikon salad)

Throughout Shimane Prefecture

Shimane's best-known persimmon is the Saijo persimmon, grown throughout the prefecture. Facing the Sea of Japan...

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"...

Kuroda parsley and spinach ohitashi

Matsue City

Kuroda parsley is a heritage vegetable of Matsue City, Shimane, dating back to the Edo period. "Kuroda" comes from the former place name Kuroda...

Eel and tofu hot pot

Izumo region

In 1756, eels suddenly appeared in Lake Nakaumi, which borders Matsue and Yasugi cities...

Hosho-yaki grilled sea bass

Matsue City

Lake Shinji, in northeastern Shimane, is said to have formed about 10,000 years ago...

Koi no ito-zukuri (thread-cut carp sashimi)

Matsue City

Lake Nakaumi, a brackish lake spanning Shimane and Tottori where fresh and seawater mix...

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...

Turban shell rice

Throughout the Oki region, and the coastal areas of Iwami and Izumo

The waters around the Oki Islands, where the warm Tsushima Current meets the cold Liman Current, are rich in plankton and...

Sumashi zoni (clear New Year's soup)

Throughout Shimane Prefecture

A New Year's soup of round mochi in a clear, soy-sauce-based broth. The other ingredients vary by area...

Okayama Prefecture8

Bachi-jiru with hand-pulled somen

Asakuchi City

Kamogata in Asakuchi City, in southwestern Okayama, has long been known for its sunny climate and its fine water, salt, and wheat...

Yellowtail zoni (New Year's soup)

Takahashi City

Zoni, an essential New Year's dish, takes many different forms depending on the region...

Kenchin soba

Niimi City

Niimi City's soil is poorly suited to rice farming, so soba has long been widely grown there. This soba...

Wild boar hot pot

Mimasaka region

Mimasaka, a nature-rich area in northern Okayama, has one of the prefecture's largest populations of wild boar and deer...

Simmered baby octopus

Kurashiki City

Baby octopus is caught mainly around Shimotsui, in the Kojima area of Kurashiki City in southern Okayama...

Crucian carp rice

Yakage Town, Tamano City, Hachihama

The history of "funa-meshi" goes hand in hand with the reclamation of Kojima Bay. Southern Okayama has long...

Soba-dojo hot pot

Mimasaka City, Kagamino Town

A hot pot dish of buckwheat dough shaped like loaches. Easy to digest and warming, it has long been eaten in mountain areas...

Yuzu miso

Ibara City

Yuzu citron, whose refreshing scent brings a sense of the season to the table, is harvested from around October...

Hiroshima Prefecture9

Wani sashimi (shark sashimi)

Miyoshi City and Shobara City, Bihoku region

Although called "wani" (crocodile), what's actually eaten is shark, also called "fuka"...

Hassun (eight-sun tray dish)

Kumano Town, Akitakata City

"Hassun" was eaten in areas with many Aki Monto (Jodo Shinshu Buddhist followers of western Hiroshima), combining mountain and...

Oyster dote-nabe (miso hot pot)

Hiroshima City, Etajima City, Miyajima, Kure, Ondo area, etc.

The name "dote-nabe" has three possible origins, one being that miso is spread like an embankment ("dote") around the inside of the pot...

Bishu-nabe (sake hot pot)

Higashihiroshima City, Aki region

Bishu-nabe simmers chicken, chicken gizzard, pork, and vegetables with a simple seasoning of salt, pepper, and sake...

Sweet simmered arrowhead bulbs

Fukuyama City

Fukuyama City's sweet simmered kuwai (arrowhead bulb) is characterized by its sweet flavor from dashi, sugar, and mirin...

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...

Azuma (vinegar-cured sushi)

Onomichi City, Fukuyama City

Nigiri sushi made with vinegar-cured mamakari fish. In place of vinegared rice, vinegar-seasoned okara is used as the base...

Ohira (simmered vegetable and chicken stew)

Otake City

A simmered dish from Otake City combining root vegetables like taro, lotus root, carrots, daikon radish, and burdock with chicken...

Oyster zoni (New Year's soup)

Aki region, Etajima City

Oyster zoni is a clear soup of dried sardine, kelp, and bonito dashi with oysters, yellowtail, and vegetables...

Yamaguchi Prefecture5

Itoko-ni (simmered azuki beans with dumplings)

Throughout the prefecture, Kitaura region, Seto Inland Sea coast

Itoko-ni, made widely across Yamaguchi Prefecture, is sweetened azuki beans simmered with dumplings of shiratama flour...

Noppei (thick vegetable and chicken stew)

Hagi region

The local dish called "noppei" or "noppei-jiru" is found throughout Japan, but its ingredients and preparation vary by region...

Unohana-kizushi (sushi with tofu lees)

Kitaura region

Kitaura, the northern coastal region of Yamaguchi Prefecture facing the Sea of Japan, has rich fishing grounds, and fishing has long supported local life...

Fuku-zashi (pufferfish sashimi)

Shimonoseki region, Hagi region

Yamaguchi Prefecture's official fish is, needless to say, its signature luxury fish, the pufferfish ("fuku"). The most famous fishing grounds are in Shimonoseki...

Kabu zoni (New Year's mochi soup with turnip)

Throughout the prefecture

Zoni, an essential New Year's dish, varies strongly by region, and even by household, in ingredients and preparation...

Tokushima Prefecture11

Soba-gome zosui (buckwheat groats porridge)

Iya region of Miyoshi City, throughout the prefecture

Long ago, the Iya region of Tokushima was surrounded by mountains, in a climate said to make growing rice difficult...

Handa somen (thin wheat noodles)

Handa district of Tsurugi Town, throughout the prefecture

Handa somen, made in the Handa district of Tsurugi Town, has a long history...

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...

Oshizushi (pressed sushi)

Kaiyo Town (Mugi and Kainan areas)

Tokushima has many local sushi specialties, including bouze sugatazushi, kakimaze-zushi, and amego-zushi...

Uchigae zoni (New Year's soup, Iya style)

Iya region of Miyoshi City

Distinctive New Year's zoni are made all across Japan, and among them, the one made in the Iya region of Miyoshi City is called...

Omiisan (miso rice porridge)

Throughout the prefecture

"Omiisan" refers to a rice porridge seasoned with miso. In the past, miso was called "mii"...

Chagome (sweet bean rice)

Throughout the prefecture

"Chagome" is rice sweetened with beans, cooked together with roasted fava beans and coarse sugar...

Denbu (simmered kintoki beans and vegetables)

Throughout the prefecture

In Tokushima, local dishes using kintoki beans, such as barazushi and mame-tendama, are widely enjoyed...

Imomochi (sweet potato rice cake)

Throughout the prefecture

Sweet potatoes are widely grown in Tokushima Prefecture; the most nationally famous variety is "Naruto Kintoki"...

Awa no itokoni (simmered sweet potato and red beans)

Throughout the prefecture

"Itokoni" refers to a simmered dish of azuki beans and vegetables. It's often made with kabocha squash, but the Awa version...

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 Prefecture8

Anmochi zoni (New Year's soup with sweet bean-filled mochi)

Throughout the prefecture

A white miso soup with sweet, red bean-filled round mochi, sliced daikon rounds symbolizing family harmony...

Shippoku udon (udon with autumn vegetables)

Throughout the prefecture

"Shippoku udon" as known in Kagawa is a hot udon dish topped with several kinds of autumn-to-winter vegetables and fried tofu...

Manba no kenchan (simmered mustard greens)

Throughout the prefecture

A representative winter local dish of Kagawa Prefecture. Manba is a variety of mustard greens in season from October to April...

Teppai (crucian carp and daikon salad)

Throughout the prefecture

Crucian carp, a freshwater fish from the irrigation ponds dotting the Sanuki Plain, was once called "teppo" (gun). Filleted into three pieces...

Imotako (octopus and taro simmer)

Throughout the prefecture

"Imotako" is a simple local dish of fresh octopus from the Seto Inland Sea simmered with taro...

Uchikomi-jiru (noodle and vegetable soup)

Throughout the prefecture

"Uchikomi-jiru" is a soup traditionally made quickly as an everyday meal on cold winter days in farming villages...

Konnyaku no shiraae (konjac with tofu dressing)

Throughout the prefecture

"Konnyaku no shiraae" is a local dish of konjac dressed with mashed tofu and sesame...

Konnyaku no hachihai (konjac simmered in broth)

Tosan region, Chusan region

A local dish of konjac simmered in dashi broth with ingredients like taro, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms...

Ehime Prefecture4

Fukumen (mixed vegetables over fish and konjac noodles)

Around Uwajima City

"Fukumen" is said to have been passed down as a ceremonial dish of the Uwajima domain, with the main ingredient being...

Sekka-jiru (shellfish and vegetable soup)

Imabari City

A local dish passed down on Oshima Island in Imabari City, once known for its stoneworking industry. Miyakubo...

Ebi-ten (shrimp fish cake)

Toyo region

From Niihama to Kawanoe along the seafood-rich Hiuchi Sea, small fish such as jako...

Pheasant and dried daikon mixed rice

Kihoku Town

Pheasant, appearing even in the Japanese folktale "Momotaro," has long been familiar in Japan...

Kochi Prefecture10

Katsuo no tataki (seared bonito)

Throughout the prefecture

Bonito, Kochi Prefecture's official fish, is eaten as an everyday ingredient. "Katsuo no tataki"...

Guru-ni (simmered root vegetables)

Throughout the prefecture

"Guru-ni" refers to a simmered dish centered on winter root vegetables like daikon, carrots, and taro...

Himeichi to mikan no karashini (spicy simmered fish with citrus)

Throughout the prefecture

Himeichi is a small fish caught in small-scale bottom trawl nets in Tosa Bay; its formal name is Upeneus japonicus...

Koushi meshi (rock seaweed rice)

Otsuki Town

Otsuki Town is a coastal town in the southwestern part of the prefecture; its industries include rice farming, tobacco cultivation, and greenhouse horticulture...

Kirazu-mochi (okara rice cake)

Ogawa district, Sakawa Town

Okara, a byproduct of tofu-making, is eaten throughout Japan under names like "unohana" and "kirazu"...

Kure no nimono (year-end simmered whale)

Throughout the prefecture

The local dish eaten in Kochi Prefecture to see out the year is "kure no nimono," simmered with whale meat...

Taimo no korobashi (sesame-coated taro)

Throughout the prefecture

In Kochi Prefecture, taro is called "taimo," and has long served as a valuable nutrient source second only to rice...

Ginburou-zushi (bean sushi)

Otoyo Town

"Ginburou" is a type of kidney bean grown for home use in the Nishitoyonaga district of Otoyo Town...

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...

Saba no sugatazushi (whole mackerel sushi)

Throughout the prefecture

Rooted as a food custom throughout the prefecture, "sawachi" cuisine is indispensable for celebrations, funerals, and religious rites...

Fukuoka Prefecture10

Nukamiso-daki (fish simmered in fermented rice-bran paste)

Kitakyushu City

Nuka-zuke, once a preserved food of the Ogasawara clan, was passed down through an old family in Kokura and spread among common people...

Gameni (Hakata-style simmered chicken and vegetables)

Throughout Fukuoka Prefecture

Gameni is a signature local dish of Fukuoka Prefecture, its name from the Hakata dialect word 'gamekurikomu,' meaning to gather together...

Hakata zoni (New Year mochi soup)

Hakata district

Katsuona, an essential ingredient in Hakata zoni, is a vegetable long grown in Hakata and related to takana mustard greens...

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...

Sumochi (mochi with grated daikon and citrus)

Buzen region

Sumochi is made by placing grated daikon, bitter orange juice, soy sauce, and sugar in a bowl, traditionally at...

Tohei-nabe (conger eel hot pot)

Oshima district, Munakata City

Tohei is a fish resembling a large eel, found in waters from central Honshu southward; its official name is...

Nousaba (sun-dried marinated houndshark)

Kanezaki area

Nousaba is a local dish of sun-dried starspotted smooth-hound shark marinated in a seasoning liquid...

Yuzu-kosho (citrus and chili paste)

Throughout the prefecture

Yuzu-kosho is a familiar everyday condiment throughout Kyushu. Its place of origin is disputed, with...

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...

Yanagawa-nabe (loach hot pot)

Chikugo region (Yanagawa City)

Yanagawa City, in the southwest of the Chikugo region, lies almost entirely within the flat Chikushi Plain...

Saga Prefecture7

Funanko-gui (whole crucian carp simmered in miso)

Kashima City and surrounding areas

The Ariake Sea has a tidal range of about 6 meters, and at low tide mudflats stretch 5 to 7 kilometers offshore. Among its unusual...

Noppe-jiru (thick vegetable and tofu soup)

Throughout the prefecture

Noppe-jiru is a soup passed down in Saga households, also known as 'noppei-jiru' or 'nuppei-jiru'...

Gameni (simmered chicken and vegetables)

Throughout the prefecture

Among Saga Prefecture's many local dishes, gameni is a classic staple. Nationally it is better known as 'chikuzen-ni'...

Yuki no tsuyu (grated daikon soup)

Arita Town

Arita Town in Saga Prefecture is famously known as a center of porcelain. In the early 17th century, porcelain stone was discovered in Arita...

Hoshigaki namasu (dried persimmon and daikon salad)

Shobai district, Yamato, Saga City

Persimmons are grown throughout Japan. Saga Prefecture's production and cultivated area are not especially large...

Tsugani meshi (river crab rice)

Throughout the prefecture

Saga Prefecture, bordered by the Ariake Sea and the Genkai Sea, retains many local dishes shaped by its abundant seafood...

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 Prefecture6

Guzoni (Shimabara-style vegetable mochi soup)

Shimabara Peninsula

One of Shimabara's signature local dishes, said to trace back to the Shimabara Rebellion of 1637, when the rebel leader...

Hikitoshi (Iki-style hotpot)

Iki City

A signature local dish of Iki, a remote island in Nagasaki Prefecture. Farming households on Iki once...

Hikado (fish and sweet potato stew)

Nagasaki City

A local dish handed down in Nagasaki since the early 1600s, brought by Portuguese missionaries and traders once living there...

Torimeshi (Isahaya-style chicken rice)

Isahaya area

A festive mixed rice dish handed down in the Mokuyo district of Isahaya City, traditionally served at New Year's and Obon...

Kankoro mochi (sweet potato rice cake)

Goto region

A traditional food long handed down in Nagasaki's Goto region, where sweet potatoes are...

Almado (egg and fish paste roll)

Hirado area

Said to have first been made in Hirado, where Dejima was originally located, during Japan's period of isolation; a fish paste roll filled with boiled egg...

Kumamoto Prefecture14

Karashi renkon (mustard-stuffed lotus root)

Kumamoto region

Kumamoto is one of Japan's top lotus root producers; this dish is said to date to the Tenpo era under the Hosokawa clan...

Dagojiru (flat dumpling soup)

Throughout Kumamoto Prefecture

Made by kneading wheat flour (or rice flour) with water, letting it rest, then stretching and tearing it by hand into the soup...

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...

Tsubonjiru (chicken and root vegetable soup)

Hitoyoshi-Kuma region

Made with chicken, fish cake, and root vegetables such as taro, burdock root, carrot, and daikon radish...

Kanzuke (twice-frozen dried daikon pickle)

Ashikita-Minamata region

A pickle made by exposing daikon radish to cold winter winds twice, long handed down in the Ashikita-Minamata region...

Konoshiro no sugata-zushi (whole gizzard shad sushi)

Yatsushiro region

Made along the Yatsushiro Sea coast, the Amakusa Strait, and the Ariake Sea for New Year's, festivals, and celebrations shared with family and relatives...

Basashi (raw horse meat sashimi)

Kumamoto City, Aso region

The dish that comes to mind first as Kumamoto's specialty, home to Japan's top horse meat production; thinly sliced...

Makigaki (rolled dried persimmon)

Uki region, Yamato Town, Kamimashiki District

A traditional food handed down in the Uki district and Yamato Town, Kamimashiki District, both known for producing dried persimmons...

Kasuyose (rice and vegetable dumpling)

Kamimashiki region

Traditionally made at home in Yamato Town for celebrations, festivals, and other gatherings...

Koppa mochi (dried sweet potato rice cake)

Amakusa region

A traditional snack made with sweet potatoes, an Amakusa specialty; koppa refers to...

Tojikomame (sweet-coated soybean confection)

Yamaga region, Kikuchi region

Named for the way soybeans are sealed inside sweet wheat-flour dough...

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...

Yubeshi (citron and miso rice cake)

Kikuchi region, Hitoyoshi-Kuma region

A simple, chewy traditional confection whose citron aroma and miso flavor deepen with every bite...

Oita Prefecture8

Dangojiru (flat dumpling soup)

Throughout Oita Prefecture

Much of Oita's land is elevated terrain unsuited to rice farming, so field crops have long formed the basis of local food...

Atama ryori (fish head dish)

Taketa City

Taketa City, in southwestern Oita, is surrounded by the Kuju mountains, the Aso outer rim, and Mt. Sobo...

Kujaku (peacock-patterned rolled fish cake)

Kamae district, Saiki City

Saiki City, in southeastern Oita, covers 903.12 square kilometers...

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...

Kenchan (simmered root vegetables and tofu)

Kunisaki City

Occupying the eastern side of the Kunisaki Peninsula, which juts into the Seto Inland Sea, facing the Suo Sea...

Ganjiru (river crab soup)

Usa City area

Usa City sits at the base of the Kunisaki Peninsula, bordered to the north by the Suo Sea...

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...

Miyazaki Prefecture10

Nishime (simmered vegetables and root)

Throughout Miyazaki Prefecture

Nishimeru means to simmer slowly until little liquid remains, and this dish is named for...

Sakana-zushi (whole fish sushi)

Northern coastal Miyazaki

A whole-fish sushi made with mackerel or horse mackerel, generally what people mean by...

Toshitorizen (New Year's Eve feast)

Northern and central regions

On New Year's Eve, families gather to eat an elaborate meal served on raised trays before welcoming the new year...

Somage (buckwheat porridge)

Northern mountain area

In "somage," soma means buckwheat and ge means porridge; a local dish of Shiiba Village...

Hie zushi (millet porridge)

Northern mountain area, Miyazaki

Zushi means rice porridge; rice was precious and reserved for New Year's and festivals, so everyday meals...

Madaka-zuke (pickled shredded dried daikon)

Central Miyazaki region

Madaka-zuke is a Miyazaki pickle so delicious that people are said to have impatiently asked "is it ready yet" (mada ka)...

Simmered Hyuga black-skin pumpkin

Miyazaki City

Miyazaki enjoys a warm climate and some of Japan's longest sunshine hours, and its sun-drenched pumpkins...

Sunoshui (vinegared sardine and daikon soup)

Western Miyazaki region

A warm vinegar-based soup made by simmering grated daikon and sardines in vinegar and soy sauce...

Meno mochi arare (rice cracker from New Year's decoration)

Nishimorokata District (Takaharu Town, Kobayashi City), Shiiba Village

Meno mochi kazari is a traditional Little New Year's decoration in southern Kyushu, wishing for a good harvest and household safety...

Nerikuri (sweet potato and mochi dumpling)

Miyakonojo City

In Miyazaki, sweet potatoes are called kansho; this dish is made by kneading kansho with mochi...

Kagoshima Prefecture8

Satsuma ebi zoni (shrimp-broth New Year's soup)

Satsuma Peninsula

Zoni, New Year's mochi soup, varies distinctively by region across Japan in its broth, flavor, and ingredients...

Gane (sweet potato fritters)

Throughout Kagoshima Prefecture

A local dish made with sweet potato, Kagoshima's specialty known nationwide...

Satsumajiru (chicken miso soup)

Throughout Kagoshima Prefecture

A miso soup packed with chicken; according to the Satsuma Kyudenshu...

Buri daikon (simmered yellowtail and daikon)

Throughout Kagoshima Prefecture

Made with yellowtail and daikon, both Kagoshima specialties, this is a beloved winter staple...

Sangon (three-course New Year's meal)

Amami region

While osechi and zoni are typical New Year's food elsewhere, the Amami region eats sangon...

Butajiru (pork miso soup)

Throughout Kagoshima Prefecture

Pork is a Kagoshima specialty; the prefecture leads Japan in pig farming, with kagoshima kurobuta as its signature brand...

Karukan (steamed yam cake)

Throughout Kagoshima Prefecture

Made from karukan flour, mountain yam, and water, this Kagoshima confection is famous throughout Japan...

Karaimo nettabo (sweet potato mochi)

Throughout Kagoshima Prefecture

A local dish made with sweet potato, Kagoshima's specialty known nationwide...

Okinawa Prefecture8

Nakami-jiru (pork offal soup)

Throughout Okinawa Prefecture

Pork is eaten extensively in Okinawa, where it's famously said everything but the oink is used...

Inamuduchi (miso pork stew)

Throughout Okinawa Prefecture

In Okinawan, ina means wild boar and mudugi means "mock," as this dish traditionally substitutes pork for boar meat...

Kufa jushi (Okinawan mixed rice pilaf)

Throughout Okinawa Prefecture

Jushi comes in a firmer, pilaf-style kufa jushi and a softer, porridge-style yafara jushi...

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...

Sooki-jiru (pork rib soup)

Throughout Okinawa Prefecture

Bone-in cuts are commonly used to make the most of the pig, and this soup slow-simmers sooki, bone-in pork ribs...

Yafara jushi (Okinawan rice porridge)

Throughout Okinawa Prefecture

Jushi is the Okinawan word for mixed rice; depending on consistency it is called kufa jushi (firm) or yafara jushi (soft)...

Ushi-jiru (beef soup)

Throughout Okinawa Prefecture

A nourishing soup long made by simmering beef with carrot and other vegetables...

Chii irichi (stir-fried pork blood)

Throughout Okinawa Prefecture

An irichi (stir-simmered dish) made with pork blood, also called chii irichaa...

In season now: winter

Ingredients in season this time of year whose local consumption is far above the national average.

Freshwater clams (shijimi)Matsue 10.3×

宍道湖産砂抜き済冷凍しじみ Mサイズ1kg（1kg×1袋、1キロ）日本有数の漁獲量を誇る… ★4.5623 reviews￥3,280Price as of 2026-08-23. Prices change — please check Rakuten Ichiba for the current price. See on Rakuten Ichiba Find via furusato nozei (Furusato Honpo)

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 ★4.097 reviews￥7,980Price as of 2026-08-23. Prices change — please check Rakuten Ichiba for the current price. See on Rakuten Ichiba Find via furusato nozei (Furusato Honpo)

Pickled Chinese cabbageKochi 3.4×

国産昔ながらの白菜漬物 200g×10袋白菜漬け白菜漬物漬け物お漬物古漬けぬ… ★4.328 reviews￥4,315Price as of 2026-08-23. Prices change — please check Rakuten Ichiba for the current price. See on Rakuten Ichiba Find via furusato nozei (Furusato Honpo)

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