Pretty much anywhere you go in Japan you can find scenes of natural beauty and sites of cultural interest. But along with the appeal of the great outdoors and grand history, there’s another major reason to make you way to Japan’s various regions: delicious local foods.
In a recent survey of 559 Japanese adults, Hankyu Travel found that two out of every three said that eating regional specialties was a reason they picked their in-Japan travel destinations, with only about 10 percent saying food isn’t a factor at all for them. The researchers then asked those foodie-minded travelers which prefecture they wanted to go to, producing a top-10/10-course list of must-visit destinations for food travel in Japan.
- Miyagi Prefecture (chosen as a desirable destination by 15.8 percent of food-minded respondents)
The first food that springs to mind for Miyagi is gyutan, or grilled beef tongue, the representative food of the prefectural capital of Sendai. Miyagi is also famous for its zunda edamame-based desserts and their hazy moyamoya flavor, and visitors in winter can enjoy the famous oysters of Matsushima Bay and locally caught kinka mackerel.
- Kagawa Prefecture (16.4 percent)
Kagawa is so synonymous with udon noodles that the tourism board sometimes refers to it as “Udon Prefecture.” The local variety, called sanuki udon, is famous for the firm chewiness of the noodles, and is so loved that many udon restaurants open early in the morning to serve breakfast. There’s also a special winter version, called shippoku udon, with winter vegetables simmered in sardine stock broth.
- Kagoshima Prefecture (18 percent)
Kagoshima is famous for its satsuma-age fried fish cakes and kurobuta pork, the latter of which makes for some tasty hot pot during the winter months. The prefecture is also Japan’s top producer of farmed amberjack (called kampachi in Japanese), and if you’re looking for some alcoholic accompaniment to your meal, Kagoshima’s sweet potato shochu is not to be missed.
- Toyama Prefecture (20.9 percent)
Without a lot of tourism attractions, Toyama doesn’t get as many travelers as a lot of other places in Japan. However, Toyama Bay is a treasure trove of delicious seafood, such as shrimp, crab, and especially yellowtail (buri) that are extra-sweet in winter when they’ve bulked up against the cold. Toyama even has its own local ramen style, Toyama black ramen, with a deeply colored soy sauce broth.
6. Osaka Prefecture (21.7 percent)
In contrast to Toyama, Osaka is one of the top travel destinations in Japan, thanks to sights such as Osaka Castle and Universal Studios Japan. Osaka City in particular, though, also has a long-standing reputation as a town filled with gastronomic gusto, as evidenced by its huge number of takoyaki (octopus dumpling) stands and restaurants serving up kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers of meat, seafood, or vegetables) and Osaka-style okonomiyaki, in which the ingredients of the savory pancake are mixed together in a bowl before cooking. Osaka can also do classy cuisine too, with tecchiri, blowfish (fugu) hot pot, being a popular meal in autumn and winter.
- Kyoto Prefecture (23.1 percent)
Like Osaka, Kyoto doesn’t necessarily need great food to attract visitors, being Japan’s capital of traditional culture (and confusing communication). Still, you can find all sorts of great things to eat in Kyoto, from locally grown vegetables (called Kyo yasai) prized for their freshness and flavor, to yudofu (tofu simmered in kombu stock) and nishin soba (buckwheat noodles with dried herring). And of course we can’t forget all the mouthwatering matcha desserts created courtesy of the quality tea grown in the Kyoto town of Uji.
- Ishikawa Prefecture (23.6 percent)
Ishikawa, located on the northern side of Japan’s main island of Honshu and bordering the Sea of Japan, probably could have made the list on the strength of its crab and sushi alone (which is why we made multiple visits to Omicho seafood market during our one-night stay in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa). Add in the appeal of Noto beef from Ishikawa’s northern Noto peninsula, delicious but without the brand-name-fame prices of Kobe beef, and your stomach will be very happy on a trip here.
- Okinawa Prefecture (25.5 percent)
As the most far-flung part of Japan, Okinawa has a very unique food culture, and it’s a very tasty one too. The distinct flavor of goya champuru, bitter melon stir-fry, and soki soba (noodles with boneless pork ribs), More adventurous types might want to try the pig’s feet, while your sweet tooth can be satisfied with various taro desserts, sata andagi frybread, or the frozen treats of local-favorite ice cream brand Blue Seal. Plus, this is the only part of Japan where you can regularly find spam musubi rice balls.
- Fukuoka Prefecture (28.2 percent)
Fukuoka’s location along the northern coast of the southwestern island of Kyushu gives it good seafood access, and this is Japan’s top prefecture for mentaiko (spicy cod roe). The biggest name in Fukuoka food, however, is Hakata ramen. The downtown Fukuoka City neighborhood of Hakata is the mecca for these thin, firm noodles served in tonkotsu (pork stock) broth, with the roadside yatai (stalls) being the most atmospheric place to chow down on them.
- Hokkaido (78.8 percent)
Finally, for the top of the list, we go all the way to the top of the map of Japan. Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost prefecture, has a couple of things going for it from a foodie standpoint. It’s Japan’s most spacious prefecture, and all that agricultural land results in the country’s best-loved corn and potatoes, and also ample dairy space for cheese, ice cream, and other milky delights.
Hokkaido’s colder waters result in better-tasting crab, and aficionados largely agree that Hokkaido’s uni (sea urchin) and ikura (salmon roe) are head and shoulders above their counterparts from other parts of Japan. Factor in Hokkaido’s famous soup curry (thinner and spicier than standard Japanese curry) and flat-grilled mutton (called “Genghis Kahn” in Japan), and Hokkaido has something to satisfy just about any craving, making it an undeniably great place if you’re packing your appetite when traveling in Japan.
Source: Hankyu Travel via PR Times
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