The Chubu & Kansai regions of Japan each have their own unique food specialties.  The Regional Foods Series by Etsuko of Tokyofoodcast started earlier this month with will continue on Friday’s throughout the month of January at The Nihon Sun.

Today we’ll cover the regional foods of Chubu & Kansai…

Chubu

Miso-katsu – As an ex-Nagoya resident, this is my favorite dish from Nagoya. Deep fried pork cutlet is served with sweet, salty, thick red miso sauce, sometimes sprinkled with sesame. In a way, it is a bit like Mexican Mole Rojo.

Hoba miso – In this special cooking style from Takayama, miso is combined with vegetables, mushrooms, and sometimes beef and cooked on a Magnolia leaf.

Fugu-no-ko Nukazuke – Only a few areas in Ishikawa make this traditional food so it may be hard to find. Blowfish roe are pickled in nukazuke mix made from with rice bran and salt for two to three years. Somehow, the most poisonous part of this deadly fish becomes harmless with this preservation process. While this may not be on your must try list, sliced paper thin, this is one of the best foods to enjoy with sake.  Learn more about the preparation of Fugu-no-ko Nukazuke at Ishikawa’s Tradition of Fermentation Food.

Image Credit:  Miso-katsu, Hoba miso with beef, Fugu-no-ko nukazuke (pictured on right)

Kansai

Funazushi - This dish from Shiga that smells like blue cheese or used socks is believed to be the very original form of sushi. Today the extreme scarcity of fresh water fish like funa from Lake Biwa is causing a great concern for not only locals but all foodies in love with this stinky dish.

Yatsuhashi – People from Kyoto may disagree, but Yatsuhashi, is a synonym for Kyoto sweets to visitors like me. It’s the thing to get from Kyoto to bring back as gifts for your family or co-workers.  It’s either a dry sweet cinnamon flavored fortune cookie or a soft ravioli type (pictured) with sweet fillings wrapped with rice flour parcel. Cinnamon flavor is de facto, but you may also find new flavors such as mango, blueberry and strawberry.

Tako-yaki – Famous octopus balls you find throughout Japan today is believed to be originally from Osaka. There’s even a takoyaki museum in the city!

Image Credit: Shiga Cuisine; Funazushi, Green tea and yatsuhashi (pictured on right) & tako yaki time

If you are planning a trip to Chubu be sure to taste these regional specialties and learn about more things to do and see in the region by reading Japan: A Closer Look at Chubu Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3 and keep reading The Nihon Sun to see our closer look at Kansai coming soon.

Check back next Friday when I will tell you about the regional foods of Chugoku & Shikoku.  In the meantime please visit me at Tokyofoodcast to follow my foodie adventures in Japan and learn more about Japanese food and food culture .

Other Regional Foods of Japan

Hokkaido

Tohoku & Kanto

Shizuoka Prefecture

Lying halfway between Tokyo & Osaka, Shizuoka Prefecture sits on the Pacific Ocean at the base of Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan.

If you are a hiker then you will definitely want to consider on of the various Mt Fuji climbing routes.  The mountain is a volcano made by layers of basaltic lava and eruption ash that has an altitude 3,776m and extends for 35km (east – west) and 45km (north – south).  It offers views of the Boso Peninsula, the Fuji Five Lakes, Mt. Yatsu, the North and South Alps, Izu Peninsula and the Izu Seven Islands from it’s peak.

Visit the Mishima Taishi Shrine in Mishima City where Minamoto-no-Yoritomo prayed for 100 days before starting to restore power to the Genji Family in the twelfth century.

Take in the Hamamatsu Festival each May where kite flying during the day is followed by a parade of 70 impressive yatai (palace-lake floats) in the evening.

Fuji International Speedway is home to the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix each October and can be accessed from Tokyo in approximately 90 minutes.

Take the 7 minute ropeway to Katsuragi Mountain Panorama that offers views of Mt. Fuji, Mt. Hakone, Mt. Amagi as well as Suruga Bay and is also home to a flower park and the Katsuragi Shrine.

Visit the Kawazu Seven Falls and stay at some of the areas onsen (hot springs) (Kawazu Waterfall & area map – PDF)

Take in the three historic castles in Kakegawa (Kakegawa castle, Yokosuka castle & Takatenjin castle)

Tour the Sapporo Beer Factory in Yaizu.

The Okuoi area in northern Shizuoka is located in a lush valley and surrounded by mountains. Ride on an antique steam locomotive to get to the area.

Visit the Nihondaira plateau, one of Japan’s top 100 sightseeing spots and the Toro Agricultural Ruins,  near Shizuoka City, the prefectural capital.

Take in the Shuzenji Nijinosato Garden in Izu City to take in seasonal flowers and observe craftsmen making paper, Edo tops, ceramics  and other traditional crafts.  Use this map of Shuzenji to learn about the areas other sights.

If you would like learn more about traditional Japanese crafts be sure to browse through the hands-on activities in Shizuoka.

Explore more things to do and see in Shizuoka Prefecture by visiting the Shizuoka Guide or the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) Shizuoka pages.

Toyama Prefecture

Toyama prefecture is one of the smallest in Japan with a radius of only 50 kilometers and is surrounded by mountains on three sides.

Traverse the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, a 90km mountain tourism route that crosses the Northern Alps from Toyama city to Shinanoomachi in Nagano prefecture.

Visit the Nagami coast to take in stunning views of the Japanese Alps across the water..

From mid-April to early May take the Hotaruika (Firefly Squid) Sightseeing Tour or visit the Hotaruika Museum year-round to learn more about these interesting creatures in Namerikawa.

Visit the Uozu Buried Forest Museum to see the ruin of the virgin cedar forests that were buried over 1500 years ago or visit the Toyama Museum Association to learn about other museums in the area.

See the Gohyaku-rakan (500 stone disciples of Buddha) on the hillside near the Chokeiji Temple and Toyama Folk Craft Village in the same area.

Visit the Toyama Castle year-round or attend Toyama Matsuri (festival) in early August each year.

Try glass blowing at the Toyama Glass Studio.

Visit the Takaoka Daibutsu, one of the three great statues of Buddha in Japan.  Weighing in at 65 tons and standing 16 meters tall – this is one big Buddha!

Visit Toyama Travel Navigator or the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) Toyama pages to discover more things to do and see in Toyama Prefecture.

Yamanashi Prefecture

Sitting on the western side of Tokyo, Yamanashi prefecture is home to beautiful national parks and is one of the portals to Mt. Fuji.

Visit one of three national parks in Yamanashi:

• Minami Alps National Park is home to Mt. Kitadake, the second only to Mt. Fuji in terms of height.
• Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park is home to over 2,800 plant and animal species in their natural habitat including deer, monkeys, squirrels, and a variety of birds.
• Yatsugatake-Chushin-Kogen Quasi-National Park spans both Yamanashi and Nagano prefectures and the foothills in the park are home to many dairy farms.

Visit the Fuji Five Lakes Region to see the lake created by lava flow from Mt. Fuji.  The five lakes are Yamanaka-ko, Kawaguchi-ko, Sai-ko, Shoji-ko, and Motosu-ko.

Mitake Shosenkyo Gorge offers great scenic beauty to visitors and is home to Sengataki Falls, at a height of 30 meters, as well as the Kage-e (shadow pictures) and Shippo (cloisonne) museums.

Visit the Onsen (hot springs) of Yamanashi.  Masutomi Hot Spring Resort is one of the most famous in Japan and is said to have healing properties due to the high radium content of it’s water.

Enter the Fuji Sengen Jinja by walking along a picturesque path lined with cedar trees and mossy stone lanterns.  Take in the Yoshida Fire Festival held at the shrine in late August each year to commemorate the end of the Mt. Fuji climbing season.

Some great festivals are held in Yamanashi Prefecture including the Shingen-ko Festival that features a parade of local residents dressed as authentic samurai warriors and the Battle of Kawanakajima Living Picture Scroll Reenactment.

Visit the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Archealogy to view excavated earthenware, stoneware and burial mounds.

Explore more things to do and see in Yamanashi Prefecture by visiting Yamanashi Tourist Information or the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) Yamanashi pages.

Odd Facts & Trivia

Rail enthusiasts will be interested to know that the Ikawa Line in the Okuoi area is the only Alternate Biting Tooth (ABT) system in Japan.  It reaches an elevation of 100 meters above ground level and is also the highest of all the private rail lines in the country.

The first wine made in Japan was brewed in Kofu, the prefectural capital of Yamanashi, around 1871.  Today aproximately 70% of wine produced in Japan is made in Yamanashi.

Chubu Trip Planning

Visit the Chubu Area Tourism Portal to learn about more great things to do and see in the region and review the model course itineraries in Chubu.

Articles in the Japan: A Closer Look series:

• Japan: A Closer Look at Hokkaido
• Japan: A Closer Look at Tohoku – Part 1 & Part 2
• Japan: A Closer Look at Chubu – Part 1 & Part 2

Be sure to read “Cut & Paste Japan Trip Planning” for other great resources on travel, culture and current events in Japan.

Image Credit:  Flickr, 浜松祭り (Hamamatsu Matsuri Kite), Snow trail for tourists & Sengataki Falls

Ishikawa Prefecture

Ishikawa Prefecture combines the beauty of rugged mountains with lush plains and extendw along the Sea of Japan.  The capital of Ishikawa, Kanazawa, is one of the few great castle towns of Japan that was spared wartime damage.  The city hosts over 7 million visitors each year  and is home to many historic sites.

Download a tourist map of Kanazawa, make a reservation on one of two Kanazawa sightseeing busses or plan on seeing some of these sights independently:

• Visit Kanazawa Castle Park  and wander through nearby Kenrokuen Garden, a prefectural cultural property and special scenic spot (Kenrokuen Garden walking course).
• Try your hand at traditional Yuzen dying or dress in a Kimono at Kaga Yuzen Traditional Industry Center.
• Tour a traditional samurai residence or Chaya, one of three geisha districts in the city.
• Learn about the process of manufacturing gold leaf and see works incorporating this precious metal at the Kanazawa Yasue Gold-Leaf Museum.

In the Kaga/Hakusan area, visit Hakusan National Park, known for being one of the 3 most famous mountains in Japan along with Mt. Fuji and Mt. Tateyama.

In the Noto area of Ishikawa, visit the steeply sloped and picturesque Senmaida Rice Fields or drive your car along 8 kilometers of sandy Chirihama Beach at sunset.

Explore more of Ishikawa with itineraries suggested by the Ishikawa Tourism Guide.

Nagano Prefecture

Home to vistas of the Japanese Alps and often referred to as the “roof of Japan”, Nagano hosted the 1998 Winter Olympic Games and it’s prefectual capital, Nagano City, is situated closely to the geographic center of Japan and only two and a half hours from Tokyo by limited express train.

Visits the castle town of Matsumoto to visit their famous sake breweries.

Take a short walk or a long hike around Utsukushigahara Heights which literally translated means beautiful plateau, and take in the 360 degree view of the mountains on the horizon.

Explore the Hachibuse mountain bike trail (1928 Meter elevation) or add hikes around Matsumoto to your itinerary.

Take in the Saito Kinen Festival (classical & chamber music) in August.

Ski, hike, golf or just relax at Nozawa Onsen, a place that boasts of a history dating back to the 11th century.

Attend the Dosojin Fire Festival each January where prayers for a plentiful harvest, health and good fortune in the coming year are consecrated by the burning of an 18 meter tall shaden (shrine) that is built by residents and blessed by a Shinto Priest.

Visit Zenko-ji Temple, the third largest wooden structure in Japan, where you can experience going through the ordination platform designed to be used during the ordination rites of priests and into a dark tunnel that is said to be home to the key to paradise.

Stroll along the stone paved slopes of Kiso to see historic homes from the Edo Period.

Learn more about what to do and see in Nagano at the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) website.

Niigata Prefecture

Niigata prefecture borders the Sea of Japan and has been home to thriving seaports since the Edo Period.  The area is famous for it’s onsen, winter sports and sake.

Learn about the history and culture of the port town and prefetural capital, Niigata City, at the Niigata City Museum.

See a Noh play , visit the Sado Gold Mine, learn how to maneuver a traditional Bunya Puppet or play Taiko Drums on picturesque Sado Island.   The island is home to many great events,  museums, and temples.

Visit the Yakiho Village, the shrine of the same name encompasses 13 hectares of land and is home to the Bridge for Gods (Tamanohashi Bridge).  Take the Yahiko-yama ropeway to the top of Mt. Yakiko (638 meters) and stand on the 100 meter rotating observatory to see a 360 degree view of the area, including Sado Island, or visit Yahiko park with its beautiful cherry blossom in the spring or it’s stunning color in autumn.

Visit Yuzawa Town in the Japanese Alps for winter sports, summer hiking, fishing & golf or visit the Yuzawa town onsen (hot springs) year round.

Take of the the recommended tour courses, review the Niigata seasonal tourist information or browse through the Niigata Guide to make the most of your visit to Niigata prefecture.

Odd Facts & Trivia

The Hokuriku Shinkansen (a high-speed railway line) from Tokyo to Kanazawa will come in operation in 2014.

An old belief in Japan dictates that, for men, the ages of twenty-five and forty-two are unlucky.

The longest river in Japan, the Shinano-gawa River (367 kilometers long) runs through in Niigata prefecture.

Chubu Trip Planning

Visit the Chubu Area Tourism Portal to learn about more great things to do and see in the region and to review the ten thrilling scenic sites of Chubu.

Articles in the Japan: A Closer Look series:

• Japan: A Closer Look at Hokkaido
• Japan: A Closer Look at Tohoku – Part 1 & Part 2
• Japan: A Closer Look at Chubu – Part 1

Image Credit:  Flickr, 20080813 Yotsuya 6, IMG_0651 edit & Niigata Ski Trip 2006