A Guide to West Japan’s Specialty Dishes

Size-wise, Japan may look like a small country, but it's actually made up of 47 distinct prefectures, each with its own cultural identity. Every prefecture is known for something a little different: its rugged mountains, its sacred historical sites, its abundance of onsen (hot springs), the list goes on. And of course, each prefecture also has its own specific foods. Local produce can vary across the country, and combined with the prefecture’s unique foodie culture, it’s led to some delicious specialties over time.

Check out these prefectures in West Japan for a culinary exploration you won’t get anywhere else.

Venture down to Fukuoka for some Hakata ramen noodles. This dish is known for its tender, thin noodles and rich, creamy tonkotsu (pork bone) broth. The toppings are typical of what you’d expect for ramen: soy sauce, steeped eggs, char siu pork, bamboo shoots, seaweed, and green onion. This dish’s namesake, Hakata, is what Fukuoka was originally called back around the early 20th century. You could often find this ramen at the shops near the docks, where workers needed something quick and cheap on their lunch breaks.

While you’re at it, get some Hakata gyoza pot stickers to go with your ramen. You’ll find them at restaurants and food stalls across Fukuoka. These bite-size dumplings usually contain minced meat and vegetables and are served with a tangy yuzu kosho (spicy citrus paste).

Hiroshima has its own way of making the classic okonomiyaki pancake dish. Here, okonomiyaki is created with separate ingredients — batter, noodles, meat, and vegetables — layered on top of each other rather than mixed in. It’s certainly trickier to cook okonomiyaki this way, so it’s best to leave it to the professionals for this meal. If you’re in Hiroshima City, be sure to visit Okonomimura, an entire building purely dedicated to serving okonomiyaki. This four-story building has over 20 counter-seat stalls to pick and choose from, each with its own specialties.

For something sweet, try a momiji manju. These little maple leaf-shaped cakes are usually filled with a smooth red bean paste, but variations include matcha-flavored bean paste, chestnut paste, custard cream, and more. Momiji, the Japanese maple, is the official tree of Hiroshima, making this one of the most popular souvenir gifts of the area.

If you’re a vegetarian in Kyoto, you’re in luck. Kyoto is famous for yuba, a superfood made from soybeans. This protein-filled tofu product is created from the layer that forms on top of boiled soy milk and is an extremely nutritious delicacy. It comes in sheets and can be found in soups, used as a wrap, or sometimes served cold by itself. It’s a classic Kyoto ingredient used in kaiseki banquet dinners and found on many menus throughout the prefecture.

If you want to continue on the soybean kick, try a refreshing yudofu as well. It’s a simple dish made with tofu, kelp, and a ponzu-based dipping sauce. It’s usually served hot in a heavy ironclad stewpot with a wooden lid. This dish was born out of shojin ryori, vegetarian cuisine originating from Buddhist dietary pratices. There are even yudofu restaurants founded back in the 1600s that you’ll still find in Kyoto today.

Nagasaki was famously a Portuguese trading base back in the 1500s. Not only did they trade goods here, but they also left their mark with the castella — Nagasaki’s signature dessert. Castella is a simple yellow sponge cake with a browned top and bottom that gained popularity hundreds of years ago when Portuguese missionaries introduced it to the area. You’ll find castella shops dotted all around Nagasaki, packaged in its signature long box that makes it perfect to bring home as a souvenir.

Many of Nagasaki’s specialty foods also have roots in Chinese cuisine. Take champon, for example: a ramen noodle soup dish in a thick and creamy lard-based broth. This ramen started out as a cheap meal among Chinese students in Nagasaki during the Meiji era, and it has since become a Nagasaki staple. Another option is the kakuni manju, a thick slice of pork belly sandwiched in a soft white bread bun. The pork is simmered in a soy-based broth for hours to make it extra tender, and it’s often served with some sliced cucumber and other veggies. You’ll find this street snack all over Nagasaki’s Chinatown, where they’re served out of big bamboo steamers.

Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture in Japan, is made up of over 160 subtropical islands. You’ll find that everything here is quite different from mainland Japan: the weather, the history, the culture, and especially the food.

Perhaps the most famous dish in all of Okinawa is goya chanpuru, a stir-fry of tofu, egg, pork, and goya. Goya is a cucumber-shaped squash otherwise known as bitter melon. It’s particularly popular in the summer months because the bitterness of the goya stimulates the appetite, even in the sweltering heat of Japanese summer.

Umibudo — or sea grape — is another ingredient unique to Okinawa. It’s a type of seaweed that’s made up of tiny bubble-shaped pods, creating quite a beautiful visual for any dish. In fact, it’s even been called green caviar because of its visually similar appearance. When you eat umibudo, the bubbles burst in your mouth, much like salmon roe. It’s often served as a garnish for noodles or rice dishes, alongside sashimi, or even on its own as a side dish.