Gunma Food Guide: Mizusawa Udon, Yaki Manju & Konnyaku

Gunma Prefecture has a fine range of distinctive local specialities to enjoy alongside its hot springs and famous sights: "Mizusawa udon," counted among Japan's three great udon; "yaki manju," fragrant with sweet-savoury sauce; and "konnyaku," of which Gunma produces more than anywhere else in Japan. Rustic yet profound, Gunma's flavours are sure to satisfy visitors. These are dishes well worth trying between spells of sightseeing.

Mizusawa Udon

Mizusawa udon ranks alongside Inaniwa udon of Akita and Sanuki udon of Kagawa as one of the "three great udon of Japan." It was born in front of the gate of Mizusawa Kannon, near Ikaho Onsen, as food with which to welcome worshippers. It is characterised by a firm bite, a smooth feel on the throat and an almost translucent whiteness. The standard way to eat it is chilled as zaru udon, dipped in sesame sauce or soy-based sauce. Long-established udon restaurants stand side by side in front of the temple gate.

Yaki Manju

Gunma's soul food is "yaki manju." Plain manju (basically without any bean paste filling) are threaded onto bamboo skewers, generously brushed with a rich sweet-savoury miso sauce and grilled over charcoal. The fragrance of the grilled miso and the fluffy texture of the manju are irresistible. Available at festival stalls and specialist shops, it is a simple local flavour long loved by the people of Gunma.

Konnyaku

Gunma Prefecture ranks first in Japan for the harvest of konnyaku potatoes, the raw material of konnyaku, accounting for more than 90 per cent of the national total, making it a major production centre (JA Group Gunma states "about 97 per cent of national production"). There is even a park in the prefecture with konnyaku as its theme, popular for the variety of konnyaku dishes on offer. Sashimi-style konnyaku, konnyaku sweets and many other healthy and varied menu items are available. Perfect as a souvenir, it is a speciality product that represents Gunma.

Joshu Mugi Buta (Wheat-Fed Pork)

Gunma's premium pork brand. Delicate flavour and tenderness — ideal for shabu-shabu and tonkatsu.

Toge no Kamameshi

Japan's most famous train bento, sold at Yokokawa Station. A clay pot filled with seasoned rice, chicken and burdock root.

Okkirikomi (Okirikomi)

Gunma is a noted producer of wheat flour. Thanks to well-drained paddy fields and the influence of the "karakkaze," the dry cold wind that blows in winter, wheat grows vigorously here, and production is among the highest in the country. Along with the growing of "Kinu no Nami" and "Sato no Sora" — varieties improved by Gunma Prefecture's Agricultural Technology Centre and now grown in production areas across Japan — processed products made from wheat flour are also actively manufactured, and a distinctive flour-based food culture has developed. Its leading example is "okkirikomi." Unsalted wide noodles, made from nothing but wheat flour and water, are simmered without pre-boiling in a large pot together with vegetables such as carrot, spring onion, daikon, shiitake, potato and taro. The name is said to come from rolling the noodle dough around a rolling pin and making a "cut" (kirikomi) with a knife. It has been enjoyed as an everyday staple since around the middle of the Edo period, when stone hand-mills spread among ordinary people, and in 2014 it was designated, as "Gunma's Flour-Food Culture: Okirikomi," an intangible folk cultural property of Gunma Prefecture for which measures such as documentation should be taken. There are no strict rules about the thickness of the noodles, the kinds of vegetables or the seasoning, and part of the appeal is that the flavour differs from household to household. The starch that dissolves out of the noodles thickens the broth into something rich and heavy — a bowl that warms you right through.

Koshine-jiru, Born in Tomioka

Tomioka City in the south of Gunma Prefecture has a local soup called "koshine-jiru." Tomioka is home to Mount Myogi, which together with Mount Akagi and Mount Haruna makes up the Jomo Sanzan, and the Kabura River, a first-class river of the Tone system, flows through the centre of the city; the climate is mild and dry. Konnyaku, which dislikes damp, shiitake grown on logs, and the thick and splendid Shimonita negi all grow well here. Taking the initial sounds of the three ingredients that represent this Kanra-Tomioka area — "konnyaku," "shiitake" and "negi" — the Tomioka City Federation of Women's Associations devised and named "koshine-jiru." As the World Heritage Tomioka Silk Mill shows, sericulture once flourished in this area, but as consumption of silk products declined, agriculture that made use of the climate increased and konnyaku potatoes and shiitake came to be produced. It is a local dish born out of that shift. Apart from the three key ingredients there are no rules, and plenty of locally produced farm and livestock products go in — burdock, taro, carrot, tofu, pork and more. Today it is enjoyed as home cooking and is also served in school lunches.

The Origins of Yaki Manju

Gunma's yaki manju is said to have originated in the "miso-zuke manju" made at the end of the Edo period by a man from Maebashi called Harashima Ruizo. At the time, manju made using doburoku (unrefined sake) as a leavening agent was unusual, and the idea of skewering manju on bamboo sticks is said to have been received with astonishment as well. The miso sauce was not particularly sweet at first, but brown sugar syrup began to be imported in the Meiji era, and the flavour is said to have changed into something close to what we know today. Yaki manju is made by the method of "sake manju," fermented using koji: doburoku is added to wheat flour and glutinous rice and fermented, the mixture is steamed into manju, then skewered on bamboo, brushed with miso sauce and grilled. When the surface has dried a little it is brushed again, and repeating this two or three times on each side is the craftsman's skill. The fragrant smell of scorched miso drifting from stalls at cherry-blossom viewing and summer festivals has long drawn festival-goers in. It is usual to take each manju off the skewer and eat it with chopsticks, and in the north of the prefecture, in places such as Numata City and Tone County, sweet yaki manju filled with bean paste are also eaten.

Best Season and Access

These specialities can be enjoyed all year round. If you combine them with a hot spring, the cold season is also recommended. For access, Takasaki Station on the JR lines and Joetsu Shinkansen is the gateway. Enjoy sampling Gunma's distinctive food along with the prefecture's famous sights such as Ikaho Onsen, Kusatsu Onsen and the Tomioka Silk Mill.

Practical Information

• How Mizusawa udon is regarded: Shibukawa City's official website introduces it as "one of the three great udon of Japan, alongside 'Inaniwa udon' of Akita Prefecture and 'Sanuki udon' of Kagawa Prefecture." The noodles are made from wheat, water and salt alone, and are characterised by a translucent sheen and a smooth feel on the throat.
• History: It is said that a monk from Goryeo who took part in the founding of Mizusawa-dera in the reign of Empress Suiko (592–628) transmitted the method of making udon, and that from around 1576 udon made with locally grown wheat and the spring water of Mizusawa began to be served to hot spring visitors and worshippers — this is regarded as the beginning.
• Main areas where it is served: shops stand side by side along the "Mizusawa Udon Kaido" that runs up to the gate of Mizusawa-dera (Mizusawa Kannon) in Mizusawa, Ikaho Town, Shibukawa City. It can be visited together with Ikaho Onsen.
• Konnyaku potatoes: Gunma Prefecture ranks first in Japan for harvest volume, accounting for more than 90 per cent of the national total (JA Group Gunma states "about 97 per cent of national production"). It is an important speciality product of the hilly and mountainous areas.
• Note on allergies: Wheat, the raw material of udon, is one of the "specified raw materials" that the Consumer Affairs Agency requires to be labelled. The miso sauce for yaki manju also contains wheat and soy.
• Note on konnyaku jelly and similar products: Jelly containing konnyaku is highly elastic, and accidents in which it has become stuck in the throats of infants and elderly people have been reported. Take care to cut it into small pieces and eat only a little at a time.

*Opening hours, closing days and prices differ from shop to shop, so please check directly with the Shibukawa Ikaho Onsen Tourism Association or with each shop.*

*(Sources: Shibukawa City official website, "Mizusawa Udon"; JA Group Gunma official website; Consumer Affairs Agency, "Information on Food Allergy Labelling")*