Okkirikomi: Gunma Country Hotpot

Handed down for generations in Gunma homes, okkirikomi is a country dish of wide fresh noodles simmered with vegetables. The name is said to come from cutting and adding the noodles again and again as it cooks, and because the floured noodles go straight into the pot, the broth thickens into a rustic bowl that warms you to the core. Chosen among the hundred best country dishes of Japan, it is positioned in Gunma as a food culture worthy of record as an intangible folk cultural property.

Highlights

Traditionally it uses plenty of seasonal vegetables such as taro, daikon, carrot, and mushrooms. Because the noodles are made without salt and simmered straight in, starch released from them enriches the broth, which combined with miso or soy seasoning yields a deeply nourishing flavor. Depending on the area it comes in miso or soy versions, and the ingredients and taste vary a little from home to home. The warmth of gathering around a single pot is the very heart of this dish.

Enjoying the Seasons

It truly shines in the depths of a harsh winter, becoming a special treat on a snowy day. Adding seasonal root vegetables lets its expression shift slightly with the seasons, a pleasure unique to home cooking. Pairing it with Gunma winter vegetables such as Shimonita negi makes for an even more local bowl.

Access and Basic Information

You can enjoy it at local cuisine restaurants and eateries across the prefecture, starting with Takasaki. Roadside stations sometimes serve it too, letting you meet the home taste of Gunma along the way. The name varies by area, such as okirikomi, and a close dish in the neighboring Chichibu area is called niboto.

Practical Travel Notes

• Serving area: local cuisine restaurants, eateries, and roadside stations across Gunma, starting with Takasaki.
• How to eat: the authentic way is to simmer the noodles with the ingredients rather than boiling them separately, scooping up the thickened broth with the noodles.
• Budget guide: it generally sits in an approachable price range as a bowl of local cuisine.
• Season: as a warming hotpot dish, it tastes all the better eaten in the cold months.
• Nearby spots: Takasaki has the Byakue Kannon and Shorinzan Darumaji nearby, so you can enjoy city sightseeing along with the local dish.

A Quick Tip

Rather than boiling the noodles separately, simmer them straight in, the authentic way. Scoop up the thickened broth along with the noodles and savor the rustic warmth whole.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Public facility where you can taste it: Roadside Station Kurabuchi Oguri no Sato (296-1 Sannokura, Kurabuchi-machi, Takasaki City / TEL 027-384-8282). It is open 9:00-18:00 and closed on the 2nd Thursday of each month. The dining hall Omotenashi-dokoro Oguri serves okirikomi all year round, and the official Gunma Prefecture tourism website states that meals are served from 11:00 to 14:00, with okirikomi at 770 yen and chilled okirikomi at 930 yen.
• Its name as a cultural property: In 2014 it was designated an intangible folk cultural property of Gunma Prefecture under the name Gunma no Funshoku Bunka Okirikomi (Gunma's flour-food culture, okirikomi).
• The original ingredients: According to the records of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the basic method is to combine wheat-flour noodles with vegetables such as carrot, Japanese leek and shiitake mushrooms and simmer them in a large pot without boiling the noodles first; the choice of vegetables and the seasoning differ from household to household.

Note: Opening hours and prices vary from one restaurant to another.

(Sources: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Our Local Cuisine: Okirikomi / Okkirikomi, Gunma Prefecture; official Gunma Prefecture tourism website Kokoro ni Gugutto Kanko Gunma, Roadside Station Kurabuchi Oguri no Sato page; official Takasaki City website; official website of Roadside Station Kurabuchi Oguri no Sato)

Information Sources

This article is compiled from tourist information provided by Gunma Prefecture together with information published by the individual establishments. Prices and menus differ from shop to shop and are subject to change, so please check the official information of each establishment for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Budget guide: Affordable at around 1,000 yen a serving
• Where to eat it: Local cuisine restaurants and eateries across Gunma Prefecture
• Recommended time of day: Both lunch and dinner, and especially popular in the cold season
• Avoiding the crowds: Popular restaurants fill up at lunchtime, so shift your timing
• Enjoy it together with: Shimonita negi leeks and other Gunma root vegetables, and a hot spring trip in Gunma