Kagawa Food Guide: Sanuki Udon, Honetsuki-dori & Olive Cuisine

Sanuki Udon

The nickname "Udon Prefecture" has thoroughly taken root — and at the heart of that identity lies Kagawa's Sanuki udon culture, a source of genuine local pride.

The moment you slurp the first mouthful, you feel a powerful, springy resistance (koshi) against your teeth — followed immediately by the flood across your palate of a crystal-clear golden broth made patiently from niboshi (dried sardines). It is the perfect balance between noodle and broth that sets Sanuki udon apart from all competitors. With over 700 udon shops scattered across the prefecture, locals eat udon for breakfast as a matter of everyday routine. As a traveler, you owe it to yourself to dive deep into this culture.

Local-style enjoyment and insider spots: The "self-service udon shops" beloved by locals are the real heart of Kagawa udon culture. You pick up a tray, tell the staff the size you want, add your own toppings from the counter (tempura, chikuwa fish cake, raw egg), and pour your own broth from a pitcher. The experience is relaxed, fast, and delicious — and remarkably affordable, often less than 300 to 500 yen for a satisfying bowl. These shops can be hard to find without local knowledge, so do some research before you go.

For a more relaxed sit-down experience, there are also beautifully presented specialty udon restaurants where the care and precision of the preparation is evident in every bowl.

Must-try styles:

• Kamaage udon: Noodles served straight from the boiling water, dipped in warm broth — the most direct expression of Sanuki noodle quality
• Zaru udon: Cold noodles served on a bamboo draining rack with dipping broth — refreshing and elegantly simple
• Kake udon: Hot noodles in broth — the everyday classic

Recommended areas: Takamatsu city, Marugame, Zentsuji — all have high concentrations of well-regarded shops.

Honetsuki Dori (Bone-In Chicken Legs)

A dish born in Marugame and Marukami-cho, Honetsuki Dori is one of Kagawa's proudest and most fiercely local specialties — a dish you will not find in the same form anywhere else in Japan. Chicken legs are marinated in spices and then roasted until the skin is deeply crispy and the juices run golden clear. The bold, direct flavors are meant to be eaten hot, right off the bone, with your hands.

"Nakamuraya" in Marugame is widely credited as the originator of Honetsuki Dori. The original recipe — unchanged for decades — features a spice blend that is deceptively simple yet deeply satisfying. Lines form outside this small restaurant even on weekday lunchtimes. The patience is more than rewarded.

The combination of Honetsuki Dori with a cold local beer is, for many visitors, the most purely satisfying meal of their entire Japan trip.

How to eat: Grip the bone and tear the meat directly off with your teeth. It may not be elegant, but it is exactly right for this dish.

Recommended restaurants:

• Nakamuraya (Marugame): The legendary originator; always busy — early arrival recommended
• Torisho Toramatsu (Takamatsu): A well-regarded alternative in the prefectural capital

Olive Oil Cuisine (Shodoshima Island)

Shodoshima, Kagawa's largest island floating in the Seto Inland Sea, is the birthplace of olive cultivation in Japan. The sun-drenched Mediterranean-like climate of the island has supported olive farming for over a century, and today Shodoshima olive oil is a premium ingredient used by chefs across Japan.

On the island, you can enjoy cuisine where locally produced olive oil takes center stage: handmade pasta dressed with fresh olive oil and seasonal Seto Inland Sea seafood, olive-marinated chicken grills, and salads where the oil's bright, peppery finish lifts every element.

Freshly pressed olive oil — available only at source — has an intensity of flavor that jarred or shipped oil cannot replicate. Visiting in October and November, when olives are being harvested and pressed, is an especially rewarding time.

Specialty products to look for:

• Olive somen: Fine wheat noodles produced on Shodoshima, dressed with olive oil — a unique Kagawa combination
• Olive beef / olive pork: Local livestock raised partly on olive by-products, available at restaurants and specialty shops on the island

Access to Shodoshima: About 1 hour by ferry from Takamatsu Port; also accessible from Uno Port (Okayama Prefecture) and Himeji.

Recommended Gourmet Route Through Kagawa

An efficient plan to hit all the highlights:

1. Morning: Arrive at a self-service udon shop by 7 a.m. for breakfast udon in the local style 2. Midday: Marugame — Honetsuki Dori at Nakamuraya (arrive early to avoid queues) 3. Afternoon: Day trip to Shodoshima by ferry — olive oil lunch and sightseeing 4. Evening: Return to Takamatsu; dinner at a sit-down udon specialty restaurant or an izakaya featuring local Seto Inland Sea seafood

Access and Practical Information

Kagawa's food culture is as deep, distinctive, and genuinely local as any in Japan. Come hungry and eat like a local.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Sanuki udon: With 5.08 soba and udon restaurants per 10,000 residents, Kagawa Prefecture ranks first in Japan, about 2.6 times the national average of 1.99 establishments (2021 Economic Census for Business Activity). Shops that double as noodle factories are classified as manufacturing in the statistics, so the number of places where you can actually eat is said to be higher than this figure.
• Shoyu-mame: A local dish in which dried broad beans are roasted and then, while still hot, steeped in a seasoning liquid of soy sauce, sugar and chili pepper (they are not soybeans). It is thought to have first been made in Sanuki in the Edo period, broad beans having long been grown as a second crop after rice. It is eaten all year round as a standing side dish or an accompaniment to drinks.
• Main areas where it is served: Sanuki udon, all over the prefecture (Takamatsu City, Marugame City, Zentsuji City and so on); honetsuki-dori chicken, Marugame City and Takamatsu City; olives, Shodoshima Town and Tonosho Town; wasanbon sugar, Takamatsu City and elsewhere.
• Shodoshima Olive Park roadside station (1941-1 Nishimura-ko, Shodoshima Town, Shozu District, Kagawa Prefecture): Open 8:30-17:00, open all year round, parking free of charge. It sits on a hill surrounded by an olive grove of about 2,000 trees, with a Greek windmill as its landmark.
• Getting to Shodoshima: Ferries and high-speed boats depart from Takamatsu Port. Timetables change with the season and the route, so please check in advance.
• Olive harvest season: Around October to November. Freshly pickled olives and freshly pressed oil are unique to this time of year.
• Points to note: Udon shops keep short hours and many close as soon as the noodles sell out, so it is safest to plan an udon crawl for the morning or early afternoon. Some shops take cash only.

* Opening hours and prices vary from shop to shop.

(Sources: the Udon Prefecture Statistics Corner on the official Kagawa Prefecture website, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' Our Local Cuisine, Shoyu-mame (Kagawa Prefecture), and the official website of the Shodoshima Olive Park roadside station)