Yamaguchi Food Guide: Fugu, Kawara Soba & Uiro

Fugu Cuisine

"When it comes to fugu, it's Shimonoseki" - and there is no falsehood in those words. Famed as Japan's number-one hub for fugu, Shimonoseki is where about 80 percent of the nation's catch is said to gather, truly the sacred ground of fugu.

What you can experience only here is an authentic fugu course meal enjoyed at a traditional restaurant. The tessa (fugu sashimi), sliced so thin it is almost transparent, is spread across the plate as beautifully as chrysanthemum flowers, and its appearance alone is enough to take your breath away. The distinctive crunchy texture and the light yet deep flavor make for a taste you cannot forget once you have eaten it. In the cold season, tecchiri (fugu hot pot) is exceptional, and the sweetness of the milt and flesh, soaked in broth, makes it impossible to put down your chopsticks. The finishing rice porridge will surely be carved deeply into your travel memory as a bowl concentrating the flavor of fugu. If you want to enjoy it casually, fugu karaage (fried fugu) is also recommended. The crisp, juicy texture pairs perfectly with beer. After your meal, warm up from the core of your body with hirezake (fin-infused sake).

The best season is October to March. Winter, when wild torafugu reaches its peak season, is the prime timing when the flavor becomes richest. Since lunch courses can be enjoyed relatively reasonably, using them for lunch is recommended for travelers. Dinner at traditional restaurants requires reservations, and on weekends it is not unusual for them to fill up weeks in advance. Booking early is the key to a successful trip.

(pin) Access: About 10 minutes by bus from JR Shimonoseki Station, right after getting off at the Karato bus stop. The area around Karato Market has many eateries where you can taste fugu at reasonable prices, so it is good to first try comparing several.

(light bulb) Tip: At Karato Market, "Iki-iki Bakan-gai" is held on the mornings of every Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and holidays, where you can enjoy side dishes and nigiri sushi made with fresh fugu at reasonable prices. This morning market, frequented even by locals, is truly a hidden gem for travelers.

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Kawara Soba

A visual you cannot forget once you have seen it, and a savory aroma that stimulates the appetite - kawara soba is a distinctive gourmet dish born in Shimonoseki's Kawatana Onsen.

It is a dish in which vivid green chasoba (green tea noodles) are laid on top of a real, piping-hot roof tile, topped with sweet-and-savory simmered beef, kinshi tamago (shredded egg crepe) that adds color, and nori and momiji oroshi. The moment it is carried to the table, the sizzling sound, the rising steam, and the fragrant aroma of the chasoba stimulate your appetite all at once. As you eat, the soba cooks crisply from the heat of the tile, and savoring the difference in texture between the crispy parts and the soft parts is the true delight of this dish. The refreshing spiciness of the momiji oroshi dissolved in the dipping sauce tightens up the overall flavor.

In fact, there is an anecdote that this dish was born inspired by soldiers using roof tiles to make field rations during the Satsuma Rebellion of the Meiji era, making it a dish that also evokes the romance of history.

The best season is year-round, but autumn to winter, combined with a hot spring trip, is recommended. By all means try the blissful course of enjoying piping-hot kawara soba after a bath at Kawatana Onsen, as a standard plan for a Yamaguchi trip.

(pin) Access: About a 10- to 15-minute walk from JR Kawatana Onsen Station. Starting with the originating shop "Tasei Ryokan," several specialty shops are dotted around the hot spring town. There are also shops serving it within Shimonoseki City, so you can stop by while sightseeing in Shimonoseki.

(light bulb) Tip: Many popular shops form lines at lunchtime, so aiming right after opening or for a late lunch after 2 p.m. lets you get in smoothly. Kawara soba can be ordered for one person, but the local way to enjoy it is to share among 2 to 3 people.

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Uiro

When it comes to standard Yamaguchi souvenirs, the top is undoubtedly uiro. It is often compared to Nagoya's uiro, but Yamaguchi's uiro is a one-of-a-kind Japanese sweet that differs in many ways.

Yamaguchi uiro, made by carefully mixing glutinous rice flour, sugar, and adzuki beans and then steaming it slowly, has its greatest charm in that chewy elasticity the moment you put it in your mouth. The soft, melting texture and the refined, simple sweetness spread fully throughout your mouth. Its flavor, neither too sweet nor cloying, pairs perfectly with tea and gently heals the fatigue of travel. Starting with the standard version containing adzuki beans, seasonal-limited flavors such as matcha, yuzu, and brown sugar also appear, so there are new discoveries no matter how many times you visit.

In Yamaguchi, long-established Japanese sweet shops passed down through generations are dotted in each area, and one of the pleasures is that the texture and sweetness differ subtly from shop to shop. The sight of locals carrying it around as a gift is utterly ordinary, which shows just how much it is a famous sweet rooted in daily life.

The morning is recommended for buying it. Since popular shops sometimes sell out by afternoon, stopping by at the start of your sightseeing is reassuring.

(pin) Access: Available for purchase at Japanese sweet shops around JR Yamaguchi Station and Shin-Yamaguchi Station. It is also handled at souvenir shops in tourist areas such as Shimonoseki and Hagi.

(light bulb) Tip: Since many uiro do not keep long, it is best to eat it the same day or by the next day after purchase. If you absolutely want to take it home as a souvenir, choosing the vacuum-packed type is reassuring. Also, if a shop offers eat-in service, by all means taste freshly steamed uiro on the spot. Its exceptional softness is a deliciousness in a class apart from take-home items.

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Iwakuni Sushi

Also called "lord's sushi," Iwakuni sushi is a prestigious local dish said to have once been served at the table of the Iwakuni domain. Its gorgeous appearance and the multi-layered flavor that spreads with each bite captivate travelers.

It is a pressed sushi in which vinegared rice is laid in a large wooden frame and ingredients such as lotus root, kinshi tamago, shrimp, shiitake, and sakura denbu (pink seasoned fish flakes) are layered colorfully and pressed firmly into many layers, with the cross-section drawing a beautiful layer like a jewelry box. The traditional style of eating is to cut a large block into portions for the number of people, a remnant still remaining today of how it was once served at celebratory gatherings enjoyed by large groups. The refreshing acidity of the vinegared rice, the crisp texture of the lotus root, and the flavor of the sweet-and-savory simmered shiitake harmonize splendidly, making it a dish where you can enjoy both the beauty of color and the depth of flavor at the same time.

It is a dish we want you to taste as a set when sightseeing at Iwakuni Castle or Kintaikyo Bridge. At eateries and souvenir shops around the tourist areas, handy packaged versions are also sold, so it is perfect as a companion for your stroll.

(pin) Access: About 20 to 30 minutes by bus toward Kintaikyo from JR Iwakuni Station or JR Shin-Iwakuni Station. It is served and sold at restaurants and souvenir shops around Kintaikyo.

(light bulb) Tip: Since much Iwakuni sushi is made in advance, eating it during the high-freshness morning to lunch hours is recommended. Some shops let you order for one person, but small portioned packs for eating while walking are also plentiful, so savoring it on the Kintaikyo bridge is the connoisseur's way to enjoy it.

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Kencho

To round off your trip, why not warm your heart and body with kencho, long beloved by the people of Yamaguchi?

This dish, made by slowly stir-frying plenty of vegetables such as daikon radish, tofu, burdock, and carrot in plenty of oil and then simmering them slowly in soy sauce and broth, is a deeply nourishing dish in which the sweetness and savory flavor of the ingredients melt together. Contrary to its plain appearance, one bite and the gentle savory flavor of the vegetables and the fragrance of soy sauce spread fully throughout your mouth, bringing on a somehow nostalgic feeling. In Yamaguchi households, it has been passed down through generations as an indispensable dish for memorial services and festivals, and for locals it is "grandma's taste" itself. Precisely because you rarely encounter it at restaurants for tourists, the joy when you find this taste at a local set-meal eatery or local cuisine restaurant is all the greater.

It is a recommended dish that especially warms the body when you visit in the cold season. Since it is sometimes served at farm restaurants and the eateries of roadside stations, stopping by during a driving trip is also a good idea.

(pin) Access: It is often served at restaurants and roadside stations handling local cuisine within Yamaguchi City and Hagi City.

(light bulb) Tip: Since kencho is often not on the menus of tourist areas, it is recommended to search for "local cuisine kencho Yamaguchi" in advance and look up shops that serve it. It is also sometimes sold as a prepared side dish at local supermarkets and roadside stations, and that, too, is a precious chance to experience the home cooking of Yamaguchi. Touching the real, everyday food of a travel destination will surely deepen your understanding of Yamaguchi's food culture considerably.

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Access Information

The base for thoroughly enjoying Yamaguchi gourmet is broadly divided into four areas: Shimonoseki, Kawatana Onsen, Iwakuni, and Yamaguchi City. A journey touring each of their food cultures is a luxurious experience, like unraveling the food history of Yamaguchi Prefecture.

To Shimonoseki, it is about 5 hours from Tokyo to Hakata Station by shinkansen, then about 1 hour and 15 minutes by JR local line (Sanyo Main Line) from Hakata. Or you can also access Shin-Shimonoseki Station directly by shinkansen. The Karato Market area, where famous fugu restaurants gather, has good access, about 10 minutes by bus from JR Shimonoseki Station. Just walking and eating around the market alone can keep you entertained for half a day.

To Kawatana Onsen, the nearest station is Kawatana Onsen Station on the JR Sanyo Main Line, about 20 minutes from Shimonoseki Station. By all means incorporate the day-trip hot spring trip that enjoys hot springs and kawara soba as a set, a standard course for a Yamaguchi trip.

To Iwakuni, access is good, about 30 to 40 minutes by JR Sanyo Main Line from Hiroshima Station, and combining it with Hiroshima sightseeing is also popular. Around Kintaikyo, spots where you can enjoy Iwakuni's food culture, starting with Iwakuni sushi, gather.

(light bulb) Tips for travelers: Yamaguchi Prefecture is long from east to west, and travel between the main tourist areas can take more time than expected. Using a rental car is the most efficient and offers the most freedom, so it is recommended. Also, since fugu specialty restaurants often cannot be entered without a reservation, as soon as your travel itinerary is decided, place your reservation at the same time as your lodging and