Karashirenkon is known as a dish associated with the Hosokawa clan.

Where it is made

Kumamoto area

Main ingredients

lotus root, miso, powdered mustard, oil

There is "Ikinari Dago Jiru" (Kumamoto City), which contains dango wrapped with raw sweet potatoes, "Ohimesan Dango Jiru" (Kanomoto-Kikuchi area), which is sweetened by kneading sweet potatoes and…

Where it is made

All over Kumamoto Prefecture

Main ingredients

wheat flour, taro, burdock root, carrot, radish, dried shiitake mushroom, soy sauce (miso)

The Kuma River, Kumamoto's largest first-class river, runs through the Hitoyoshi Basin, flows through the Yatsushiro Plain, and empties into the Yatsushiro Sea.

Where it is made

Hitoyoshi/Kuma area, Yatsushiro area

Main ingredients

Ayu (sweetfish)

Ikinari dango" is a simple local snack made by wrapping sliced sweet potatoes in flour dough and steaming them.

Where it is made

Kikuchi area

Main ingredients

sweet potatoes, wheat flour, sweet bean paste

In the Amakusa area, fish could not be used for Buddhist ceremonies, so instead, sweet potatoes were cut into thick slices and deep-fried in rapeseed oil, and "gane-age" is said to have originated…

Where it is made

Amakusa area

Main ingredients

Sweet potatoes

"Nankan-Agemaki Sushi" is a type of rolled sushi that uses "Nankan-Age," a deep-fried tofu specialty that has been passed down in Nankan Town since the Edo period.

Where it is made

Nankan Town

Main ingredients

Nankan-Age (deep-fried tofu), rice, kanpyo (dried gourd strips), thick tamagoyaki (sweet rolled omelette), and more.

"Tsubon-jiru" is a soup full of finely-chopped ingredients such as chicken, kamakobo fish cakes, and root vegetables like taro, burdock, carrot, and daikon radish.

Where it is made

Hito Yoshikuma Region

Main ingredients

Chicken, dried shiitake mushrooms, taro, kamaboko fish cakes, carrot, grilled tofu

"Aso takana-zuke" are pickled vegetables that are a common sight on the dining table as well as as souvenirs.

Where it is made

Aso City

Main ingredients

Takana (mustard greens), salt, chili pepper

A traditional pickle that has been passed down through the ages in Aso (in some areas, such as the former Ichinomiya town) along with Takanazuke pickles.

Where it is made

Aso region

Main ingredients

Red potato (taro) stems, salt

“Kanzuke” is a pickle made by exposing radishes to the cold winter wind twice. It is a traditional specialty of the Ashikita and Minamata regions.

Where it is made

Ashikita and Minamata area

Main ingredients

Daikon (Japanese Radish)

"Konoshiro sugata sushi" is made by cutting open the fish either from the back or the belly. The entrails and inside bones are removed, and the fish is then salted and dipped in sweet vinegar.

Where it is made

Yatsushiro area

Main ingredients

Konoshiro fish, rice

It is said that about 800 years ago, a fallen Heike warrior who lost the battle with the Minamoto clan hid at the foot of the Higo Mountains and created and passed down this "tofu misozuke".

Where it is made

The Yatsushiro and Kuma areas

Main ingredients

Firm tofu and miso

The most famous specialty of Kumamoto, Japan's largest producer of horse meat, is "Basashi(Horse sashimi)".

Where it is made

Kumamoto City, Aso region

Main ingredients

Horse meat

While there are new octopus dishes being created, "Buta-ae" made with eggplant and boiled octopus is a local dish that has been popular in the area for a long time.

Where it is made

Amakusa Area

Main ingredients

Octopus, eggplant, miso

The scene of "Makigaki" being made is newsworthy at this time of the year.

Where it is made

Uki Area, Yamato City, Kamimashiki County

Main ingredients

Japanese persimmon

"Mazemeshi" is a dish that always appears at local events and celebrations where people gather.

Where it is made

All of Kumamoto Prefecture

Main ingredients

Rice, chicken, dried shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, gobou(=burdock), carrots, etc.

Dried octopuses, hung with their legs spread out and swaying in the sea breeze, are a slightly humorous summer tradition in Ariake Town, Amakusa City.

Where it is made

Amakusa Area

Main ingredients

Octopus, rice, gobou (=burdock), hijiki, carrots

“Kasu-yose” is a home-cooked dish, primarily eaten in the town of Yamato and has been served for celebrations and festivals or when a large group of people gathered for an event.

Where it is made

Kamimashiki Area

Main ingredients

Rice, soybeans, Satoimo(=Japanese taro), chicken meat, carrots, onions, dried shiitake mushrooms, pumpkin

“Koppa-mochi" is a traditional snack made from sweet potatoes, a specialty of the Amakusa region.

Where it is made

Amakusa region

Main ingredients

Sweet potato, Glutinous rice, Suger

Officially known as "Anajako," the Shaku, a summer delicacy in Kumamoto, lives in deep burrows in tidal flats in the Yatsushiro and Arao regions.

Where it is made

Yatsushiro, Arao, Tamana Region

Main ingredients

Shaku (Anajako); Japanese mud shrimp

In the Amakusa region, “Tai Somen” (also known as ‘Tai Men’) involves making a broth from the head and bones leftover after filleting sea bream and pouring the broth over somen noodles before eating.

Where it is made

Amakusa Region, Kami-mashiki Region (Mamihara in Yamato-cho)

Main ingredients

Sea Bream, Somen Noodle

Dried bamboo shoots are enjoyed throughout the Kyushu region, but they are particularly popular in Kumamoto prefecture.

Where it is made

Hitoyoshi, Kuma, Aso Area

Main ingredients

Dried bamboo shoot, Dried wood ear mushroom

“Taipiien” is a local dish served at Chinese restaurants and at home.

Where it is made

Central areas of Kumamoto prefecture

Main ingredients

“Harusame” (=glass noodles), Egg, Pork, Squid, Shrimp, Kamaboko(=Fish cake), Napa cabbage or cabbage, Carrot, Onion, Green onion, Wood ear

In the cities of Yamaga and Kikuchi, and the areas surrounding them, “tojiko mame/mame gashi” was prepared at the same time as osechi to be eaten during New Year’s.

Where it is made

Yamaga Area, Kikuchi Area

Main ingredients

Soybeans, Wheat flour, Sugar

According to statistics published in 2019 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, Kumamoto prefecture is the highest producer of horsemeat in Japan.

Where it is made

Aso Area

Main ingredients

Horsemeat, Soba

It is said that during the reign of the 6th lord of the Higo domain, Hosokawa Shigekata, when the domain's finances were in trouble and austerity measures were implemented to rebuild, "Ichimonji"…

Where it is made

All of Kumamoto prefecture

Main ingredients

"Hitomoji" green onion (="Wakegi" green onion)

"Jabara Daikon" is a dried daikon radish traditionally made in the Minami-Aso region using the cold winter winds. It is also known as "Fusakiri Daikon" or "Kirikake Daikon."

Where it is made

Minami-Aso Area

Main ingredients

"Jabara Daikon" ("Kirikake" or "Fusakiri" Daikon)

"Honekajiri" is a local dish from the Hitoyoshi and Kuma area in Kumamoto prefecture, particularly in the Oku-Kuma (including Kami-Kuma/Yunomae Town, Taragi Town, and Mizukami Village).

Where it is made

Kami-Kuma Area

Main ingredients

Wild boar meat (or pork) with bones

Yubeshi, yuzu cake, is a Japanese confectionery found throughout Japan, but in this region, it is wrapped in bamboo bark and steamed.

Where it is made

Kikuchi area, Hitoyoshi/Kuma area

Main ingredients

Glutinous rice, Short-grain rice, Miso, Yuzu, Sugar