Visit Wakayama

With a chicken or pork bone broth, Wakayama ramen comes with two types of soup: either a light, clear version called “shakomae-kei” or a rich, milky version called “ide-kei”. Back in the days when a tram system ran across Wakayama City, the tram lines were flanked by legions of ramen yatai (stalls). Such ramen stands, operating shakomae (“outside the tramcar garage”), were the originators of Wakayama ramen, thus it came to be called shakomae-kei ramen. Some have claimed that the ramen stall-lined streets of Wakayama were the birthplace of food stall centers in Japan. Since the demise of the tram network, restaurants were established throughout the city, serving every type of Wakayama ramen. Enjoy some Hayazushi, or pressed sushi with vinegared fish such as mackerel or a boiled egg with your ramen, then pay according to the honor system in most places.

Wakayama is the location of the temple settlement of Koyasan, established by the Buddhist monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi) about 1,200 years ago. The many temples include Kongobuji, the head temple of Shingon Buddhism. Shojin ryori, the diet of monks undergoing rigorous training that forbids the eating of meat and fish, is based on the teaching that living things must not be intentionally killed. Given that broths and oils are also plant-based, this cuisine has become popular as a healthy diet in recent years and employs ingenious methods of cooking and ingredient selection. At Koyasan, there is always a queue for sesame tofu, a favorite of Kukai himself.

There is plenty of umeboshi production in Wakayama Prefecture, especially in the Minabe-Tanabe area, where the premium Nanko plum variety is grown. When the ripe plums are picked around June, umeboshi production begins not only at the plum processors but in people’s homes. The plums are dried from the start of July to the start of August. If the weather is fine, doyo, the period just before the peak of summer from about July 19 to August 7, is considered the best time to dry the plums (doyo-boshi). There are a variety of flavors, from traditional ones such as dried plums pickled only with salt or with added shiso (perilla leaf), to honey, low-salt and kelp broth. The dried plums are popular as high-end gifts.

They say the birthplace of soy sauce, the quintessential Japanese condiment, was Yuasa district of Wakayama Prefecture.  

The history of soy sauce dates back to the Kamakura period (1185–1333), when a zen priest at Kokokuji Temple in Yura in the process of fermenting Kinzanji miso discovered that the liquid accumulating at the bottom of the barrel was a tasty seasoning. It was soy sauce. During the Edo period (around 260 years from 1603), Yuasa thrived as a soy sauce production center, boasting some 100 breweries. Soy sauce continues to be made here using the traditional method. The part of Yuasa filled with old breweries and other nostalgic structures is designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the Japanese government. The yeasts that have settled in the old storehouses play a role in the fermentation of delicious soy sauce. The district is full of places selling soy sauce products and sites to see and experience the way soy sauce is made, truly immersing visitors in the history of soy sauce brewing.

A type of name-miso (edible miso) as opposed to a seasoning, Kinzanji miso is not just a rice topping, it also makes a fabulous snack with a drink. It was a food brought back from China by Buddhist monk Kakushin (known posthumously as Hotto Kokushi) during the Kamakura period, and it continued to be made in what is today Yuasa because the water here suited the production of miso. Kinzanji miso is made by hand to this day. It is a preserved food that contains wheat as well as vegetables such as eggplant, originally as a way to be able to keep eating summer vegetables during the winter. Kinzanji miso is believed to be the origin of soy sauce.  

Mehari-zushi is said to have taken its name from the fact that it is so big and you have to open your mouth so wide to eat it, your eyes open. It is the taste of home for people here because forestry workers of the Kumano region in southern Wakayama Prefecture were in the habit of filling their bento box with sushi the size of a child’s head. Traditionally, mehari-zushi was a simple affair, consisting of a shaped rice ball wrapped in the salt-pickled takana mustard leaf. In recent years, however, people have started to stuff different ingredients into the rice ball too. You can enjoy a wide variety of flavorings, depending on the restaurant.

Even though Wakayama Prefecture is a land of plentiful  seafood, in olden times the upper reaches of the Kinokawa River were a long way from the sea and fresh fish was hard to come by. This led to the invention of kaki-no-ha-zushi, a form of pressed sushi wrapped in a local specialty persimmon leaves, enclosing thinly sliced salted mackerel on a bite-sized piece of vinegared rice. Various varieties of persimmon are cultivated in the region, but due to their fragrance, it is the leaves of the shibugaki (astringent persimmon) that are best for kaki-no-ha-zushi. This type of sushi also keeps well and is now eaten across the country and has expanded from mackerel to other fillings such as salmon.

Wakayama Prefecture has a great variety of sushi, not least of which is narezushi, a traditional dish of the region and one of Japan’s top three narezushi. Narezushi is made by placing salted mackerel on vinegared rice, wrapping it in giant reed leaves, packing it in a tub, and placing a weight on top. The sushi is finished by lactic acid fermentation of only the fish, salt and rice, creating a distinctive aroma. Locals consider it a “grown-up” taste. Hayazushi, or pressed sushi with vinegared fish such as mackerel, which uses vinegared rice, is easy even for first-timers to eat, and many restaurants serve it with Wakayama ramen. Another famous sushi is sugata zushi made using whole sanma (Pacific saury). This is another narezushi variety, with some rare sugata zushi products preserved up to 30 years.

In Wakayama, okayu (rice porridge) consists of rice steamed with hojicha, a roasted green tea, called “chagayu”. Eaten regularly in all families, its nickname is “okaisan”, but every home and restaurant makes a version with its own special touches. In winter it will often be served warm and in summer, it might be served cold. It matches perfectly with umeboshi or pickles. Chagayu is also recommended with local whitebait, dried foods or Kinzanji miso. It is distinguished by its fragrance and silky texture. There is something nostalgic about its simple flavors.

In Wakayama Prefecture, the “fruit kingdom”, every season has its own fresh fruit to savor, from the famous Arida mandarin orange and the jabara citrus variety discovered in the village of Kitayama to strawberries, peaches, plums, persimmons and figs. Of course, you can buy fruit directly from a store to take home as a memento of your travels, but we also recommend picking fruit at a farm or tasting parfaits and sweets made with seasonal fruits here in the region. Come and experience the season here in Wakayama!

There are so many gourmet treats produced from the abundant soils and seas of Wakayama Prefecture.  

Of course you can come here to eat your heart out, but why not take home some Wakayama goodies as a souvenir for yourself or friends and family?