This time, we will introduce the characteristics and history of Hyogo Prefecture's local B-class gourmet food, "yaki anago."

Hyogo Prefecture is located in the Kinki region, almost in the center of Japan.

The city is known for being dotted with various tourist attractions, including Himeji Castle, which is registered as a World Heritage Site, as well as hot springs and port towns.

This time, we will introduce the charming local B-class gourmet food of Hyogo Prefecture, "yaki anago" (grilled conger eel), as well as tourist spots in Hyogo Prefecture!

What about grilled conger eel?

Yakianago is a local dish from Hyogo Prefecture in which open conger eel is skewered, drenched in a special sauce, and grilled.

The Harima Nada Sea, an area of the sea bordering Hyogo, Okayama, Tokushima, and Kagawa prefectures, boasts one of the largest conger eel catches in the country, and the conger eels caught here are tender and fatty, making them delicious to eat grilled.

The history of grilled conger eel

Yaki-anago originated in 1905 when the first owner of a long-established store in Takasago City opened a restaurant after returning from the Russo-Japanese War.

Many people in Hyogo Prefecture prefer conger eel to eel, but recently the catch has been declining due to environmental changes, land reclamation, and overfishing.

As a result, imports from Korea and China have increased, and locally produced grilled conger eels are becoming less available on the market.

However, grilled conger eel remains an essential local dish for the locals, and is eaten at various events and on special occasions.

Nowadays, it is not only used as a skewered dish, but is also commonly used at home as an ingredient in sushi rolls and chirashi sushi.

Characteristics of grilled conger eel

The distinctive feature of grilled conger eel is that it is grilled until crispy.

A notable feature of the region is that in the Kanto region, boiled conger eel and tempura are the norm, whereas in the Kansai region, particularly in Hyogo Prefecture, grilled conger eel is the norm.

The special sauce is typically made by combining sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and sake, and with one bite you can enjoy the crispy texture as the sauce spreads throughout your mouth.

Tourist spots in Hyogo Prefecture

From here, we will introduce tourist spots in Hyogo Prefecture.

Arima Hot Springs

Arima Onsen has been loved since ancient times and is even mentioned in the Nihon Shoki, and is known as one of the three oldest hot springs in Japan and one of the three most famous hot springs in Japan.

Arima Onsen has a hot spring called Kinsen, which is reddish brown in color and has a salty taste. This Kinsen has a strong antibacterial effect and is popular with tourists.

The area around Arima Onsen is lined with many traditional Japanese buildings, where you can enjoy gourmet food and souvenir shops. There are also many local specialties unique to Arima Onsen, such as croquettes and satsumaage, so be sure to check them out.

Ikuta Shrine

Ikuta Shrine is a shrine located in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, and enshrines Wakahirume-no-Mikoto as its deity.

It is known as a shrine that grants blessings for matchmaking, such as safe childbirth and success in love, and is visited by many tourists every day.

Ikuta Shrine is also known as "Ikuta-san of Matchmaking" because it grants wishes related to love, and is famous nationwide as a power spot for love and safe childbirth.

You can write your wish on a cute pink heart-shaped ema, or draw a pink water fortune slip, the letters of which float when dipped in water. It is popular among young women and couples as it looks great on social media.

Kiku Masamune Sake Brewery Memorial Museum

The Kiku Masamune Sake Brewery Memorial Museum is a sake museum located in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. It is run by the famous sake brewery, Kiku Masamune, and is visited by many sake-loving tourists.

Inside the museum, 566 pieces of Nada sake brewing equipment and other items designated as Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties of Japan are on display, allowing visitors to learn about the history of sake.

In addition, you can try samples of freshly pressed unpasteurized sake and other alcoholic beverages for free, which is a great opportunity for alcohol lovers.

In addition, near the Kiku Masamune Sake Brewery Memorial Museum is the Barrel Sake Meister Factory, where you can observe how craftsmen make sake barrels and see the process of how sake barrels are made.

Access to Hyogo Prefecture

From here, we will introduce how to access Hyogo Prefecture.

If you are traveling from Tokyo, we recommend flying. It takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes to get from Haneda Airport to Kobe Airport, and if you use low-cost airlines such as LCCs, it is cheaper than taking the Shinkansen.

If you are coming from Osaka, we recommend taking the Shinkansen. It only takes about 12 minutes to get from Shin-Kobe Station to Shin-Osaka Station.

Location of Takasago City, Hyogo Prefecture

summary

This time, we introduced the characteristics and history of Hyogo Prefecture's local B-class gourmet food, "yaki anago."

We learned that grilled conger eel has a crispy texture that is different from the conger eel eaten in the Kanto region.

Furthermore, I learned that grilled conger eel has a long history and is an indispensable part of Hyogo Prefecture.

Hyogo Prefecture is an attractive area with many other local dishes and tourist spots in addition to grilled conger eel, so be sure to visit at least once.

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