Kanagawa is located in the Kanto region, and its food culture also attracts foreign tourists. With a wide variety of cuisines and gourmet spots, including Yokohama Chinatown, you're sure to satisfy both your taste buds and your heart.

Enjoy Kanagawa's traditional cuisine and local gourmet food that are popular among foreigners

Kanagawa Prefecture is known as a place where diverse food cultures and delicious gourmet food come together.

This area is packed with attractions to captivate the heart of any gourmet, including international cuisine in Yokohama, quaint cafes in Kamakura, and fresh seafood in Shonan.

This time, we will introduce a number of carefully selected delicacies from Kanagawa's treasure trove of food.

Along with delicious food, let's experience the region's unique food culture and history and create memorable trips together.

Kanagawa Prefecture's recommended gourmet food

From here, we will introduce some recommended gourmet foods that you definitely want to try when you visit Kanagawa Prefecture.

Chinatown meat bun

There are three major Chinatowns in Japan: Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagasaki.

Among these, Yokohama Chinatown is probably the first place that comes to mind for many people.

Chinatown is one of the largest in the world and is packed with restaurants, so it can be hard to decide which one to choose.

It's nice to enjoy authentic Chinese food at a restaurant, but why not try some steamed meat buns that you can easily enjoy while taking a walk?

The large meat buns are filled with plenty of chunky meat and are sure to fill you up.

Some are packaged for take-home, making them perfect as souvenirs.

See restaurants in Chinatown where you can eat meat buns

Yokosuka Navy Curry

Curry rice is a standard menu item in Japanese households.

Its roots are said to date back to the Meiji period.

In the Japanese Navy, where the diet consisted mainly of white rice, beriberi, a disease caused by vitamin deficiency, became a serious problem.

So curry rice was invented, an adaptation of the British Navy's curry-style stew, and it became popular as a dish that allowed people to eat plenty of meat and vegetables.

Yokosuka Navy Curry is a reproduction of this military food recipe.

It was established in 1999 as part of a revitalization effort in Yokosuka, a city with deep ties to the navy, and is now popular with locals and tourists alike.

See restaurants where you can eat Yokosuka Navy Curry

Beef hotpot

After the country opened up to the world, many foreigners lived near Yokohama Port, and beef culture flourished there.

Among them, beef stew is widely popular, as its seasoning suits Japanese tastes.

It looks similar to sukiyaki in appearance and the ingredients are similar, but whereas sukiyaki is made by first grilling the meat in a pot and then cooking it, gyunabe is made by simmering meat and vegetables in sauce.

The beef hotpot you can enjoy at this long-established restaurant will surely become a wonderful memory of your trip, along with the exceptional flavor of the beef.

Raw whitebait rice bowl

If you go to the Shonan/Enoshima area of Kanagawa, the one thing you absolutely cannot miss is the raw whitebait bowl.

Shirasu fishing has been popular in this area for a long time, and you can enjoy freshly caught shirasu.

Shirasu spoils easily and freshness is essential, so raw shirasu is a valuable commodity that is hard to find in other regions.

Please enjoy the sparkling raw shirasu!

Please note that whitebait fishing is prohibited during the winter (January to March), so please check before heading out.

Sanmamen

There are several local ramen dishes in Kanagawa, but this time we will introduce Sanmamen.

Sanmamen is a word that you may not be familiar with.

Some people may think of pacific saury, but there is no fish in the filling.

The main ingredients of Sanmamen are meat, bean sprouts, Chinese cabbage, and other seasonal vegetables, and the soy sauce-based soup is slightly thick, making it something like ankake ramen.

The origin of sanmamen is said to come from the Cantonese words san, meaning "fresh and crunchy," and ma, meaning "to put on top," and it was created as a staff meal after the war.

In other words, it is ramen with crunchy vegetables on top of the noodles.

Eat plenty of vegetables and fill up your stomach with Sanmamen!

Misaki Tuna

Misaki Town is a port town located at the tip of the Miura Peninsula, and is a tuna town that boasts one of the largest tuna catch volumes in the country.

What is unique about this market is that it does not only involve one type of tuna, but also includes a variety of other types of tuna, including bigeye tuna, bluefin tuna, and southern bluefin tuna.

Misaki Fishing Port is nearby, so there are many restaurants nearby that serve freshly caught tuna.

One of the attractions of a port town is that, in addition to sashimi and rice bowls, you can also enjoy unique menu items that you won't often find at other restaurants.

In search of some delicious tuna, why not head to the Miura Peninsula?

Kamaboko

Kamaboko is a local specialty of the Odawara area.
Kamaboko is a dish made from seasoned fish paste that is steamed on a wooden board.

There are various theories about its origin, but it is said to date back more than 200 years.

The plentiful fish caught in Sagami Bay were wanted to be transported to Edo, but at the time transportation methods were not well developed and the fish would have spoiled if transported too long, so they cooked them in a way that would make them last longer, and this is what we call kamaboko.

Odawara kamaboko is a masterpiece packed with the traditions and rich history unique to this region.

Be sure to try this delicious dish that is loved by locals.

Access from the airport

Haneda Airport, Kanagawa's main airport, is easily accessible from the city. From Haneda Airport, you can easily access various parts of the city by train or bus. The journey time is about 30 minutes to an hour.

Location of Kanagawa Prefecture

summary

Kanagawa is a treasure trove of gourmet delights that are appealing to foreign tourists. You can fully enjoy the taste of traditional cuisine, the variety of local gourmet foods, and the charm of local gourmet spots. When you visit Japan, be sure to enjoy Kanagawa's delicious cuisine to your heart's content. Delicious food that will delight your tongue and your heart is waiting for you.

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