Gunma

Takasaki is known as a pasta town because it has so many pasta restaurants. One background factor is said to be Gunma's long tradition of eating flour-based food as a wheat-growing region. The city has many distinctive pasta shops, and some serve very generous portions. A competition is held every year where local pasta restaurants compete, so new dishes keep appearing. When you visit Takasaki, find your favorite plate, and be ready for the portion sizes.

Typical price

¥1,000–1,800

Where

Takasaki

The local yakisoba of Ota. It has long been a quick meal for workers in this industrial town. Many shops use a dark sauce, but noodle thickness, sauce flavor and toppings vary from shop to shop, with no fixed style. The city has many yakisoba shops, and maps for touring them are sometimes made. It is a cheap and filling soul food for locals. Each shop has its own character, so visiting a few is part of the fun.

Typical price

¥400–800

Where

Ota

A katsudon loved in Kiryu, Maebashi and other parts of Gunma. Instead of being cooked with egg, a freshly fried pork cutlet is dipped in a sweet and savory sauce and placed on rice. It is said to have originated at a long-established shop in Kiryu, and the sauce-soaked rice and crispy cutlet make a delicious combination. Some shops serve hearty bowls topped with several cutlets. Each shop's sauce is different, so comparing them is fun. A taste locals have loved for generations.

Typical price

¥900–1,500

Where

Kiryu, Maebashi and more

A nationally famous ekiben sold at Yokokawa Station on the Shin'etsu Line. It comes in a Mashiko-ware clay pot, beautifully arranged with chicken, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, chestnuts and quail eggs. It is said to have been created by people who wanted travelers to enjoy a warm meal. The dashi-cooked rice soaks up the flavors and stays tasty even when cool. You can take the clay pot home, and some people use it to cook rice. It is also sold at highway service areas.

Typical price

About ¥1,300

Where

Annaka (Yokokawa Station) and more

The famous bento of Torihei, a long-established restaurant in Maebashi. Chicken is grilled with a sweet and savory sauce and laid generously over rice. The sauce-soaked rice and tender chicken are simple but superb, and for Gunma people it is the bento for special occasions. It is wrapped in bamboo sheath, which gives it a traditional charm. You can buy it at shops and stations in the prefecture, and eating it on the shinkansen is a treat. Some shops also have dining areas.

Typical price

¥800–1,200

Where

Maebashi and across Gunma

A Gunma home-style dish of wide, flat noodles simmered raw, without boiling first, together with vegetables. It is packed with daikon, carrot, taro and green onions and seasoned with soy sauce or miso. Because the noodles are not pre-boiled, the soup thickens and warms you up. Made in homes for generations in this wheat-growing region, it is perfect for cold winters. The umami of seasonal vegetables melts into the soup. It is also called okkirikomi in some areas.

Typical price

¥800–1,200

Where

All over Gunma

Udon that has been made for pilgrims in front of Mizusawa Kannon temple in Shibukawa, sometimes counted among Japan's three great udon. The white, translucent noodles are very firm with a smooth, slippery texture. The classic way is cold zaru udon, dipped in soy-based sauce or sesame sauce. The approach to the temple has an udon road lined with shops, so you can compare flavors. It is also close to Ikaho Onsen. The sesame sauce is a wonderful match.

Typical price

¥900–1,500

Where

Shibukawa (Mizusawa)

Kiryu's famous udon, so flat that the noodles can be several centimeters wide. The thin, wide noodles have a slippery yet chewy texture. You can enjoy them dipped in cold sauce or in hot soup. They make a strong visual impression, and first-timers are often surprised. Some shops make use of the width by serving them wrapped around other ingredients. Enjoy them with a stroll through the historic streets of Kiryu, once a thriving textile town.

Typical price

¥800–1,200

Where

Kiryu

Gunma grows the vast majority of Japan's konjac potatoes. Triangles or squares of konjac are simmered or boiled in dashi, skewered and spread with sweet miso. Enjoy the springy texture with the sweet miso. You can easily find it at tourist spots, roadside stations and festival stalls. Some restaurants serve a variety of konjac dishes, and there are facilities where you can tour a konjac factory. It is also popular as a healthy snack.

Typical price

¥100–200 each

Where

All over Gunma

A Gunma specialty of steamed buns without filling, skewered, brushed with sweet and savory miso sauce and grilled until fragrant. They are crispy outside and fluffy inside, a perfect match for the sweet miso. They taste best piping hot, fresh off the grill. There are many specialist shops in the prefecture, and they often appear at festival stalls. For Gunma people, they are a snack loved since childhood, filling enough for when you feel peckish. The aroma of toasted miso is irresistible.

Typical price

¥200–400 each

Where

All over Gunma

The famous manju of Ikaho Onsen. The brown skin is said to evoke the color of Ikaho's hot spring water, and it is sometimes called the original onsen manju. A moist skin is filled generously with smooth bean paste. Many shops along the famous stone stairs sell them, and some offer them freshly steamed. Enjoy choosing souvenirs as you stroll the stone steps of Ikaho Onsen. A taste unique to Ikaho and a sweet reminder of your hot spring trip.

Typical price

About ¥100 each

Where

Shibukawa (Ikaho Onsen)

A classic Gunma souvenir made by a Maebashi confectioner: thin, crisp wafers sandwiching sweet cream. The light texture makes them easy to eat, and they have long been a favorite Gunma gift. The name is said to evoke the land and traveling people of Joshu, the old name for Gunma. You can buy them at stations, service areas and souvenir shops in the prefecture. Individually wrapped, they are easy to share at work, and they go well with both green tea and coffee.

Typical price

¥500–1,500

Where

Maebashi and across Gunma

Rusks made from French bread by a confectioner headquartered in Takasaki. Generous butter and sugar give them a crisp texture and toasty sweetness. Simple, yet once you start you cannot stop, and they are a very popular gift. The main store is a palace-like building that has become a sightseeing spot in its own right. They are sold at department stores across Japan, but buying them at the main store is part of the fun. Try the various flavors.

Typical price

¥500–2,000

Where

Takasaki and more