Eat the F@$#ing Meibutsu

Why you NEED to Try the Local Favorites

It often seems almost every place in Japan is famous for SOMETHING. Over the years, regional cultural quirks have combined with geographical features to produce a surprisingly wide variety of local specialties. Though many outsiders often mistake Japan as homogeneous, the country is actually comprised of forty-seven prefectures that are spread across eight to eleven distinct districts (depending on who you talk to). Ranging from Hokkaido in the snowy north to the warm islands of Okinawa in the far south, each of Japan’s diverse areas is home to its own dish or handicraft.

Known to the Japanese as meibutsu (lit. famous thing), these concoctions are the most corporeal form of pure cultural expression that you’ll come across in your travels. While not all of them are edible, the ones that are have distinct flavors that are like nothing you’ll encounter elsewhere in your travels. As such, when traversing the prefectures, I have always tried to make it a personal rule to sample the meibutsu whenever possible. It is my belief that in doing so you’ll end up having incredible authentic experiences and connect more deeply with the local culture.