Otaru is famous for sushi. Sea urchin, abalone, mantis shrimp, and other fresh seafood can be caught in the waters near Otaru. So there are over 100 sushi restaurants in the city, making Otaru Japan's foremost sushi city. There is a famous street called “Sushiya-dori” (Sushi Restaurant Street) where you can enjoy sushi made with the freshest of fish. Try some hand-formed sushi as well.

Otaru is rich in palatable water, therefore, sake brewing, which requires very fine water, has been very prosperous since early times. In the city, there are sake breweries, as well as beer and wine breweries. In addition, there is a whiskey distillery in Yoichi town next to Otaru. Enjoy various local alcohols! You can make a factory tour, too.

Otaru started making glass as a daily necessity for oil lamps. Today Otaru is one of Japan's main producers of glass, with over 20 glass ateliers to be found. You can find charming vases, glassware, lamps, accessories, and other items whose color and design will vary by glassmaker. You can also try your hand at glass blowing and glass bead making, allowing you to create something all your own to remind you of your trip.

This confectionery has thrived in Otaru since olden times, and there are many Japanese-style confectionery stores in the city. High quality fresh sweets such as "panju," "mochi" sticky rice and "kushi-dango" skewered dumplings made in traditional way, please the appetite of residents and tourists alike. The Western style sweets of Otaru such as cakes and cookies are also becoming popular nationwide and are a perennial souvenir favorite.

The seafood processing industry has been active for a long time. “Kamaboko (fish cake)” is a specialty product. High-quality Kamabko, which is made from selected local ingredients only, is very suitable as a souvenir. “Agekama,” minced and fried fish meat, is very popular. Buy freshly-made agekama at shops along the street or in the market, and eat right away just like fast food.

There are quite a few fresh markets in Otaru that bustle even today as a “ kitchen " for residents.Fresh fish caught from the waters around Otaru, or processed dried fish and other delicacies, are extremely popular as souvenirs. “Agekama" , or deep fried minced fish cake, can be bought at the market or from fish cake shops and are popular as an enjoyable easy and fast snack.

Yoichi,next to Otaru, was a groundbreaker in Japanese apple cultivation. Along with Niki, it is Hokkaido's foremost fruit producer. There are many tourist farms where people can enjoy picking seasonal fruits such as cherries, apples, and grapes. Juices and jams made from fresh fruit are sold at farmers' stores.

Kiritampo is said to have begun with the Matagi, a group in northern Akita that made their living as woodcutters and hunters. They would take a handy snack of mashed rice skewered on a stick and grilled, and boil it with copper pheasant or green pheasant stew. While there are many other theories, stews with "kiritampo" and seasonal vegetables boiled together in a Hinai chicken broth are delicious.

Inaniwa-udon noodles are light, smooth, and like silk on the tongue. Along with Shikoku's "Sanuki-udon" and Nagoya's "Kishimen," it is a superb dried noodle that is known as one of Japan's three famous noodles. They are a traditional udon noodle passed down through generations in the Inaniwa region of Yuzawa City.

Ishiyaki is a fragrant local cuisine born from the daily lives of Oga fishermen. Stones from the coast called Iki -ishi, or Kana-ishi, are grilled on charcoal for about three hours. The red-hot stones are then placed in a wooden pail filled with fresh seafood to boil the contents in an instant. The dynamic preparation helps to firm up the fish and bring out the best flavor.

From its translucent pale pink coloring, the white shrimp is called the "jewel of Toyama Bay." Only Toyama Prefecture has shrimpers dedicated to catching the white shrimp, between April and November each year. Savor the delicacy both as subtly sweet, melt-in-your-mouth sashimi and as crispy kakiage tempura.

Toyama Bay Sushi is made with the freshest seafood from "nature's fish tank" Toyama Bay. The set of 10 pieces consists of toppings exclusively from Toyama Bay on rice grown in the prefecture, plus a bowl of soup, for prices ranging between 2,000 yen and 3,500 yen. Toyama welcomes visitors with its natural, fresh, highest-quality specialty sushi.

Kyoryori, or Kyoto cuisine, demands that special attention be paid to the presentation and the plates, and requires refined technical skills to prepare and present these dishes. This is due to Kyoto's long history as the imperial capital. Kyoryori calls for seasonal produce to be prepared and seasoned only to bring out and enhance the natural flavors.

Kyogashi, or traditional Kyoto confectionery, has had a longstanding role in the imperial court, temples and shrines as an offering to the gods and ancestors, or as part of a traditional rite, as well as among noble families and tea masters as a delicious accompaniment to tea. In the world of Kyogashi, the seasons change once every two weeks. Thus it is of utmost importance that the design of the sweets will always be appropriate for that specific time of year. With Kyoto's aesthetic sense found in the seasons and events throughout the year, Kyogashi sweets have evolved into something exquisitely refined and elegant.

A veritable treasure chest of seafood delicacies, the Sea of Japan supplies Kyoto with fresh fish, which is then carefully prepared using traditional techniques that have been passed down for generations. One of the most famous dishes to have come out of Maizuru is the Maizuru Kamaboko seasoned steamed fish cake, which has been awarded the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry Prize.

The port of Sakai is one of the best fishing port in Japan. In 2013, Sakai had the third largest volume of seafood catch and the largest of bluefin tuna and crab in Japan. Various other kinds of seafood is caught fresh on a daily basis depending on the season. White squid "Shio-ika", horse mackrel and snow crab are some of the popular catch at Sakai Port. Sakai Port can offer you Kaisen-don as good as one might expect from a port town like us with such fresh seafood.

Izumo soba is made from unhusked buckwheat soba grains which are freshly ground into powder. The husks are left in the process, making the color darker and the aroma stronger compared to other types of soba found in Japan. Moreover, Izumo Soba can be served in a way that is unique to Shimane Prefecture as a dish called "Kama-age". The soba is prepared in three round containers. People can add some condiments on top of it as they like and then pour "yudejiru" (water used to cook the noodle) to enjoy.

Matsue, along with Kanazawa and Kyoto, is a place which is know for Wagashi (Japanese sweets). The quality of their sweets is superb. It's very delicious to the palate and beautiful for your eyes to enjoy. Wagashi is an essential part of people's daily lives in Matsue. The history of it dates back during the rule of the 7th feudal load of Matsue fief "Harusato Matsudaira" around 1770. And he made tea ceremony culture popular across the region. Many of the traditional wagashi confectioners started their business since this era.