Meibutsu
Encyclopedia
Meibutsu is a Japanese term for famous products associated with particular regions. Meibutsu are usually items of Japanese regional cuisine
, although the category includes local handicrafts. Meibutsu typically have a traditional character, although contemporary products may qualify as meibutsu if they are distinctive and popular. They are often purchased as omiyage (souvenir
s) to be given as gifts. Sweets intended as omiyage are referred to as miyagegashi
.
, a stenciled fabric sold at Narumi
(station 41) and Kanpyō
(sliced gourd), a product of Minakuchi (station 51), as well as a famous teahouse at Mariko
(station 21) and a famous tateba (rest stop) selling a type of rice-cake called ubagamochi at Kusatsu
(station 51).
According to a paper by Laura Nenzi cited by Jilly Traganou in The Tokaido Road: Traveling and Representation in Edo and Meiji Japan (Routledge, 2004), meibutsu could be "classified into the following five categories: (1) simple souvenirs such as the swords
of Kamakura
or the shell-decorated screens of Enoshima
; (2) gastronomic specialties such as the roasted rice cakes (yakimochi
) of Hodogaya, and the yam
gruel torojiru of Mariko; (3) supernatural souvenirs and wonder-working panaceas, such as the bitter powders of Menoke that supposedly cured a large number of illnesses; (4) bizarre things that added a touch of the 'exotic' to the aura of each location such as the fire-resistant salamanders of Hakone; and (5) the prostitutes, who made localities such as Shinagawa, Fujisawa
, Akasaka
, Yoshida
and Goyu
famous. Such commodities made people stop at otherwise impoverished and remote localities, contributing to the local economy and the exchange between people of different backgrounds." (72)
Japanese regional cuisine
Japanese cuisine has a vast array of regional specialities known as kyōdo ryōri in Japanese, many of them originating from dishes prepared using local ingredients and traditional recipes....
, although the category includes local handicrafts. Meibutsu typically have a traditional character, although contemporary products may qualify as meibutsu if they are distinctive and popular. They are often purchased as omiyage (souvenir
Souvenir
A souvenir , memento, keepsake or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. The term souvenir brings to mind the mass-produced kitsch that is the main commodity of souvenir and gift shops in many tourist traps around the world...
s) to be given as gifts. Sweets intended as omiyage are referred to as miyagegashi
Miyagegashi
Miyagegashi, also Miyagekashi , literally "souvenir sweet", refers to a sweet made with the purpose of selling it as a souvenir. As with most other Japanese souvenirs , the typical miyagegashi is a regional specialty , and cannot be bought outside its specific geographic area...
.
Meibutsu listed by region
- Aichi PrefectureAichi Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
- Nagoya: Kishimen, Tebasaki, MisoMisois a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the fungus , the most typical miso being made with soy. The result is a thick paste used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso...
foods
- Nagoya: Kishimen, Tebasaki, Miso
- Aomori PrefectureAomori Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
: Apples - Chiba PrefectureChiba Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
: PeanutsPeanutsPeanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward... - Ehime PrefectureEhime Prefectureis a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...
: MikanMikanThe satsuma is a seedless and easy-peeling citrus mutant of Japanese origin introduced to the West.In Japan, it is known as mikan or formally unshu mikan . In China, it is known as Wenzhou migan . The Japanese name is a result of the local reading of the same characters used in the Chinese...
, IyokanIyokanThe iyokan , also known as anadomikan , is a Japanese citrus fruit. It is the second most widely produced citrus fruit in Japan after the unshū mikan. It was discovered in the Meiji era in Yamaguchi Prefecture. It is now produced mostly in Ehime Prefecture.The peel is thicker than a mikan, but it...
, jakotenJakotenis a special product of Uwajima in Southern Ehime prefecture. Jakoten has a long history, having been eaten since the Edo period. It is made from small fish caught nearby that are blended into a paste and then fried.-History:...
- MatsuyamaMatsuyama, Ehimeis the capital city of Ehime Prefecture on the Shikoku island of Japan. It is located on the northeastern portion of the Dōgo Plain. Its name means "pine mountain." The city was founded on December 15, 1889....
: TartTartA tart is a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry. The pastry is usually shortcrust pastry; the filling may be sweet or savoury, though modern tarts are usually fruit-based, sometimes with custard....
, BotchanBotchanBotchan is a novel written by Natsume Sōseki in 1906. It is considered to be one of the most popular novels in Japan, read by most Japanese during their childhood. The central theme of the story is morality.-Narrative:...
dangoDangois a Japanese dumpling made from mochiko , related to mochi. It is often served with green tea.Dango are eaten year-round, but the different varieties are traditionally eaten in given seasons...
, Dogo BeerDogo Beeris a prizewinning brand of beer made at Minakuchi-shuzō’s microbrewery in Dōgo, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan. One of Dogo beer’s features is stronger bubbles, for it is intended to be drunk after taking a bath at Dōgo Onsen.- Types :...
, Iyo kasuriKasuriKasuri is a Japanese word for fabric that has been woven with fibers dyed specifically to create patterns and images in the fabric. It is an ikat technique. Kasuri is weft ikat; the warp threads can be a solid color or resist dyed as well, and the weft thread is resist-tied in a specific pattern... - Uwajima: JakotenJakotenis a special product of Uwajima in Southern Ehime prefecture. Jakoten has a long history, having been eaten since the Edo period. It is made from small fish caught nearby that are blended into a paste and then fried.-History:...
- Matsuyama
- Fukui PrefectureFukui Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Fukui.- Prehistory :The Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry, on the Sugiyama River within the city limits of Katsuyama, has yielded the Fukuiraptor kitadaniensis and Fukuisaurus tetoriensis as well as an unnamed...
: Crab - Fukuoka PrefectureFukuoka Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
- HakataHakata-ku, Fukuokais one of the seven wards of Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is best known as the location of Fukuoka's main train station, Hakata Station.-Geography:...
: MotsunabeMotsunabeis a type of nabemono in Japanese cuisine, which is made from beef or pork offal. A hot pot is filled with soup, prepared beef or pork offal and boiled for a while; cabbage and garlic chives are added. The base soup is usually soy sauce with garlic and chili pepper, or miso...
, MentaikoMentaikois the marinated roe of pollock, and is a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine. Mentaiko originated from myeongran jeot of Korean cuisine and was introduced to Japan after the Russo-Japanese War. , a Busan-born Japanese, adapted Korean mentaiko to Japanese tastes in Fukuoka in the 1950s. The name...
, Torimon
- Hakata
- Gifu PrefectureGifu Prefectureis a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...
: Cormorant Fishing - HiroshimaHiroshima Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
: OkonomiyakiOkonomiyakiis a Japanese dish containing a variety of ingredients. The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning "what you like" or "what you want", and yaki meaning "grilled" or "cooked" . Okonomiyaki is mainly associated with Kansai or Hiroshima areas of Japan, but is widely available throughout the... - HokkaidōHokkaido, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
: CrabCrabTrue crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
, Ikura (RoeRoeRoe or hard roe is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses of fish and certain marine animals, such as shrimp, scallop and sea urchins...
), Sea urchinSea urchinSea urchins or urchins are small, spiny, globular animals which, with their close kin, such as sand dollars, constitute the class Echinoidea of the echinoderm phylum. They inhabit all oceans. Their shell, or "test", is round and spiny, typically from across. Common colors include black and dull... - Hyōgo PrefectureHyogo Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
- KobeKobe, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
: Kobe Fugetsudo (Gaufre)
- Kobe
- Ishikawa PrefectureIshikawa Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is Kanazawa.- History :Ishikawa was formed from the merger of Kaga Province and the smaller Noto Province.- Geography :Ishikawa is on the Sea of Japan coast...
: LacquerwareLacquerwareLacquerware are objects decoratively covered with lacquer. The lacquer is sometimes inlaid or carved. Lacquerware includes boxes, tableware, buttons and even coffins painted with lacquer in cultures mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere.-History:...
, pottery - Iwate PrefectureIwate Prefectureis the second largest prefecture of Japan after Hokkaido. It is located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island and contains the island's easternmost point. The capital is Morioka. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido...
: Nanbu Ironware, Wanko-soba, Morioka Reimen - KagawaKagawa Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.- History :Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.For a brief period between August 1876 and December 1888, Kagawa was made a part of Ehime Prefecture.-Battle of Yashima:...
: Sanuki udonSanuki udonSanuki udon is a noodle soup dish popular in the Kagawa Prefecture,in Japan. particularly for special occasions. The main ingredients are udon served al dente with tuna and kelp.... - KochiKochi Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...
: katsuo tataki - Kyoto PrefectureKyoto Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Kyoto.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Kyoto prefecture was known as Yamashiro....
- KyotoKyotois a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
: YatsuhashiYatsuhashiis a Japanese confectionery sold mainly as a souvenir sweet . It is one of the best known meibutsu of Kyoto. It is made from glutinous , sugar and cinnamon. Baked, it is similar to senbei. Raw, unbaked yatsuhashi has a soft, mochi-like texture and is often eaten wrapped around , and may come in...
, Kiyomizuyaki ceramics.- NishijinNishijinis a traditional textile produced in Kamigyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan.-History:Nishijin weaving was created in Kyoto over 1200 years ago by using many different types of colored yarns and weaving them together into decorative designs...
: textiles
- Nishijin
- Uji: Green teaGreen teaGreen tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...
- Kyoto
- KyūshūKyushuis the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
- AritaArita, Sagais a town located in Nishimatsuura District, Saga, Japan. It is known for producing Arita porcelain, one of the traditional handicrafts of Japan. It also holds the largest ceramic fair in Western Japan, the Arita Ceramic Fair...
, Imari: potteryPotteryPottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
, ceramicsCeramic artIn art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
- Arita
- Nagano PrefectureNagano Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...
: Shinshu SobaSobais the Japanese name for buckwheat. It is synonymous with a type of thin noodle made from buckwheat flour, and in Japan can refer to any thin noodle . Soba noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup... - Nagasaki PrefectureNagasaki Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.- History :Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki...
: ChamponChampon, also known as Chanpon, is a noodle dish that is a regional cuisine of Nagasaki, Japan. Due to the inspiration from Chinese cuisine, it is also a form of Japanese Chinese cuisine. Champon is made by frying pork, seafood and vegetables with lard; a soup made with chicken and pig bones is added. A...
, KakuniKakuniis a Japanese braised pork dish which literally means "square simmered".Kakuni is a meibutsu of Nagasaki. The origin of this dish is most likely Chinese, making it a form of Japanese Chinese cuisine, and it is similar to Dongpo's pork, though not as heavy in sauce... - NiigataNiigata Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name "Niigata" literally means "new lagoon".- History :...
: Rice, sake - OkayamaOkayama Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama Prefecture was known as Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province.- Geography :...
: Kibi dango, muscat grape, white peach - Okinawa: AwamoriAwamoriAwamori is an alcoholic beverage indigenous to and unique to Okinawa, Japan. It is made from rice, and is not a direct product of brewing but of distillation ....
, ChanpurūChanpuruis a form of popular Okinawan stir fry dish, generally containing vegetables, tofu, and some kind of meat or fish. Luncheon meat , egg, moyashi and gōyā are some other common ingredients... - OsakaOsakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
: TakoyakiTakoyakiis a popular ball-shaped Japanese dumpling or more like a savory pancake made of batter and cooked in a special takoyaki pan...
, OkonomiyakiOkonomiyakiis a Japanese dish containing a variety of ingredients. The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning "what you like" or "what you want", and yaki meaning "grilled" or "cooked" . Okonomiyaki is mainly associated with Kansai or Hiroshima areas of Japan, but is widely available throughout the... - Saga PrefectureSaga Prefectureis located in the northwest part of the island of Kyūshū, Japan. It touches both the Sea of Japan and the Ariake Sea. The western part of the prefecture is a region famous for producing ceramics and porcelain, particularly the towns of Karatsu, Imari, and Arita...
- AritaArita, Sagais a town located in Nishimatsuura District, Saga, Japan. It is known for producing Arita porcelain, one of the traditional handicrafts of Japan. It also holds the largest ceramic fair in Western Japan, the Arita Ceramic Fair...
: Arita (porcelain)
- Arita
- Shiga PrefectureShiga Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...
- ShigarakiShigaraki, Shigawas a town located in Kōka District, Shiga, Japan.On October 1, 2004 Shigaraki was merged with the towns of Kōka, Kōnan, Minakuchi and Tsuchiyama, all from Kōka District, to form the new city of Kōka....
: Shigaraki ware
- Shigaraki
- ShizuokaShizuoka Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
: Green teaGreen teaGreen tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally... - TokushimaTokushima Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is the city of Tokushima.- Tokushima Prefecture and Myodo Prefecture :Long ago, Tokushima City belonged to a region known as Myōdō-gun...
: sudachiSudachiSudachi is a small, round, green citrus fruit which belongs to the papeda subgroup of citrus plants.... - TottoriTottori Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region. The capital is the city of Tottori. It is the least populous prefecture in Japan.- History :Before the Meiji Restoration, Tottori encompassed the old provinces of Hōki and Inaba...
: Pears, Crab - YamagataYamagata Prefecture-Fruit:Yamagata Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan. A large quantity of other kinds of fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches, melons, persimmons and watermelons are also produced.- Demographics :...
: Cherries - YamaguchiYamaguchi Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, in the center of the prefecture. The largest city, however, is Shimonoseki.- History :...
:- Shimonoseki: fuguFuguis the Japanese word for pufferfish and the dish prepared from it, normally species of genus Takifugu, Lagocephalus, or Sphoeroides, or porcupinefish of the genus Diodon. Fugu can be lethally poisonous due to its tetrodotoxin; therefore, it must be carefully prepared to remove toxic parts and to...
- Shimonoseki: fugu
- YamanashiYamanashi Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Kōfu.-Pre-history to the 14th century:People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years...
: Grapes
Cultural aspects
Several prints in various versions of the ukiyoe series The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō depict meibutsu. These include Arimatsu shiboriShibori
is a Japanese term for several methods of dyeing cloth with a pattern by binding, stitching, folding, twisting, compressing it, or capping. Some of these methods are known in the West as tie-dye.-Techniques:...
, a stenciled fabric sold at Narumi
Narumi
is a Japanese word for "the roaring of the sea". is also a feminine Japanese given name which can also be used as a surname.-Possible writings:Narumi can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:*鳴海, "the roaring of the sea"as a given name...
(station 41) and Kanpyō
Kanpyo (food)
, sometimes romanized and pronounced kampyō, are dried shavings of calabash , a type of gourd. Kanpyō is an ingredient in traditional Edo style Japanese cuisine, and cooked and flavored kanpyō is commonly used in Futomaki sushi roll....
(sliced gourd), a product of Minakuchi (station 51), as well as a famous teahouse at Mariko
Mariko-juku
was the twentieth of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in what is now part of Suruga Ward in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It can also be written as 丸子宿 .-History:...
(station 21) and a famous tateba (rest stop) selling a type of rice-cake called ubagamochi at Kusatsu
Kusatsu-juku
was the fifty-second of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō as well as the sixty-eighth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. It is located in the downtown area of the present-day city of Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.-History:...
(station 51).
According to a paper by Laura Nenzi cited by Jilly Traganou in The Tokaido Road: Traveling and Representation in Edo and Meiji Japan (Routledge, 2004), meibutsu could be "classified into the following five categories: (1) simple souvenirs such as the swords
Swords
A sword is a cutting/thrusting weapon made of metal. Sword or swords may also refer to:* Swords, County Dublin, Ireland* Suit of swords, a suit in Latin-suited playing cards and Tarot decks* SWORDS, a ground-based military robot...
of Kamakura
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
or the shell-decorated screens of Enoshima
Enoshima
is a small island, about 4 km in circumference, at the mouth of the Katase River, which flows into Sagami Bay in Japan. Part of the city of Fujisawa, it is linked to the Katase section of the same city on the mainland by a 600 meter-long bridge...
; (2) gastronomic specialties such as the roasted rice cakes (yakimochi
Yakimochi
Yakimochi is literally grilled or broiled mochi or pounded rice cake. Traditionally, it is prepared using a small charcoal grill but in modern times a gas grill can be used...
) of Hodogaya, and the yam
Yam (vegetable)
Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea . These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania...
gruel torojiru of Mariko; (3) supernatural souvenirs and wonder-working panaceas, such as the bitter powders of Menoke that supposedly cured a large number of illnesses; (4) bizarre things that added a touch of the 'exotic' to the aura of each location such as the fire-resistant salamanders of Hakone; and (5) the prostitutes, who made localities such as Shinagawa, Fujisawa
Fujisawa, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 407,731 and a population density of 5,870 people per km². The total area is 69.51 km²-Geography:...
, Akasaka
Akasaka, Tokyo
is a residential and commercial district of Minato, Tokyo, located west of the government center in Nagatachō and north of the Roppongi nightlife district....
, Yoshida
Yoshida
-People:Yoshida is the 12th most common Japanese surname.*Akihiko Yoshida , game artist*Ami Yoshida , vocalist*Bungo Yoshida , bunraku puppeteer*Hidehiko Yoshida , judoka and MMA fighter...
and Goyu
Goyü
Goyu is a village in the east of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It lies at an altitude of 3773 metres .The village is located 10.1 miles south of the village of Baixoi and 29.8 miles west of Xia Lingka....
famous. Such commodities made people stop at otherwise impoverished and remote localities, contributing to the local economy and the exchange between people of different backgrounds." (72)