KINMAN If you ask a local in Akita what the most famous confectionary from the region is, one of the answers is likely to be “Kinman”. (In fact, this is exactly what we did in a confectionary shop in Akita city). The sweet has the initial appearance and texture of a mini sponge cake, and…

YAKINIKU, grilled meat Yakiniku which literally means “grilled meat” is a popular way of enjoying meat in Japan, and is something that I can’t help but wonder, why it hasn’t yet found it’s way to the UK. After all, Yakiniku is essentially a BBQ where you self-cook the meat according to your tastes on a…

BEEF BOWL Gyudon literally translated as beef bowl and is usually a very cheap, common dish that you can grab at Japanese fast food restaurants such as Sukiya and Yoshinoya. AND THEN THERE’S WHAT WE HAD IN YURIHONJO. Seriously, who knew beef draped over rice, with a vingerette jelly sauce could be so spectacular. Yurihonjo…

CHOSETSU SAKE I had the chance to attend a guided tour in the Yuki No Bosha factory. Wandering between huge casks and numerous tips I understood that the creation of sake is not a simple thing. What is special about their sake is that the sake is organic and produced using unconventional methods; no water…

GINGER RAMEN I often do my best to avoid ramen during lunch time, as I become very sleep soon after finishing it – I’m guessing it’s something to do with the noodles and the thick soups I often choose. However, today I had a ramen that seemed to me to be the perfect lunch time…

THICK SOBA NOODLE MISO RAMEN As a tourist it is easy to think about only one or two types of ramen, but Japan has such a huge variety of ramen and form my experience, the best ramen I’ve found tends to be in the countryside. Things don’t get much more countryside than the region of…

AKITA INU NO FUN Wandering alongside Tazawa Lake, the deepest freshwater lake in Japan, I ended up in a souvenir shop as the location is ideal for some traditional “omiyage” (souvenirs). Strolling amongst the sweets, a cute little box with an Akita dog on caught my eye. It wasn’t until I’d bought the chocolate biscuits…

INANIWA UDON In Akita prefecture the Inaniwa udon are made in the city of Inakawa. They are usually hand-stretched, and slightly thinner than the type of thick udon we all know and love. Its production requires a meticulous selection of ingredients and lots of skills, so not many quantities could be made in the old…

HONEY PIZZA Tazawa Lake is the deepest freshwater lake in Japan, in a relatively isolated region of Akita, surrounded by picturesque mountains and forests. It’s easily one of my top 5 locations in Japan, as it looks stunning. And surprisingly, just 5 minutes from the lake (by car), you can find several restaurants selling honey…

RAPPLE I like the word ‘Rapple’. It’s probably the best word ever made. It’s also the name of one of the most popular sweets we found at souvenir shop Shikanai, in Hirosaki station. A ‘Rapple’ is a small puffy cake filled with chopped apples. The apples used are made in Aomori and are purchased from…