Japan’s northernmost island, and a single prefecture in its own right. Cold seas and wide pastureland give Hokkaido its reputation for crab, uni, scallops and dairy, while Sapporo turned rich miso ramen and Genghis Khan lamb into national favourites.
Snow country, and the heartland of Japanese rice and sake. Long winters shaped a cuisine of pickles, miso and preserved fish, alongside icons such as Sendai gyutan, Akita’s kiritanpo and Morioka’s three famous noodles.
The Tokyo region, where Edo-era street food became fine dining. Nigiri sushi, tempura, soba and unagi all took their modern shape here, and the capital still holds more Michelin stars than any other city in the world.
Central Japan, spanning the Japan Sea coast, the Alps and the Pacific. Nagoya built a whole cuisine on red miso — miso katsu, hitsumabushi, tebasaki — while Niigata rice, Toyama seafood and Hida beef define the mountains and the northern shore.
Japan’s culinary old capital. Kyoto refined kaiseki and obanzai around kombu dashi and seasonal vegetables, while Osaka earned the name kuidaore with takoyaki, okonomiyaki and kushikatsu — and Kobe gave the world its most famous beef.
The western tip of Honshu, held between the calm Seto Inland Sea and the rough Japan Sea. Hiroshima layers its okonomiyaki and farms most of Japan’s oysters; Okayama grows premium peaches and grapes, and Tottori lands snow crab each winter.
The smallest of the four main islands, and the least crowded. Kagawa calls itself Udon Prefecture for good reason, Kochi flame-sears its bonito into katsuo no tataki, and Ehime’s citrus groves supply mikan to the whole country.
Japan’s southern gateway, warmed by centuries of trade with China and beyond. Fukuoka gave us tonkotsu ramen and motsunabe, Nagasaki its champon, Kagoshima its kurobuta pork and shochu — and Okinawa keeps a food culture all of its own.