Kanagawa Food Guide

Kanagawa is most famous for iekei ramen, nama shirasu-don (raw whitebait rice bowl), Yokosuka navy curry, the Kiyoken shumai bento, and Napolitan spaghetti. Yokohama’s port history means the prefecture has more internationally influenced dishes than almost any other region in Japan.

Iekei ramen is a rich tonkotsu-shoyu ramen style born in Yokohama in 1974. It features a thick, creamy pork-soy broth, straight thick noodles, and classic toppings of spinach, nori (dried seaweed), and char siu pork. Diners can customize the richness, noodle firmness, and oil level. It is now one of Japan’s most widely replicated ramen styles.

Nama shirasu-don is a bowl of rice topped with raw whitebait (shirasu) caught the same morning. It has an extremely short shelf life and can only be eaten near the coast. Kamakura and Enoshima are the best places in Japan to try it. It is only available on days when the boats go out, typically from spring through autumn.

Yokosuka navy curry is a reproduction of the curry recipe used by the Imperial Japanese Navy, traditionally served with rice and a glass of milk. The Japanese Navy adopted curry from British sailors in the late 19th century to prevent beriberi among sailors. Yokosuka City now promotes an official standard recipe, and dozens of local restaurants serve it.

The Kiyoken shumai bento is Japan’s most famous ekiben (station bento box). Sold at Yokohama Station and other locations since 1954, it contains steamed pork shumai dumplings, rice, fried chicken, tamagoyaki, kamaboko, and pickled vegetables in a traditional wooden box. It sells millions of units annually and is considered a symbol of Yokohama food culture.

Sanmamen is a ramen dish originating in Yokohama’s Chinatown around 1947. It features a light shoyu or salt broth topped with stir-fried bean sprouts and seasonal vegetables in a thick sauce. Unlike iekei ramen, it has a lighter, cleaner flavor and is more associated with Yokohama’s Chinese culinary roots. It is unique to Kanagawa and rarely found elsewhere.

Napolitan is spaghetti stir-fried with ketchup, onions, green peppers, and sausage. It was invented at the Hotel New Grand in Yokohama in the 1940s by head chef Shigetada Irie, who used ketchup as a substitute for tomato sauce after seeing US military personnel eating ketchup-dressed pasta. It spread across Japan and is now considered a classic Japanese comfort food (yoshoku).

Gyunabe is Yokohama’s original beef hot pot — thinly sliced beef and vegetables simmered in miso or soy sauce broth. It was created in 1862 when the port opened and beef eating became acceptable. Gyunabe is the direct ancestor of sukiyaki: as the dish spread across Japan, the broth became sweeter and richer, evolving into the sukiyaki we know today.

Kamakura and Enoshima are the best places. Both towns sit directly above Sagami Bay’s shirasu fishing grounds. Numerous restaurants along the Kamakura coast and Enoshima’s main street serve shirasu-don, shirasu pizza, shirasu pasta, and shirasu toast. The Koshigoe fishing port area near Enoshima is particularly well known for its raw shirasu.

Yokohama Chinatown (Chukagai) is the largest Chinatown in Japan, established after the port opened in 1859. It has over 600 restaurants and food shops and is the single most important factor in Kanagawa’s internationally influenced food culture. Shumai, sanmamen, and dozens of other dishes found across Japan today have their roots in this district.

Shojin ryori is traditional Japanese Buddhist temple cuisine — entirely plant-based, using seasonal vegetables, tofu, and grains without meat, fish, or strong-flavored vegetables. Kamakura’s major Zen temples, including Engakuji and Kencho-ji, have associated restaurants that serve authentic shojin ryori to visitors. It is one of the oldest and most refined food traditions in Kanagawa.

Kenchinjiru is a root vegetable soup made with tofu, daikon, carrots, burdock root, and konnyaku simmered in a clear dashi broth. It originated at Kencho-ji temple in Kamakura in the 13th century and is one of Japan’s most historically significant soup dishes. It is still served at the temple and at restaurants throughout Kamakura.

Yokohama Chinatown for dim sum and Chinese-influenced Japanese food; Kannai and Noge for yakitori, izakaya, and standing bars; Motomachi for old-school Western-influenced (yoshoku) restaurants; Isezakicho for sanmamen and traditional local dining; and Minato Mirai for waterfront restaurants with views of the bay.

Herahera dango is a flat, paddle-shaped rice flour dumpling coated with sweet red bean paste (anko) from the Yokosuka area of Kanagawa. Made by mixing wheat or rice flour with water, flattening the dough into thin rounds, and boiling them before coating with anko. It is a rustic folk sweet recognized by the Japanese government as a traditional regional food heritage.

Odawara is famous for kamaboko — a processed fish cake made from white fish purée that is steamed, grilled, or fried. Odawara has been a major kamaboko production center since the Edo period due to its location on the old Tokaido highway and access to Sagami Bay seafood. Several long-established kamaboko shops along the castle town’s main street welcome visitors.

Kuro tamago (black eggs) are hard-boiled eggs cooked in the volcanic hot spring water of Owakudani crater in Hakone. The sulfur in the water turns the eggshells jet black while leaving the egg inside normal. Legend says eating one extends your life by seven years. They are sold only at Owakudani and are one of Japan’s most unusual regional food experiences.

Kanagawa offers every price point. A bowl of iekei ramen costs around ¥800–1,000. The Kiyoken shumai bento at Yokohama Station costs around ¥1,000. A nama shirasu-don at a Kamakura restaurant costs ¥1,200–1,800. High-end kaiseki and sushi restaurants in Yokohama’s Kannai district can cost ¥10,000 or more per person.

Beer is the natural partner for Yokohama’s internationally influenced cuisine — the city has a thriving craft beer scene with multiple local breweries. Yokosuka navy curry is traditionally served with milk. Sake accompanies Kamakura temple cuisine and traditional Japanese dishes. Yokohama has a long coffee culture (kissaten) dating to the port era.

Pure tonkotsu ramen (like Fukuoka’s Hakata style) uses only pork bone broth, has thin straight noodles, and has a light white color. Iekei ramen adds soy sauce (shoyu) to the pork bone broth, giving it a darker color and saltier flavor. It also uses much thicker noodles and adds chicken oil for extra richness. The spinach and nori toppings are also unique to the iekei style.

Seafood doria is a baked rice dish topped with béchamel sauce and seafood, similar to a French gratin. It was invented at the Hotel New Grand in Yokohama in the early 20th century by the same Swiss head chef who influenced other classic yoshoku dishes. The original recipe is still served at The Cafe in Hotel New Grand and is considered a landmark of Yokohama’s Western-Japanese culinary heritage.

Yes — Yokohama Chinatown, the Kannai area, and the Yokohama Ramen Museum are all excellent options. The Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum, opened in 1994, houses eight ramen shops representing different regional Japanese styles in a retro-designed basement space. For street food, Chinatown’s main street has dozens of shops selling xiao long bao, steamed buns, and other Chinese snacks.

Yoshoku is the category of Western-style Japanese food that developed in port cities like Yokohama and Kobe from the Meiji period onwards. Dishes like Napolitan spaghetti, seafood doria, omurice (omelette rice), and hayashi rice were all created or popularized in Yokohama. The city is considered the birthplace of Japanese yoshoku culture.

Spring (March–May) for fresh nama shirasu and cherry blossom season in Kamakura. Summer for cold shirasu dishes and Enoshima seafood grills. Autumn (September–November) for new-harvest rice and the return of shirasu season. Winter for iekei ramen, gyunabe hot pot, and the cozy izakayas of Yokohama’s Noge district.

Kamakura is about 50 minutes from Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station on the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line (direct), or about 55 minutes from Tokyo Station via Yokohama on the JR Yokosuka Line. The Enoden (Enoshima Electric Railway) runs along the coast from Kamakura to Enoshima, passing the best shirasu restaurants and seafood shops along the way.