Local Specialties of Akita Prefecture

Akita cedar: One of the three most beautiful forests in Japan. It is good furniture wood, kitchenware wood, and can be used to make kokeshi toys and other things. The fragrance of the tree is said to have medicinal properties for healing the body and mind.

Noshiro Kites: Also known as Evil-Preventing Kites, these kites have both male and female designs, and are representative of the Noshiro kites.

Akita Dolls: Wooden dolls with heads and bodies joined together and depicting floral designs.

Bentwood Vessel: A cedar tree with a beautiful texture and a refreshing scent.

Goden Hydrangea: A decorative item that evolved from a girl's toy. Characterized by its graceful shape and three pendulous spikes.

Cedar Strips: A very fine handmade product. It is made from thin strips of cedar or cypress wood, and can be called "wooden lace.

Nodai Chunkei: A highly transparent lacquer is used to reveal the grain of the wood. Historically, it was the exclusive lacquerware provider for the Mito family.

"Nakayama" dolls: regular shapes and bright colors.

"Kawalien" Lacquerware: Has a unique basic technique. In addition to small objects and furniture, Buddhist altars are also famous.

Akita ceramics: Shiraiwa-yaki (Senboku City), which is simple and elegant, and Narayoka-yaki (Daisen City), which has a distinctive blue color due to its "sea cucumber glaze.

Japanese Sake: The Akita brewing industry uses a brewing method known as the "cold winter season feeding" method, which is a feature of Akita's brewing. When it snows, the air is fresh and the cellar, surrounded by snow, maintains a moderate indoor temperature, creating an optimal environment for brewing. Akita's sake is aromatic and full-bodied thanks to the long, low-temperature fermentation that takes place during the cold season.

Grilled Rice Dumpling Hot Pot: This is an essential winter dish for Akita people. Freshly cooked fresh rice is crushed and threaded onto cedar sticks, then roasted over a charcoal fire to form a stick shape, and then cooked with Hiragana chicken, watercress, and mushrooms.

Ishiyaki: A dish made by throwing stones that have been heated to 800 to 1,200 degrees Celsius into a soup filled with fish and shellfish.

Hirauchi Chicken: Chicken with less fat and more flavor as it is chewed is known as one of Japan's three most delicious types of chicken and has been designated as a natural monument of Japan.

Inaniwa Udon: One of Japan's top three udon noodle dishes, the noodles are al dente and smooth.

Lavender pickles: white radish is first smoked, then pickled with rice bran and salt for a unique flavor.

Bamboo Leaf Dumplings: Glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and dipped in soybean powder.

Rock oysters: the most delicious flavor in summer. It is 3 to 5 times bigger than the average oyster, rich in minerals and full of flavor.

Ground Caviar: Its appearance and elastic texture are close to that of caviar, so it is also called "plant caviar".

Pure Vegetable: It has a gelatinous mucous membrane wrapped around the outside, and has a unique taste. It has a light flavor and is often used in soups, three cups of vinegar (a condiment made from one cup each of cooking wine, sugar, soy sauce and vinegar) and tempura.

Salted fish sauce: This is one of the few fish sauces in Japan. It is used in hot pot dishes made of fish with fork-toothed teeth, scallions, and tofu.

Salted seafood: Made by the traditional process of "boiling until half-cooked".