Akita Prefecture faces the Sea of Japan and is blessed with rich mountains and fertile plains. Because the winters are harsh and cold, a culture of preserved and fermented foods has developed here, giving rise to unique Akita specialties such as Kiritanpo and Iburigakko (smoked pickled daikon radish). In addition, there are many must-try local foods when visiting Akita, including Inaniwa Udon, which is one of the three most famous types of udon in Japan, and the local sweet Butter Mochi.

This time, we will introduce recommended Akita gourmet foods. We will also introduce recommended restaurants where you can try these dishes, so please use this as a reference when planning your trip to Akita!

🚅Book your Shinkansen ticket with NAVITIME Travel! 👉 Click here
🛫Book your flight ticket with NAVITIME Travel! 👉 Click here
😄Enjoy a more convenient trip to Japan with NAVITIME eSIM!👉Click here

👉Book Hotels & Ryokan on JAPANiCAN🏨

*If you purchase or reserve products introduced in this article, a portion of the sales may be returned to FUN! JAPAN.

Where Can You Enjoy Akita Cuisine? Recommended Areas Around Akita Station, Yokote, and More

First, let us introduce four areas where you can enjoy Akita’s local cuisine. Some of these places are easily accessible from airports, Shinkansen, or local train stations, but if you want to experience everything to the fullest, renting a car is also a good option.

Around Akita Station | Discover Local Akita Cuisine in the Station Complex and Downtown District

Akita Station is the gateway to Akita Prefecture, served by the Akita Shinkansen and local rail lines. It is the largest terminal station in the prefecture, directly connected to commercial facilities and hotels, with a bustling entertainment district nearby.

The station building’s commercial facility, Akita Station Building "Topico," has many restaurants serving Akita’s local specialties such as Kiritanpo and Hinai Jidori chicken dishes. Just a three-minute walk from the station is the Akita Citizen’s Market, making it a convenient stop during sightseeing.

Yokote | Famous Restaurants Serving the Local Specialty “Yokote Yakisoba”

Yokote City, located in the southeastern part of Akita Prefecture, is famous for the traditional snow festival “Kamakura” held every February. It is also the birthplace of the local specialty “Yokote Yakisoba.” Around Yokote Station, you will find many specialty restaurants such as “Kui Doraku Main Store” serving authentic Yokote Yakisoba.

Omagari | Enjoy Akita Cuisine Between Fireworks Viewing

Omagari in Daisen City is nationally known for the “Omagari Fireworks,” one of Japan’s most famous fireworks festivals. Daisen City is a central city in southern Akita Prefecture, thriving in both agriculture and commerce. There is a dining district around the west exit of Omagari Station, and since the Shinkansen stops here, it is a convenient place to visit.

Kakunodate | Many Akita Cuisine Restaurants Around the Samurai Residences

This historical castle town in Semboku City, Akita Prefecture, is known as the 'Little Kyoto of northern Japan' for its traditional charm. Rows of black wooden fences and samurai residences from the Edo period remain, and the area is designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the Japanese government. There are many Akita cuisine restaurants around the Kakunodate Samurai Residences, and since the Shinkansen stops here, it is an easy area to visit.

12 Must-Try Local Gourmet Foods in Akita & Recommended Restaurants

What are the must-try local gourmet foods when visiting Akita? Here, we introduce some of the best restaurants and shops, focusing on those highly rated on gourmet review and restaurant search sites like Tabelog, as well as those that appear at the top of search results.

Kiritanpo | Known for Its Chewy Texture and Savory Flavor

Kiritanpo is one of Akita Prefecture’s most famous local dishes, made from rice. Cooked rice is mashed, wrapped around a cedar skewer, and grilled over charcoal for a savory finish.

It is delicious on its own, but the recommended way to enjoy it is in "Kiritanpo Nabe," a hot pot simmered with Hinaijidori chicken and seasonal vegetables. You can enjoy it throughout the year, but the best season is from autumn to winter, when the ingredients are at their most flavorful.

Recommended Restaurants Where You Can Try Kiritanpo

• Hokushu Club (Tabelog, Reservation Required): 15-6 Saiwai-cho, Odate City, Akita Prefecture
• Akita Kiritanpoya Akita Station Main Store (Reservation Link): Midoriya Building 1F, 2-7-6 Nakadori, Akita City, Akita Prefecture (For groups of 6 or more, please call to reserve)

Inaniwa Udon | One of Japan’s Three Great Udon

Inaniwa Udon, which has developed into one of Japan’s three great udon noodles and a specialty of Akita Prefecture, originated in the early Edo period. It is said that Ichibe Sato, who lived in Ozawa in the Inaniwa area, began making dried udon noodles using locally grown wheat flour.

With its smooth texture and slippery mouthfeel, Inaniwa Udon has been known as a luxury item since the Edo period. It is said that Inaniwa Udon was not available to the general public until 1972, when Yosuke Sato, the owner of the long-established Inaniwa Udon maker Sato Yosuke Shoten, made its production techniques and flour blend known to people outside his family.

Recommended Restaurants Where You Can Try Inaniwa Udon

• Sato Yosuke Main Store (Tabelog): 80 Inaniwa, Inaniwa-machi, Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture
• Kanbun Gonendo Akita Store (Tabelog): Area Nakaiichi 1F, 1-4-3 Nakadori, Akita City, Akita Prefecture

Yokote Yakisoba | Hearty Noodles Topped with a Fried Egg

Yokote Yakisoba is a specialty of Yokote City in Akita Prefecture, made with thick, straight noodles. The main ingredients are cabbage and ground pork, and it is topped with a fried egg and fukujinzuke pickles.

The flavor is based on Worcestershire sauce, but each restaurant adds its own twist, so you can enjoy a variety of tastes. In general, it is mildly seasoned with a mellow flavor.

Yokote Yakisoba is said to have been created in 1953. It originated from the process of developing a new menu item using a griddle.

Recommended Restaurants Where You Can Try Yokote Yakisoba

• Kuidouraku Main Store (Reservation Link): 7-13 Maego Ichibancho, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture
• Fujiharu Shokudo (Tabelog, reservations not accepted): 22-3 Donomae, Oya Shimmachi, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture

Hinai Jidori Chicken | Firm and Juicy Texture! Oyakodon is Highly Recommended

Hinai Jidori is a local chicken breed raised in Akita Prefecture. It is known for its firm, pleasantly chewy texture, flavorful and subtly sweet fat, and thick, satisfying skin. Along with Satsuma Jidori and Nagoya Cochin, it is highly regarded as one of Japan’s “Three Great Chicken Varieties.”

Dishes made with Hinai Jidori chicken include a variety of options such as yakitori, steak, and oyakodon. Among these, oyakodon is especially recommended. You can enjoy the rich flavor of the egg yolk together with the savory chicken all at once.

Recommended Restaurants Serving Hinai-jidori Chicken

• Akita Hinai Toriya (Tabelog): 3F, Topico, Akita Station Building, 7-2-1 Nakadori, Akita City, Akita Prefecture
• Honke Abeya Akita (Akita Hinai Jidori Producer’s Restaurant) (Reservation Link): 1F, Area Nakaichi Shopping Complex, 1-4-3 Nakadori, Akita City, Akita Prefecture

Akita Beef | Tender, Richly Flavored Meat

Akita Beef is a brand of Japanese Black Wagyu raised in Akita Prefecture, where rice is a local specialty. The cattle are fed a diet that includes rice, unique to this rice-producing region. Akita Beef is rich in oleic acid, which is said to be good for gut health and beautiful skin. The fat melts in your mouth, and the meat is known for its tenderness and strong umami flavor.

Representative brands include Akita Yuri Beef and Akita Nishiki Beef. Akita Yuri Beef is a marbled Japanese Black Wagyu raised on rice and in the rich natural environment at the foot of Mt. Chokai. Akita Nishiki Beef is popular for its well-balanced lean meat and fat, carefully raised in the harsh northern climate.

Recommended Restaurants Serving Akita Beef

• Akita Gyugentei Ekimae Main Store (Reservation Link): 2F, 2-6-44 Nakadori, Akita City, Akita Prefecture

Hatahata Dishes | Akita’s Prefectural Fish, Famous for Hot Pot and Sushi

Hatahata, Akita Prefecture’s official fish, is a local delicacy in season from late November to December.

Hatahata usually lives in the deep sea at depths of around 500 meters. During the spawning season, when the sea is rough and thunder roars, large schools of Hatahata approach the coast for a short period. The name comes from “Hatahatagami,” an old word for lightning, and the fish is also known as Kaminariuo, or “Thunder Fish.”

Popular dishes include Shottsuru Nabe, a hot pot flavored with fish sauce called shottsuru, grilled Hatahata with its delicious crunchy roe, and Hatahata Sushi, a traditional dish marinated with rice and koji.

Shottsuru Nabe combines the delicate flavor of Hatahata and its roe, called buriko, with a light broth and the unique taste of shottsuru, creating a mellow and rich flavor. Common ingredients include tofu, green onions, and napa cabbage, but in Oga, where the dish originated, it is often enjoyed simply with just Hatahata in the soup.

Recommended Restaurants Serving Hatahata Dishes

• Akita Kawabata Sakana Sakaba Akita Main Store (Reservation Link): 4-2-35 Omachi, Akita City, Akita Prefecture

Damako Nabe | A Home Style Hot Pot with Chicken and Rice Dumplings

Damako Nabe is a classic home-cooked dish that is essential for winter in Akita. It is made by adding chicken, vegetables, and round rice dumplings (damako) formed from pounded rice into a chicken broth. It is said to have originated in the southern Akita region around Lake Hachirogata.

Originally, there was a dish called "Tsukego," in which fish such as pond smelt, crucian carp, and icefish caught in Lake Hachirogata were grilled and added to a miso-based soup. However, after the reclamation of Lake Hachirogata drastically reduced the fish catch, people began to use chicken bones and meat instead of fish.

The name "Damako" comes from the shape of the rice dumplings. In Akita, the beanbags that children play with are called "damako," and it is said that the rice dumplings, which are made by rolling rice pounded in a mortar, resemble these beanbags in shape, which is why they came to be called "damako." There is also a theory that because the damako are so delicious that children eat them in silence, the phrase "children who eat quietly" became "damakko."

Recommended Restaurants to Try Damako Nabe

• Akita Cuisine Chawanya (Tabelog): 4-2-7 Omachi, Akita City, Akita Prefecture
• Roadside Station Gojome Shokujidokoro Damako-an (Official Website, reservations not accepted): 76-1 Kamihirogano, Tomitsunai Shimoyamanai, Gojome-machi, Minamiakita-gun, Akita Prefecture

Iburigakko

Iburigakko is a representative smoked and dried pickle from Akita. Today, it is made throughout the prefecture, but it was originally a local dish prepared by farming families in the inland areas of Akita.

The background to the creation of iburigakko lies in the unique climate of southern inland Akita. In this region, winter arrives early, and the daikon radishes for making takuan could not be dried sufficiently in the sun before temperatures dropped below freezing, resulting in a snowy environment. Therefore, people dried daikon radishes over the hearth inside their homes. By drying them with the heat and smoke from the hearth, the daikon could be preserved and eaten throughout the winter.

This hearth-dried takuan pickle is the prototype of iburigakko, and its origins are said to date back to the Muromachi period.

Recommended Shops to Buy Iburigakko

• Iburigakko Honpo Ogachino Kimuraya (Official Website): 91 Tokiwamachi, Shimoinnai, Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture (directly managed store)
• Omiyage-dokoro Komachien (Official Website): 7-1-2 Nakadori, Akita City, Akita Prefecture, 2F JR Akita Station

Butter Mochi | A Fluffy and Delicious Sweet

Butter Mochi is a popular sweet from Akita Prefecture made with mochi and butter. The main ingredients are glutinous rice, butter, egg yolk, and sugar. Despite its simplicity, it is loved for its gentle sweetness and soft texture.

It is best enjoyed without grilling, allowing you to savor its unique fluffy and chewy texture. Butter Mochi can be purchased at hotels and souvenir shops in Kitaakita City.

Recommended Shops to Buy Butter Mochi

• Shikibikan (Official Website): 3-1 Omichikami, Animaeda, Kitaakita City
• Roadside Station Takanosu (Official Website): 62-8 Otsutsumi-michishita, Tsuzureko, Kitaakita City, Akita Prefecture, along National Route 7

Babahera Ice Cream | Ice Cream Made by Grandmas

Baba Hera Ice is a specialty of Akita, featuring a pink sherbet-style ice cream and a yellow banana-flavored ice cream served together in a single cone. Depending on the season, you may also find limited-time flavors such as melon or grape.

The unique name "Baba Hera" comes from the Akita dialect word "Baba," meaning elderly woman, and the way these women serve the ice cream using a thin, flat metal spatula. In Japanese, this tool is called a "hera." These two words are combined to create the name "Baba Hera."

Recommended Shops to Buy Baba Hera Ice

• Akita Airport Building Souvenir Plaza A-er (Official Website, sold irregularly): 49 Yuwatsubakikawayamagomori, Akita City, Akita Prefecture

Morokoshi | Traditional Japanese Sweets Made with Glutinous Rice

"Morokoshi" is one of Akita's most famous traditional sweets. Its roots go back to the Edo period. It is a type of wagashi called "rakugan," made by mixing glutinous rice flour with sugar and a small amount of starch syrup, then pressing it into wooden molds and drying it. What makes Morokoshi unique is that it uses adzuki bean flour instead of glutinous rice flour. The skins of the adzuki beans are removed, giving the sweet a pale color.

Recommended Shops to Buy Morokoshi

• Ganso Akita Morokoshi Honpo Sugiyama Juzando (Official Website): 233-199 Okawabata, Kawashiri-machi, Akita City, Akita Prefecture
• Torodoan Kakunodate Sakura Namiki Shop (Official Website): 124-2 Kitano, Kakunodate-machi, Semboku City, Akita Prefecture

Akita Rice | Akita Komachi, SakihoKore, and More

Akita Prefecture is one of Japan's leading rice-producing regions. The most famous variety is "Akita Komachi," and in recent years, a new variety called "SakihoKore" has been developed with a focus on excellent flavor and is now attracting attention. Other varieties grown in Akita include "Hitomebore," "Menkoina," and "Yumeobako," which are known for their high yield and well-balanced taste.

In particular, SakihoKore is available in small packages, such as two-cup sizes, making it a great souvenir to take home.

Recommended Shops to Buy Akita Rice

• Omiyage-dokoro Komachien (Official Website): 7-1-2 Nakadori, Akita City, Akita Prefecture, 2F JR Akita Station
• Akita Airport Building Souvenir Plaza A-er (Official Website): 49 Yuwatsubakikawayamagomori, Akita City, Akita Prefecture

Akita Gourmet Is Full of Unique Japanese Charm

The many gourmet foods you can enjoy in Akita are traditional dishes that make the most of the region's natural environment and have been passed down through generations. Through Akita's cuisine, you can truly experience the depth of Japanese food culture. 

👉Book Hotels & Ryokan on JAPANiCAN🏨