Food / Souvenirs

Grilled eel is iconic Japanese cuisine, and Saitama boasts numerous historic eel restaurants thanks to the abundance of eels in its rivers and wetlands. The exceptional cooking methods at these restaurants have earned them acclaim amongst foodies in the know.

Kawahaba Udon is a unique noodle dish from Konosu. The hefty width of these noodles was inspired by the Arakawa River, which flows into Tokyo Bay and is the widest river in Japan. Many restaurants make their noodles up to 5 centimeters wide, some even stretching close to 8 centimeters, making them some of the broadest in the nation.

Saitama is famous both for a traditional shaved ice made from spring water which has been passed down for generations, and for its special regional shaved ice made from premium local water. Kumagaya, said to be the hottest city in Japan, boasts its specialty shaved ice creation, "Yukikuma" (Snow Bear).

Pork Miso Bowl, the signature dish of the mountainous Chichibu region, contains charcoal-grilled pork marinated in a secret miso sauceーa recipe that evolved from traditional hunting meat preservation methods. The Waraji Katsu Bowl is equally popular, featuring an oversized cutlet, so large that it juts out from the bowl's edges, topped with a sweet and savory soy sauce.

Strawberries from Saitama are popular throughout Japan, particularly the Amarin variety, which was crowned champion at the Japan Strawberry Competition. Visit Saitama to enjoy these and other rare strawberry varieties unavailable elsewhere in Japan.

Alongside Kyoto and Shizuoka, Saitama is known as one of Japan's top three tea-growing regions. Being further north than its counterparts, tea plants grown in Saitama have thicker leaves due to the cold winters, yielding a uniquely sweet, rich, and full-bodied flavor.

These traditional hard-baked soy sauce rice crackers are considered some of the best in Japan.

Sweet potatoes have been a beloved and affordable treat for Saitama locals since the Edo period. Kawagoe is particularly renowned for its wealth of sweet potato confections and desserts.

The town of Ogawa and the village of Higashichichibu in Saitama have been crafting traditional “washi” paper for 1,300 years. Their main product is the top-quality Hosokawa paper, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, along with many other fine paper products.

Saitama ranks among one of Japan's top sake-producing regions, owing to its abundance of pristine spring water. Numerous traditional breweries throughout Saitama continue to preserve their time-honored methods to the present day.