🕓 2025/5/30
＃グルメ
Table of Contents
About Kumamoto Cuisine
Kumamoto Prefecture stretches from the heart of Kyūshū to its western coast, blessed on one side by the rich waters of the Amakusa-nada and Ariake Sea and on the other by the monumental peaks of the Aso caldera and the Kyūshū Mountain Range. Volcanic activity has endowed the region with fertile soils and pristine groundwater, while complex coastal currents nurture top-quality seafood and the sweeping grasslands provide ideal pasture for cattle and horses. The result is a crossroads of livestock, fishing, and farming cultures that has refined a remarkably diverse repertoire of local dishes.
Among these, basashi, aka-ushi beef bowl, and karashi renkon stand out as signature tastes of Kumamoto—beloved by residents and irresistible to visitors. Be sure to try them when you come, and discover a robust food culture shaped by volcanoes, sea, and crystal-clear water—flavors that could only have grown in Kumamoto.
3 carefully selected gourmet foods from Kumamoto Prefecture
1. Basashi (Horse Sashimi)
● The Allure of Basashi
Kumamoto’s basashi is prized for the fine, marbled fat of draft-breed horses that literally melts on the tongue, releasing the sweet richness of the fat and the deep flavor of the lean meat at the same time. The classic pairing of mildly sweet soy sauce with ginger or garlic cuts any heaviness and lets the umami shine. High in protein and low in fat, basashi is also seen as a healthier choice and has become the “must-eat raw Kumamoto brand meat” for visitors.
Thanks to rapid chilling and rigorous sanitary control from slaughterhouse to table, the meat is served at peak freshness, offering a clean finish with no off-flavors.
● A Brief History
Legend traces basashi back some 400 years to warlord Katō Kiyomasa, who, after eating horse meat during the Korean campaigns, encouraged its consumption on his return to Kumamoto. During the Edo period it remained a secret tonic for the domain’s retainers, but after the Meiji government lifted the ban on meat eating, the custom of eating it raw took root in Aso.
Following post-war food shortages, basashi began appearing on izakaya menus in the 1950s and has since grown into a regional specialty for which Kumamoto now leads Japan in both production and consumption. Locals still celebrate the dish while recounting its “Kiyomasa origins.”
● Where to Try It — Highly Recommended!
- Restaurant: Baniku Ryōri Suganoya — Kumamoto Station Branch
- Why go：
Widely regarded as Kumamoto’s premier basashi restaurant, Suganoya is synonymous with top quality and unwavering freshness. The Kumamoto Station branch combines unbeatable convenience with authentic flavor—perfect for savoring basashi the moment you arrive in the city.
Suganoya’s excellence stems from its fully integrated operation: “Because all of our horse meat comes directly from our own ranches and processing facilities, you can enjoy it raw with complete confidence.” This vertical control ensures a level of freshness and safety that underpins the restaurant’s long-standing reputation.。 - Address: Inside Higo Yoka Mon Market, 3-15-1 Kasuga, Nishi-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto Prefecture
- Access: Directly connected to JR Kumamoto Station
- Google Maps：https://maps.app.goo.gl/41uNp2upGw5QQuZB7
2. Aka-ushi Beef Bowl
出展：https://kumamoto.guide/spots/detail/9037
● The Appeal of Aka-ushi Beef Bowl
Raised on the grasslands of Aso, Kumamoto Aka-ushi cattle produce lean, ruby-red meat laced with just the right amount of marbling. A bowl piled high with rare-grilled steak or thin-sliced beef over rice, topped with a soft-cooked hot-spring egg and house sauce, delivers both robust beefiness and mellow richness in a single, luxurious bite.
Because the fat is light and the finish refreshingly clean, the dish enjoys a reputation as a “healthy wagyū bowl,” popular with hikers and female diners alike. Long queues form outside specialty shops, and the vivid cross-section of pink beef has become a must-shoot photo for travelers.
● A Short History
Kumamoto Aka-ushi belongs to the Japanese Brown (Kumamoto strain)—a cross between native Aso, Yabe, and Kuma cattle and the Simmental breed—officially registered as wagyū in 1944. Valued for heat- and cold-resistance as well as grazing aptitude, the breed spread after World War II as a mainstay of local stock-raising. As consumer taste shifted toward leaner meat, its brand value soared; restaurateurs responded with the visually dramatic Aka-ushi Beef Bowl, which quickly became a tourist favorite. Today the dish stands as a new Kumamoto icon and a symbol of sustainable, pasture-based ranching.
● Where to Try It — Highly Recommended!
- Restaurant: Imakin Shokudō
- Why go:
Nestled in Aso’s Uchinomaki Onsen village, Imakin Shokudō is more than a diner—it is culinary legend. For devotees in search of the ultimate Aka-ushi bowl, a visit here is almost a pilgrimage. The restaurant’s signature dish is often described as “a donburi heaped with thick, rare-grilled Aka-ushi, crowned with a hot-spring egg and finished with a slightly sweet sauce.”。 - Address: 29 Uchinomaki, Aso-shi, Kumamoto Prefecture
Access: About 10 min by bus from JR Hōhi Main Line Uchinomaki Station - Google Maps：https://maps.app.goo.gl/G4QqDa97sifyQYHD8
3. Karashi Renkon (Mustard-Stuffed Lotus Root)
● The Appeal of Karashi Renkon
Lotus-root tunnels are packed with a blend of barley miso and Japanese mustard, then coated in a turmeric-yellow batter and deep-fried until crisp. The contrast between the crunchy shell and the lotus root’s snap is irresistible, while the sharp mustard heat that rushes up the nose makes it an ideal match for shōchū or sake.
Cut crosswise, the slices reveal an elegant floral pattern reminiscent of the Hosokawa clan crest, and their golden hue brightens any table or New Year’s feast. Because the flavor holds at room temperature, karashi renkon has become a beloved Kumamoto snack and a popular souvenir.
● A Short History
Roughly 350 years ago, the monk Gentaku of Rakanzan Temple devised this dish as a tonic for Hosokawa Tadatoshi, the first lord of Higo, who was in poor health. Disliking the “impure mud” associated with ordinary lotus root, the lord accepted Gentaku’s version, which concealed the root in batter and boosted nutrition with spicy miso. Tadatoshi ate it regularly and regained his vigor.
Because the lotus-root cross-section echoed the Hosokawa family crest, the dish was deemed auspicious, and until the Meiji Restoration the recipe remained a strictly guarded palace secret. Thereafter it spread among commoners; improved transport carried it nationwide, and today karashi renkon stands beside basashi as a culinary emblem of Kumamoto.
● Where to Try It — Highly Recommended!
- Shop: Ganso Mori Karashi Renkon — Main Store
- Why go:
- To taste genuine karashi renkon, visit the original creator, Ganso Mori Karashi Renkon. Bearing the title “ganso” (originator), the shop is a living monument to one of Kumamoto’s most inventive foods. Production is treated as an art form: “Each piece is handmade with masterful skill,” and “traditional methods handed down from the previous generation” ensure the trademark balance of fiery mustard and crisp texture.
- Address: 2-12-32 Shinmachi, Chūō-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto Prefecture
- Access: Only a 1-minute walk from Shinmachi stop on the Kumamoto City Tram
- Google Maps：https://maps.app.goo.gl/CsmMtf2KyvvJm8CP9