🕓 2025/5/31
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About Miyazaki Cuisine
Miyazaki Prefecture lies on Kyūshū’s east coast, framed by the bounty of the Hyūga-nada Sea and the forested heights of the Kirishima Range and Osuzu Mountains. Its warm climate and abundant sunshine create ideal conditions for agriculture and livestock farming, while coastal waters swept by the Kuroshio Current yield a steady catch of fresh seafood. Fertile soils support premium jidori chicken, wagyū, and a variety of crops, allowing stock-raising, farming, and fishing cultures to blend and give rise to a rich repertoire of local dishes.
Among these, charcoal-grilled jidori chicken, Chicken Nanban, and kama-age udon stand out as signature tastes beloved by residents and irresistible to visitors. When you come to Miyazaki, be sure to savor these specialties and experience the distinctive food culture born of the prefecture’s mild climate and abundant natural resources.
Miyazaki Prefecture's Top 3 Gourmet Selections
1. Charcoal-Grilled Jidori Chicken
出展：https://www.miyazaki-city.tourism.or.jp/
● What Makes Charcoal-Grilled Jidori Special
The dish is a five-sense experience. Flames leap in front of you as the chicken sears, charcoal crackles, and a smoky aroma fills the air, building anticipation.
Center stage is taken by Miyazaki’s celebrated free-range birds—especially Miyazaki Jitokko—whose firm texture and deep, concentrated flavor set them apart from ordinary broilers. Grilling the meat quickly over extremely hot coals seals in juices, toasting the exterior while leaving the inside succulent. The slightly smoky fragrance unique to charcoal cooking is unforgettable.
One visual hallmark is the chicken’s almost black surface. It is not burnt: rendered fat drips onto the coals, flames rise, and the resulting smoke deliberately “tans” the meat to that signature color.
● A Brief History
Charcoal-grilled chicken in Miyazaki is intertwined with the birth of the local brand bird Miyazaki Jitokko. The ancestor breed, plain “Jidokko,” was once raised throughout the old Shimazu domain (present-day Miyazaki and parts of Kagoshima) and prized enough to be offered to local magistrates.
Because Jidokko was later designated a Japanese Natural Monument, it could no longer be eaten. Miyazaki Prefecture therefore spent years crossing and refining lines; in 1991 the first “Miyazaki Jidori” appeared, followed by today’s improved Miyazaki Jitokko.
● Where to Try It
- Restaurant: Maruman Yakitori Honten
- Why go:
Open since 1954, Maruman is hailed as “the original thigh-on-the-bone charcoal roast.” Loved by locals and visitors alike, it keeps a tight menu—mainly “momo-yaki” (thigh roast) and “tori tataki.” Guests choose doneness (rare is popular) and whether to keep the bone or have the meat cut into easy pieces (“barashi”). One bite delivers springy texture, rich juices, and a rush of charcoal aroma. Simple salt seasoning lets the bird shine; yuzu-kosho or garlic salt on the side adds variety. - Address: 3-6-7 Tachibanadori-nishi, Miyazaki-shi, Miyazaki
- Access: About 20 min on foot from Miyazaki Station (971 m)
- Google Maps：https://maps.app.goo.gl/dNt5x8C8vRfDdoVW8
2. Chicken Nanban
出展：https://kumamoto.guide/spots/detail/9037
● What Makes Chicken Nanban Special
The appeal lies in contrast. Crisply fried chicken soaks up a sweet-and-tart nanban vinegar, then receives a generous blanket of house tartar sauce. Charred aroma and tender meat, crunchy coating, perky vinegar, and creamy tartar mingle to create layers of flavor.
Two main styles exist. The widely known version is topped with plenty of tartar sauce. The other—pioneered by “Naochan” in Nobeoka—omits tartar entirely, letting vinegar and chicken speak for themselves. Restaurants now craft original tartars and even spin-offs like “Chicken Nanban Curry,” so variations keep expanding.
● A Brief History
Chicken Nanban was born in Nobeoka City in the late 1950s as a staff meal at the Western-style restaurant London: fried chicken breast dipped in sweet vinegar. Two apprentices branched out. One founded Naochan, preserving the tartar-free style. The other, Kai Yoshimitsu, opened Ogura in 1956 and added the revolutionary tartar topping.
The word nanban originally referred to Portuguese visitors in the 16th century. They brought dishes in which foods were marinated in sweet chili vinegar (nanban-zuke); using chicken in that technique led to the name “Chicken Nanban.”
● Where to Try It
- Restaurant: Ajino Ogura Honten
- Why go:
Celebrated nationwide as the birthplace of tartar-topped Chicken Nanban, this 1956 Western eatery is listed in Tabelog’s “Top 100 Western Restaurants.” The retro interior oozes Shōwa-era charm, and queues often stretch outdoors at mealtimes. - Address: 3-4-24 Tachibanadori-higashi, Miyazaki-shi, Miyazaki
- Access: About 15 min on foot from JR Miyazaki Station (west exit)
- Google Maps：https://maps.app.goo.gl/5c9EufiBkJPp1aTF7
3. Kama-age Udon
● What Makes Kama-age Udon Special
The beauty is pure simplicity: noodles lifted straight from the cauldron, served with their cloudy cooking water (kamayu) and dipped in a hot broth. That’s all—yet the flavor runs deep. Many shops hand-make their noodles, each asserting character: thick and chewy, thin and slick, or flat and silky. Because they’re eaten the moment they’re cooked, you taste wheat’s natural sweetness at its peak.
The dipping broth is decisive. Kombu, dried sardine (iriko), shiitake, bonito, and mackerel shavings are simmered into stock, then seasoned with soy sauce and mirin. Recipes are guarded secrets; some broths lean gently sweet, others razor-clean and crisp.
● A Brief History
While udon is eaten everywhere in Japan, kama-age gained a unique foothold in Miyazaki and even shaped a local “closing dish” culture. Widely regarded as its pioneer is Shigenoi, founded in 1966. The key: founder Masanori Iyo’s wife Mitsuko hailed from Kagawa—the homeland of Sanuki udon, where kama-age is a traditional style. Her personal link sowed the seed for Miyazaki’s own udon identity.
● Where to Try It
- Restaurant: Shigenoi
- Why go:
As the birthplace of Miyazaki’s kama-age, Shigenoi has led local udon culture for over half a century. Loved by residents and celebrities—from baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima onward—the shop radiates history; walls are lined with autographs.
Second-generation owners still spend two hours the night before kneading dough by foot, rolling, and hand-cutting noodles. The result is slightly slender strands with a silky glide and gentle chew. - Address: 8-19 Kawara-machi, Miyazaki-shi, Miyazaki
- Access: About 18 min on foot from JR Miyazaki Station (west exit)
- Google Maps：https://maps.app.goo.gl/1UVe1asGq17gQPkr7