名物・特産

Traditional embroidery passed down among Ainu people.The patterns are a reflection of the beauty of the natural environment where the Ainu have lived since ancient times.

As a fish-based fertilizer, supported Japanese agriculture during the Edo period and the building of “herring mansions” in the Meiji period

Bears are carnivores and are one of the largest animals known. There are two types of bears in Japan, brown bears and Asian black bears.

Long used for dashi stock, konbu has gained international recognition as a source of savory umami, the fifth flavor

古代より日本の食文化を支え、親しまれる魚。北海道のアイヌや岩手県三陸など、鮭は北海道・東北の名物。

下級魚から江戸前寿司の華へと転じた食用魚。青森県の大間の鮪などが有名。

江戸時代に生まれた青森県津軽地方の刺繍。麻布でつくられた野良着の補強と保湿性を高めるため、木綿糸で刺し子を施したものが始まり。

岩手県の伝統工芸。江戸時代、17世紀初めに生産が始まったとされるが、奥州の鉄器づくりは、平安時代末期に藤原清衡が鉄器職人を招いたことに由来するとされる。

岩手県の盛岡や花巻に伝わる名物。一口大のそばを椀に入れ、食べ終わるたびに給仕が入れ続けて食べる。

宮城県鳴子の伝統工芸。江戸時代後期に制作が始まったとされる。

秋田の県の魚。江戸時代から食卓にのぼる秋田のポピュラーな魚で、魚醤「しょっつる」にも加工される。

秋田県大館の伝統工芸品。江戸時代から続く曲物で、弁当箱やおひつなどがつくられている。

For Japanese people who love fruits, Yamagata Prefecture is synonymous with cherries. Its climate provides the perfect conditions for growing delicious, ruby-red Yamagata cherries that account for roughly 70% of Japan’s cherry production. However, there is another crop that played an important role in the history of this prefecture. The safflower has long flourished in the Murayama area, located in central Yamagata. The red pigment extracted from safflower petals was highly valued in the production of dyes and other products such as lipstick. It is believed that the cultivation of safflower in Murayama was started by a monk who founded <i>Yamadera</i> (literally translated to “mountain temple” and formally called Hojuzan Risshakuji Temple). The temple grounds include a number of buildings spread over the steep, rocky hillsides of Yamagata City. Safflower cultivation expanded, and in the 17th century, roughly 50 - 60% of safflower production in Japan took place in Murakami and neighbouring areas. Safflowers were handpicked, washed, and dried before being shipped to the Kansai region (including the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara). Safflower from the Murayama area was considered to be the highest quality in Japan and sold for high prices. The safflower trade brought great wealth to Murayama, and along with it, the glamorous culture of the Kansai cities and of Edo (present-day Tokyo). Safflower is still produced in smaller quantities and the culture that developed from the safflower trade lives on in Murayama. It can be seen in the extravagant displays of traditional <i>hina</i> dolls in March to pray for the healthy growth of girls, as well as in local architecture, traditional performing arts derived from court music, and in local dishes such as <i>imoni</i> (taro and beef hot pot). At the Hanagasa Festival held every summer in several Yamagata cities, dancers hold distinctive bamboo hats adorned with bright red artificial flowers which symbolize safflower being dried.

A board game originating in Japan in which two people compete by making full use of 20 pieces

バラ科の落葉樹。美味しい果実、節句に飾る花として日本人に親しまれてきた。福島県や山形県は桃の生産地。

福島県会津若松の郷土玩具。16世紀末期に制作が始まったとされる。

A symbol of longevity and health, the crane figures prominently in the pine-and-crane motif, seen in many paintings

Distinctively Japanese brewed alcoholic beverages made using Aspergillus culture and starch saccharification

Jomon Doki refers to earthenware pottery which was made and used during the Jomon era. They were widely used in Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa, and their style and patterns varied depending on the region and time they were made.

Dogu figurines were crafted from clay during the Jomon era. Most dogu designs are female and represented a pregnant woman to pray for fertility.