The 10 Best Places to Eat in Mie, Japan

The Mie prefecture has been blessed by the products from the sea as well as the mountains and it has also been famous as a sightseeing spot since the Edo-era because of the Ise Shrine. I believe that you’ve heard of Akafuku and the Matsusaka-beef, doubtlessly in this kind of environment and there are surely a lot of delicious foods. I’m introducing the gourmets in the Mie prefecture from the familiar ones to a little known one. When you have a chance to visit Mie, please try to taste them!

1. Kuwana in the Mie prefecture reminds us of hamaguri (orient clam) and the local gourmet reminds us of the [Uojurou]

The Kuwana-city in the Mie prefecture is famous for hamaguri (orient clam). Since the Edo-era, there was a wise saying, using [Kuwana] or [hamaguri] as a key word, so it conveys to you that hamaguri has been a famous product since a long time ago.

You can have a tasty hamaguri at the [Uojurou] which has been open ever since the Meiji-era. When you would like to taste authentic hamaguri cuisine, you could treat yourself. The Japanese-styled charming restaurant has various rooms from a large one to private ones. You can choose one which will suit your purpose, for a large number in a group or a small one. Why don’t you taste the traditional gourmet from the Edo-era at the long-established restaurant in the Mie prefecture?

2. You can taste the Mie local cuisine, the product from the sea at this restaurant [Tekone-chaya]

As the Mie prefecture is very close to the sea, you can eat fresh tasty fish. Among the gourmets, the most recommended one is the [Tekone-sushi] which used to be the fishermen’s meal during their fishing trip. It is a chirashi-sushi (sushi rice in a bowl with a variety of ingredients) full of fish toppings.

At the place I’ve introduced [Tekone-chaya], you can enjoy the [Tekone-sushi] with plenty of marinated bonito as a topping. The interior of the restaurant is spacious and bright, so you can enjoy your meal with your family or in a group. If you are lucky to take a window seat, you can have a delicious [Tekone-sushi], watching the pure stream of the river Isuzu. It is located on the way to the Ise Shrine, so if you have the [Tekone-sushi] here, you may gain energy for your trip further ahead.

3. The B-class gourmet of which the Mie prefecture is proud to eat in a casual manner! [Yokichiya]

Nowadays, in Japan, the cheap common but delicious B-class gourmets are popular. In various areas, the individual B-class gourmets have been developing. The Mie prefecture is not an exception. It is a store-house of the B-class gourmets. One of them is the [Tobaagaa] using the local delicious ingredients which you can only taste in the Toba-city. This [Tobaagaa] has been on the authorized system, so you can’t find it any other place.

One of the authorized shops is the [Yokichiya]. At this [Yokichiya], you can eat the hot dog-type [Tobaagaa], using the oysters. Apart from this shop, you can enjoy the different [Tobaagaa], such as the octopus [Tobaagaa], mackerel [Tobaagaa] or pork [Tobaagaa] depending on the other authorized shops. It would be fun to find your favourite [Tobaagaa]. You can’t eat the [Tobaagaa] at any other place except in Toba. It is a food which you can’t miss trying when you visit Toba for sightseeing.

4. Not only in Utsunomiya, you can eat gyoza in the Mie prefecture as well! [Mie-no-shokusaisakaba Mieyani]

Utsunomiya in the Tochigi prefecture and Hamamatsu in the Shizuoka prefecture are famous for gyoza, but the [Tsugyoza] in the Mie prefecture is also well known. Its characteristic is its size. The big fried gyoza with the diameter of 15cm will fill you up. Originally, the [Tsugyoza] was made for the school lunch, but it has become a local gourmet which has been loved by everybody and you can taste it even at a tavern.

At the tavern, [Mieyani] where you can eat the local gourmets, they fry it after receiving an order, so you can taste freshly fried juicy [Tsugyoza]. This tavern has been dealing with other B-class gourmets in the Mie prefecture, so please challenge other menus and enjoy the gourmets in the Mie prefecture. Please enjoy the [Tsugyoza] which was created by the thought of school children and cooked with love.

5. If you want to enjoy the local gourmet in the Mie prefecture, you can’t ignore the Ise-lobster! [Kagetsu]

Among the shellfish in the Mie prefecture, it’s no exaggeration to say that the lobster has an unshakable popularity. The place where you can enjoy the local freshly caught Ise-lobster is the steamed Ise-lobster and shellfish restaurant, [Kagetsu]. The [Kagetsu] is particular about it [being local] and[fresh], so they only offer the Ise-lobster cuisine from late-September to April when the Ise-lobster fishing is carried out. You need to check it out before you visit the restaurant.

It is certain that you can taste the elaborate Ise-lobster deliciously at this restaurant. They have 110 seats in the spacious interior, but it would be better to book a seat during the consecutive holidays and the sightseeing season, through the internet from 3 days prior. If you visit the Mie prefecture during the season of the delicious Ise-lobster, I’d like you to drop in at this restaurant.

6. Very popular for the Mie locals! The snack is this one! [Akafuku]

The most standard local snack in the Mie prefecture is a rice-cake wrapped with plenty of strained red-bean paste, [Akafuku]. The [Akafuku] is also a name of a long established shop, 300 years old since its establishment. It is popular as a souvenir, but at the [Akafuku], you can taste zenzai (red bean soup containing a rice-cake) in winter and the shaved ice with the rice-cake and the red-bean sweet paste in summer. They are really superb.

Luxuriously, you can buy the Akafuku for a souvenir and at the same time you can taste zenzai or shaved-ice at the shop depending on the season. However, the Akafuku has only 2 days for the “best before” date, so even if you buy some for souvenirs, you would have to eat them before the date expires. As it is a famous shop, it is always crowded, but it’s worth visiting. Please feel the 300-hundred-year history at the Honten (head shop) in the Ise-city in the Mie prefecture.

7. The long-established rice-cake shop since a long time ago for the local gourmet which you should try and taste just once [Henbaya Shoten]

We tend to have the image that the rice-cake in the Mie prefecture is the Akafuku, but you also need to remember the [Henbamochi] with a long history. The rice-cake, using rice-flour is baked well brown on both sides. The [Henbamochi] which has the plain strained re-bean paste inside is a casual snack.

The [Henbaya Shoten] has also a long history and its establishment was in 1775. The reason for the name was that a long time ago, people who came to the Ise Shrine on horses made horses return and walked to pay a visit. (“hen” means return and “ba” means a horse). You can eat it at the shop, when you are having a break or you can buy some as souvenirs. The “best before” date is only 2 days including the date of manufacture, so it’s better to eat it when it’s delicious. It is so simple that you can taste the original flavour of the ingredients.

8. It is best for your companion when you go on a trip. It is the soul-food in the Mie prefecture[Hachimitsu-man Honpo]

The snack which has been loved by the locals for a long time, so to speak, the soul-food is the [Hachimitsu (honey) –man (bun)]. It is a baked sweet bun in which the strained red-bean paste is stuffed inside the moderate honey sweet dough. It is good to buy some as souvenirs, but tasting a freshly baked one at the eat-in corner of the shop with a cup of Japanese green tea is the best.

It is a snack which is sweet, but addictive and you may want to eat it when you get tired from walking. The eat-in corner is not spacious enough for many people, but if you have time, please eat one there even if you need to be in a queue. It is a worthy companion during your sightseeing trip.

9. You can enjoy the brand of beef of which the Mie prefecture is proud to show to the world, Matsusaka-beef [Matsusaka Maruyoshi]

The [Matsusaka-beef] is a representative of the brand of beef in the Mie prefecture. Since 1935 when it received the Honorary Award in the exhibition held in Tokyo, it has become to be well known as one of the representative brand of beefs.

The [Matsusaka Maruyoshi] is a directly managed restaurant by a butcher, so you can taste the delicious beef in a casual manner. They have 200 seats in the spacious area, so that there is no problem even when you want to visit there in a large group. Nowadays, the Matsusaka-beef is available all over Japan, but you might want to boast that you had one in its home, Matsusaka. As you’ve come to the Mie prefecture from far away, please try and taste it just once.

10. You can enjoy the Mie brand of beef, “Iga-beef”! [Kanaya]

The brand of beef in the Mie prefecture is the Matsusaka-beef, but actually there is another famous brand. That’s the Iga-beef. The Iga-beef is also popular brand of beef in Japan. The Iga cattle have been reared freely and relaxed in the Iga district in the Mie prefecture, so the quality of their meat is excellent.

You can taste the original flavour of the Iga-beef at the [Kanaya]. The restaurant has been open for 100 years and the Japanese-styled interior with a long corridor has a very charming atmosphere. You may want to come with your precious one. You can choose the dish to taste the beef, by grilling it with butter or by the orthodox sukiyaki. Both sounds very tasty to make you indecisive, don’t they? Why don’t you visit there for a little luxury on your trip?

Let’s enjoy the delicious local gourmets in the Mie prefecture!

I’ve introduced the 10 recommended local superb gourmets in the Mie prefecture together with the restaurants. A great many exquisite dishes which you can only taste in the Mie prefecture have been blessed by the excellent environment which creates them. I know you may be confused which one you should choose. The delicious local food is essential for the memory of your trip. Nowadays, thanks to the development of distribution, you can eat some of them in other prefectures, but if you find your favourite local gourmets, please try and taste them in their home land.