Yanai’s traditional folkcraft from Edo period (17th-19th centuries)
Kumatani Rinzaburo, a highly successful merchant of Edo (former name of Tokyo), invented this lantern inspired by Nebuta ornaments found in Aomori Prefecture.
Made of washi-paper and bamboo framework, painted with the same dyeing material as Yanai-jima textile, they were hung out outside as guiding lanterns to help the ancestors’ spirits to come back home during Obon period.
Today, the town holds a lantern festival on the 13th of August every year.
The fantastical look of swinging goldfish lanterns along white-walled streets in the evening during early August is a typical image of summertime in Yanai.

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Soy sauce with extra-rich flavor thanks to an original double processing. When this sauce was first presented to Lord Kikkawa during the Edo period, the governor praised the flavor as being “kanro” – “heavenly sweet dew”. Hence its name Kanro Joyu.
Using a technique that remains unchanged since it was first developed 200 years ago, soy sauce matures for two years and gains its characteristic flavor.

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Plain cotton textile produced in this area for centuries.
This style became well known during the Edo period, when Yanai prospered as a merchants’ city. As industrialization began in the Meiji period (19th century), production of this folk textile declined and almost disappeared in the early 20th century.
After decades of absence, Yanai-Jima production was revived thanks to a new technology and design, that yet manage to preserve the warmth of hand-woven textile.

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Yanai’s folk recipe. This rice porridge cooked with roasted tea goes well with pickled vegetables. Its refreshing flavor is a long-time favorite of the local people.

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Japanese wild yams used to be considered very rare, as they were only harvested in the mountains and not produced in farms. After long years of research and trials, Masada Natural Farm in Yanai City invented a special device named “Clever Pipe”, which enabled growing wild yam for the first time in the world, paving a way for other farmers to grow them. This is why Yanai is now called “the place of origin of wild-yam farming”. The Jinenjo wild yam is also scientifically proven to contain a substance which increases DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone), a male hormone which is good for revitalizing, anti-aging and improving hormone balance.

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Black-coloured Ramen noodles make a beautiful contrast with white-walled streets in Yanai's old downtown. The black noodles are made by kneading together rice flour, grated Jinenjo (Japanese wild yam), bamboo charcoal powder, and black sesame seed paste. The specially-made noodles compliment seafood soup with an essence of Kanro Shoyu (soy sauce), producing subtle sweetness and good flavour. This new local Ramen will surely stimulate your appetite!

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A bowl of rice topped with various fresh seafood and Sashimi from the Seto Inland Sea, off the coast of Yanai, is served with grated Jinenjo (Japanese wild yam), which is a famous nutritious root vegetable. Please enjoy originally-created dishes at each restaurant.

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This special menu consists of seasoned Kanro Shoyu (soy sauce) steamed rice with local mussels called "Igai" and fresh vegetables, paired with a side-dish of Soba (buckwheat noodles) topped with grated Japanese wild yam. It's named after the local folk story about "Princess Hannya". Please enjoy originally-created dishes and various combinations at each restaurant.

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Please enjoy this specially-arranged seafood hot pot with famous sea bream and rich local ingredients, cooked in an original soup stock. As local sea bream grows up in the Obatake-seto Strait, one of three major currents of Japan, its firm texture produces a savory flavour with a strong but sweet taste. Please try out five different restaurants as they serve originally-arranged hot pot.

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