Nara ｜ Traditional Foods in Japan

Enduring Flavors of Japan, Cultivated Over Thousands of Years

Nara is a landlocked prefecture surrounded by mountains, in the middle of the Japan archipelago. Japan’s capital was situated here in both the Asuka and Nara eras of Japanese history. During those times Nara was the center of politics, trade, and culture in Japan. This included relations with the outside world, and Japanese missions to Tang China brought back art and technology that in turn further developed into unique Japanese styles.

In this region Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples have greatly influenced the development of art and technology. After the relocation of the capital in the Heian era, the peasant class found itself freed from the influence of powerful families, and were free to farm on their own and refine their technique.

Excellence in farming is the norm here. From the 4th decade of the Meiji era until the start of the Showa era, Nara boasted the largest rice harvests in the country. In the early Showa as well, farmers here established a field-cycling method where fields would be switched between rice cultivation and dry crops every few years. Wet-land rice would be periodically switched out with cash crops like cotton, rapeseed, watermelon or strawberries. Nara farmers remain proactive about advancements in farming technology to this day, with current efforts focused on watermelon varieties and methods for growing strawberries out of season.