Looking to taste Hachimantai’s local specialties? Searching for a great souvenir of your trip? Or just a treat for yourself?
From Paddock to Plate
Hachimantai Beef
A type of Japanese wagyu, known as Hachimantai-gyu in Japanese, Hachimantai Beef cattle are born and raised in Hachimantai’s vibrant natural environment by passionate local farming families. This uber-local production method limits stress for the animals and reduces food miles, so when you tuck into a sizzling Hachimantai Beef steak or juicy hamburger, you can be sure that it was born and raised locally.
Iwate Shorthorn Beef
Iwate Prefecture is Japan’s largest producer of shorthorn cattle, accounting for 40% of the country’s total production, and Iwate Shorthorn Beef’s rare red meat is rich in flavor-inducing amino acids. Unique to Iwate, cattle here are allowed to graze openly during the summer, being brought inside for the cold winter months. Keep an eye out for delicious Iwate Shorthorn Beef on menus across Hachimantai.
Tochucha Pork
Raised locally in Hachimantai’s wide open fields and taking its name from the Tochucha tea leaves the animals are fed, the result is an odorless, startlingly supple and delicious meat. Tochucha Pork can be enjoyed in restaurants across Hachimantai or purchase fresh meat from a local supermarket or butcher shop to enjoy your own BBQ or hotpot dinner. There are even special Tochucha Pork and onsen basil sausages available – an excellent local flavor combination!
Yakiniku Fabio
Nature's Bounty
Hachimantai Salmon
Hachimantai Salmon are raised in water sourced from the Kanazawa Shimizu spring, one of Japan’s 100 most famous water sources. With specially formulated food, they’re given three years to fully mature. The meat’s vibrant orange color comes from rich stores of healthy antioxidants and its suppleness makes it a delectable choice for sashimi or carpaccio.
Onsen Basil
Hachimantai’s long, cold winters probably don’t immediately conjure up images of warm-climate herbs like basil, but plenty of basil is grown here in specially heated greenhouses that utilize naturally occurring steam from underground onsen hot springs. Using cutting edge techniques that combine thermal energy with networked smart devices, the result is a robust, richly fragrant crop that can be enjoyed all year round. In Hachimantai, you’ll find basil added to everything from olive oil and sausages to ice-cream!
Hachimantai Mushrooms
With the motto 'Food Action for Horses,' Geofarm Hachimantai provides a safe home for retired race horses while utilizing the horse manure and geothermal greenhouses to grow their signature organic mushrooms. With the highest elevation of any mushroom growing area in Japan, the cool environment, clear air and pure underground water produces mushrooms with a firm texture and pleasant aroma. The Hachimantai Mushrooms brand has built a reputation for quality throughout the region and is featured in many supermarkets and restaurants. Look for the horse logo!
Appi Maitake
Appi Maitake mushrooms are cultivated in an environment that’s been carefully designed to replicate their natural growing conditions. They have a unique natural fragrance that you’ll experience with every bite and are well-renowned throughout the region for their exceptional flavor and texture.
Nishine Spinach
Hachimantai’s Nishine district is well-known for its spinach production, with large daily temperature ranges and cool growing conditions even in summer resulting in top-quality spinach leaves. Hachimantai’s cold winters maximize the growing season, allowing farmers to nurture their crops for 3-4 times longer. This “winter-chilled spinach” is also sweeter and said to contain more Vitamin C making it both delicious and nutritious. At Roadside Station Nishine (details below), you’ll even find spinach soft-serve ice-cream and bright green spinach curry!
Fusetsuka Tofu
Fusetsuka in Hachimantai’s Ashiro district are fine purveyors of everything soy – from plain or flavored silken tofu and creamy tofu croquettes to delicious tofu soft-serve ice-cream and hand-made tofu waffles. Our personal favorite are the irresistibly soft tofu donuts! Starting with the best quality locally-grown soybeans, all their products are made on-site and can be purchased directly from the factory shop or at other local retailers, such as Roadside Station Nishine (details below).
Motomiya Miso
Motomiya has been hand-making miso in Hachimantai using local ingredients for 90 years, yet they continue to innovate their menu and product offerings so there is always something new to discover. Located right next to their factory in Hachimantai’s Ashiro district, Motomiya’s recently renovated direct produce store and takeout restaurant, SHIMONO528, sells everything miso and koji (the rice mold used in the fermentation of sake, miso, soy sauce, etc.) – fresh miso paste, non-alcoholic sweet sake, mouth-watering soups, miso-flavored soft-serve ice-cream, signature burgers, traditional regional food items like tampo and much more! Visitors can even take part in a miso-making workshop – advanced reservation required. Add SHIMONO528 to your driving holiday route or you can find many of their products at other local retailers, such as Roadside Station Nishine (details below).
Roadside Station Nishine
Combining a cafeteria-style restaurant, shop and rest area, Roadside Station Nishine is conveniently located at the southern end of Hachimantai on National Route 282 (Nishine Bypass). It is also very close to the Tohoku Expressway Nishine Interchange, making it a great place to stop and refresh during a drive. Frequented by tourists and locals alike, the farmers' market come souvenir shop features fresh seasonal produce delivered in the morning by the farmers themselves, as well as a range of regional souvenirs and delicious food products created by local artisans.
Beer, Wine & Spirits
Dragon Eye Beer
Located at the foot of Mt Iwate, Akatsuki Brewery creates its signature range of Dragon Eye organic beer using natural spring water and renewable geothermal electricity. The brand name comes from the extraordinary natural phenomenon of Hachimantai Dragon Eye (visible late May to mid-June) when the snow on Kagami-numa melts in such a way that it looks like a large eye. Dragon Eye beer is available via the brewery’s online shop or from many local retailers and makes a great souvenir or just a treat for yourself.
Mountain Grapes
Growing wild in the mountains that surround Hachimantai, mountain grapes, or yama budo in Japanese, have long been coveted by the community for their health benefits. Nowadays, you’ll find cultivated versions in a range of juices, jams and confectionery
Washinoo Sake
Local sake brewery, Washinoo which means ‘eagle’s tail’ in Japanese, has been creating award-wining sake at the foot of Mt. Iwate using local ingredients and pure underground water since 1829. Their products which are available from many local retailers also make an excellent souvenir of your trip to Hachimantai.
Age-old Tradtions
Appi-nuri Lacquerware
More than 70% of Japan’s lacquer comes from Iwate Prefecture and much of this originates along the Appi River which flows between Hachimantai and Ninohe cities. In order to protect the traditional skills of the lacquer tappers and artisans which have been passed down through the centuries, these techniques were recently inscribed on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. Made from all natural materials, Appi-nuri lacquerware is famous for its beauty, color and durability and will last for generations making it a sustainable choice. You can browse the art-like creations of local artisans at Appi Urushi Studio or join a workshop and try decorating your own pair of chopsticks.
Geothermal Dyeing
The only facility of its kind in the world, local family studio, GEOCOLOR, is located next to Japan’s first commercially-operated geothermal power plant in Hachimantai’s Matsukawa Onsen and utilizes naturally occurring steam from underground hot springs to set its dyes. Drawing inspiration from the region’s abundant nature and the changing seasons, due to the nature of the dyeing process, no two designs are the same! You can browse their creations and purchase a one-of-a-kind souvenir from the studio-direct store come café, Alpine Rose where we also recommend stopping for a coffee on the outdoor terrace overlooking the pond. Or you can join a two-hour dyeing workshop and create your own unique geothermal design to take home.
Nanbu Senbei
Nanbu senbei crackers are a staple food in Iwate and a great choice for a souvenir of your trip to Hachimantai. With rice cultivation in the region made harder by the cold winters, a range of other grains have been part of local food culture for centuries. Nanbu senbei are made from a simple dough of usually wheat flour grilled in a small round cast iron mold and can be eaten as is or enjoyed in soup. Nowadays, there are a range of creative sweet and savory flavors to try.
Hazawa Seika is a local family business who have been hand-making nanbu senbei for three generations and are passionate about preserving regional culinary traditions. In recent years, they have also started selling original blend coffee packs to pair with their crackers. You can visit their shop in Hachimantai’s Ashiro district to chat directly with the family or find their products at many local retailers.
All information listed was confirmed at the time of publication. No responsibility is taken for changes made by third parties after this time.
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