Matsumoto Castle, Japan

In Nagano, as in many other cities in Japan, people have deep respect and love for traditional gastronomy. Although the modern city offers restaurants of all possible kinds, the townspeople still prefer Japanese cuisine, and the main visitors to such restaurants are tourists. The basis of traditional Nagano gastronomy is rice and seafood, which are used to prepare the bulk of everyday meals. Traditional sushi and sashimi, which are now popular in many countries around the globe, can be tasted literally at every step.
The traditions of cooking certain dishes have remained unchanged for hundreds of years. A great example is "Tempura" - deep-fried sliced vegetables or seafood, usually served with soy sauce. The traditions of cooking this dish originated in the 16th century when the culture of Spain and Portugal had a great influence on Japan. Today, there are dozens of ways to prepare Tempura, which can also be served with rice or noodles.

Meat dishes have become common in regional cuisine relatively recently, and most of them are prepared from beef. The simplest and most widespread one is "Yakiniku" grilled beef. All chefs have their own traditions of cooking this dish. Some combine different types of meat, while others complement the meat with grilled vegetables. There are several restaurants and eateries in the city that specialize exclusively in Yakiniku.
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