Episode 27 of the podcast takes us to Yamagata Prefecture and the city of Tsuruoka, a destination known for its diverse and rich traditional food culture. In 2014 Tsuruoka was designated a UNESCO ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’ in recognition of that food culture including continued agricultural practices and use heirloom crops, wild plants foraged in the forests and mountains, abundant seafood catchments, along with creative use and contemporisation of those gastronomic practices. It was the first city in Japan to be awarded that status.
Tsuruoka, Yamagata: Japan’s Best Food Destination, You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of with Alexis Crump
In exploration of Tsuruoka’s food culture, in this episode I speak with Alexis Crump, Coordinator for International Relations of the Gastronomy Department in Tsuruoka. As Alexis and I discuss, the gastronomy of the region is reflective of its varied topography, with different food cultures and distinct areas existing within the UNESCO designation awarded to Tsuruoka.
Photo taken by: The Hidden Japan
Six distinct areas including Tsuruoka, Atsumi, Asahi, Kushibiki, Haguro and Fujishima account for the area generally referred to as Tsuruoka City, and each have their own food culture. Tsuruoka’s mixed landscape coastline, plains, forest and mountains is reflected in its varied gastronomy which takes advantage of the food available in each environment.
This area of Yamagata is of course also famous for the Dewa Sanzan, three sacred mountains that have long be the focal point of devotion for practitioners of Shugendo – a topic I covered in depth with Tim Bunting in Episode of the podcast. ‘Shojin ryori’, the traditional food associated with that practice, is also included under the UNESCO listing and can be enjoyed by any visitor to Tsuruoka.
Photography taken by: Ito Kenichi
Photograph taken by: Miura Kazuki
As we discuss in the interview, Tsuruoka offers visitors many reasons to visit in addition to its celebrated food culture. To learn more about what’s on offer, visit the official Tsuruoka City website for information about the region’s many attractions, festivals, hot springs., guided tours and accommodation.
I’d like to say a very big thank you to Alexis and the team in Tsuruoka for agreeing to speak with me and supplying all images included on this page. All above images are the property of Tsuruoka and cannot be used without their permission. For more information, you can visit:
Tsuruoka: City of Gastronomy
https://www.tsuruokagastronomy.com/
Tsuruoka City Tourism
Creative Tsuruoka Instagram
All above images were provided by and are the property of Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route.