There are many reasonably priced and delicious foods in Kyushu compared to Tokyo, and I would like to recommend Miyazaki’s gyoza.
Gyoza was introduced from China, and while in China it is common to steam gyoza and not so much to grill the leftovers, in Japan the opposite is true: grilled gyoza is very popular.
Utsunomiya City and Hamamatsu City used to be the regular contenders for the top spot in Japan in terms of gyoza consumption, but Miyazaki has gained tremendous momentum over the past few years and has been number one in Japan for the last two consecutive years.
There is no clear definition of Miyazaki gyoza, but it is popular among the locals as a quick and easy souvenir.
It is often discussed over gyoza at weddings and funerals.
So, in this article, I will explain about Miyazaki gyoza, its history, points of attraction, recommended famous restaurants, and sightseeing spots in the area, including my own experiences.
I would be very happy if you could help me get to know Miyazaki gyoza.
Why are Miyazaki gyoza famous in the first place?
Miyazaki residents have long had the custom of bringing gyoza to local meetings and gatherings with relatives and friends, and most restaurants offer gyoza to-go, and there are many restaurants specializing in take-out.
Since gyoza made from ingredients nurtured by Miyazaki’s rich nature and people are defined as “Miyazaki gyoza,” a wide variety of gyoza is available at each store, and now more and more travelers enjoy a trip to compare and contrast gyoza.
Miyazaki is a region with one of the nation’s top livestock and agricultural industries, and is also characterized by many gyoza craftsmen who make the most of the flavors of the ingredients.
For example, Takanabe Town in Miyazaki Prefecture has two gyoza specialty restaurants that have been in business for more than 50 years, despite having a population of only 20,000.
Miyazaki gyoza has no specific characteristics like gyoza from other regions; the thickness of the skin varies from store to store, and each uses its own special ingredients for the bean paste, such as cabbage, Chinese cabbage, and local chicken.
What is important is that Miyazaki’s ingredients are well known throughout the country for their delicious taste, and the gyoza are well prepared.
What is the main reason for being the number one gyoza consuming city in Japan for two consecutive years?
The Miyazaki Gyoza Council, formed in 2020, designated the 3rd of every month as “Gyoza Day” and continued to steadily promote Miyazaki as the place to go for gyoza on SNS.
In 2022, the council actively engaged in PR activities, including holding the “Miyazaki Gyoza Expo 2022” featuring famous gyoza stores in the prefecture.
A monthly trend of Miyazaki’s gyoza purchases shows that the city led other cities with a sharp increase in purchases in April and May of 2020, the month of the Corona disaster, leading to the city being number one in Japan in 2020 and the first half of 2021.
Another factor is thought to be the increase in “home time” and the introduction of Miyazaki’s stores in the media featuring ordered gyoza.
In addition to the abundance of agricultural and livestock products in Miyazaki Prefecture, which is one of the largest pork producers in Japan and also produces cabbage and chives, there are many opportunities to eat gyoza at home, so demand increased at gyoza specialty stores and in the side dish sections of supermarkets, boosting the amount of consumption.
The popularity of gyoza has also been boosted by the fact that Miyazaki has a well-established shochu culture, and gyoza and shochu go well together.
That’s right. It is difficult to explain how well gyoza and alcohol go together…I recommend that you try it once!
Three Attractions of Miyazaki Gyoza
I have summarized some of the attractions of Miyazaki gyoza.
Excellent taste created by the richness of ingredients
Miyazaki Prefecture is one of the largest pork producers in Japan, and is also known for its cabbage and chives.
Takanabe Town, where Gyoza no Mato’s main factory is located, is the top cabbage producer in the prefecture, growing high quality cabbage that is tender and sweet.
Fresh cabbage is available daily from nearby contract farmers except during the summer season, and is grown without the use of pesticides as much as possible.
The unique sweetness of cabbage spreads in the mouth and goes well with pork fat, garlic, and soy sauce-based sauce.
Miyazaki has many gyoza (dumpling) artisans who make the most of the flavors of the ingredients, and each restaurant’s gyoza is unique in that it makes the most of fresh local ingredients.
Richly diverse and unique gyoza culture
Miyazaki gyoza is characterized by its diversity, with no uniform characteristics as in other regions.
The thickness of the skin varies from store to store, and each uses its own special ingredients for the filling, such as cabbage, Chinese cabbage, and local chicken.
Miyazaki gyoza” is broadly defined as gyoza made from ingredients nurtured by Miyazaki’s rich nature and people, so there are as many different kinds of gyoza as there are stores.
Today, an increasing number of tourists enjoy traveling to Miyazaki to taste and compare Miyazaki gyoza, and it is attracting attention as a new food tourism resource.
There are many gyoza restaurants in Miyazaki City alone, and you can enjoy gyoza in a variety of ways, whether you eat it in the restaurant or take it out and enjoy it at home.
Take-out culture and daily life with gyoza
Miyazaki residents have long had the custom of bringing their own gyoza to local meetings and gatherings with relatives and friends.
Because this is the norm, most restaurants offer take-out gyoza, and there are many restaurants specializing in take-out gyoza.
There are many “gyoza take-out specialty stores” in Miyazaki, and local supermarkets also manufacture their own original gyoza, so the tendency to buy gyoza to take home and eat at home was originally strong in this area.
Miyazaki also has a strong shochu culture, and the fact that gyoza and shochu go well together has contributed to gyoza’s popularity.
For the people of Miyazaki, gyoza is not a special dish, but a familiar food that is an essential part of their daily diet.
The unique Miyazaki custom of taking out and bringing in and enjoying together rather than consuming individually as a meal out makes it appealing at the same time.
My recommendation for a great Miyazaki gyoza restaurant
In this article, I will introduce my favorite Miyazaki gyoza restaurants and their recommended menus.
My recommendation for the best Miyazaki gyoza restaurants
My recommendation for the best Miyazaki gyoza restaurants
Gyoza no Yodogawa
✅ Recommended Points
- Gyoza no Yodogawa is a popular restaurant in Miyazaki City run by Tsukasa Yodogawa, a Kansai-born owner who trained in Kobe’s Chinatown and grows his own vegetables.
- In addition to the standard grilled gyoza, four other flavors are available: garlic, shiso, and toritama (chicken egg).
✅ Recommended menu
- Kawaridane Gyoza
- Our recommended menu item is the Kawaridane Gyoza, filled with fresh vegetables grown in our own farm.
- A variety of ingredients are available, including shrimp, shrimp shiso, shiso cheese, and green onion miso, each with the sweetness and flavor of the vegetable condensed into the dumpling.
- All gyoza are hand-wrapped to order, so you can enjoy the taste of freshly made dumplings.
- The restaurant also offers a full izakaya menu including salads, special chashu pork, onigiri (rice balls), and zosui (rice soup), making it an attractive choice for a variety of occasions.
Kurobei
✅ Recommended Points
- Located in Nishitachi, downtown Miyazaki City, Kurobei is a long-established gyoza specialty restaurant that has been in business for more than 60 years and continues to maintain the methods learned by its predecessors, who were repatriates from Manchuria.
- Since the current owner opened the restaurant in Miyazaki in 1979, it has maintained its gyoza-only style.
- The simplicity of its menu, consisting only of yaki-gyoza, makes it a famous restaurant visited by fans from all over the country.
✅ Recommended menu
- Yaki Gyoza
- Our recommended menu item is the Yaki Gyoza (8 pieces, 600 yen), which is made in the same way as its predecessor.
- The skin and bean paste are all handmade. Cabbage, onion, chives, garlic, and ground beef are blended in a well-balanced manner, and the sweetness of the onion enhances the flavor.
- The lard-baked dumplings are characterized by their golden brown skin, which is crispy on the grilled side and chewy on the other side when you bite into one.
- The garlic is also uniquely pre-processed to prevent it from smelling bad, and the dumplings are so delicious that you can eat as many as you like.
Yatai Bone
✅ Recommended Points
- Located in the Miyazaki City Central Wholesale Market, Yataibone is popular for its gyoza (dumplings) made with fresh vegetables purchased first thing in the morning from the market.
- Originally popular as a ramen restaurant, Yataibone also has an excellent reputation for its gyoza, and the owner, who is the first president of the Miyazaki City Gyoza Council, is passionate about his vision of “making Miyazaki City a sacred place for gyoza.
✅ Recommended menu
- Miyazaki Brand Pork Gyoza
- Our recommended menu item is “Miyazaki Brand Pork Gyoza”.
- The gyoza are made with Miyazaki Prefecture’s certified brand pork, “Marumi Pork,” and Miyazaki Prefecture’s ingredients such as chives and garlic from Saito.
- The ingredients are blended in three stages and made with a unique method using a low-speed mixer to bring out the best flavor.
- The thin crust is crispy on the surface and chewy in the mouth, making these gyoza a royalty with the bounty of Miyazaki all wrapped up inside.
- Since it is located in the market, it is also sold directly from early in the morning and is popular as a souvenir or gift.
Miyazaki gyoza looks so delicious that it’s hard to choose the best from all of them, so I’d like to buy a variety of them and try them…
Column: Is there a clear definition of Miyazaki gyoza?
There is actually no clear unified definition of Miyazaki gyoza.
Since Miyazaki gyoza “does not have a specific type or method of production,” each restaurant offers unique gyoza based on its own ideas through friendly competition.
Officially, Miyazaki gyoza is also described as “characterized by its rich variety (no feature is a feature),” and “the thickness of the skin, the ingredients, the way the bean paste is kneaded, and the sauce are all unique to each store.
However, there are some similarities as well.
Some stores cite the view that “Miyazaki gyoza is characterized by ‘baking in lard,’” while others cite the process of “wrapping freshly purchased vegetables and Miyazaki brand pork in chunky or crispy skin that is kneaded thoroughly every morning, and baking it in the finest lard.
Basically, they all have in common the utilization of high quality agricultural and livestock products from Miyazaki Prefecture, especially the “soft and sweet cabbage” and “Miyazaki brand pork” from Takanabe Town, which contribute to the deliciousness of the gyoza.
Heh. You say there is no clear official definition, but there are a few things in common, such as the use of local products.
Recommended places to stop by in Miyazaki while dining
Here are three recommended places to stop by in Miyazaki during your meal.
✅ Aoshima Island
The small island of Aoshima, with a circumference of only 1.5 km, is known as a power spot, and the entire island is overflowing with tropical atmosphere and subtropical vegetation.
Aoshima Shrine, located in the center of the island, is very popular for its good luck charms for marriage, and the characteristic oddly shaped rocks surrounding the island, called “Oni-no-Washboard,” are also a highlight.
The main island is reached by crossing the Yayoi Bridge, and facilities such as Miyako Botanic Garden Aoshima and Aoshima Beach Park are located in the vicinity.
Aoshima Beach Park has a photogenic café where visitors can enjoy drinks and food while gazing at the sea.
In recent years, Aoshima Beach Park has become popular not only among tourists from inside and outside the prefecture, but also among inbound tourists, and is a rapidly growing tourist spot that has been dubbed the “viewing bubble.
Visitors can relax on the beach in between visits to gyoza stores, tour power spots, and enjoy shopping.
