Utsunomiya: The Renowned Gyoza Capital of Japan

Utsunomiya Gyoza Street 

(Utsunomiya City, Tochigi) 

【Gyoza（餃子）】 are dumplings made by wrapping seasoned meat filling in a thin flour skin, then pan-frying, steaming, or deep-frying them. The filling usually contains ground pork, garlic, chopped cabbage, chives, and green onions. With the very first bite of pan-fried gyoza, you savor the crisp skin and toasty aroma, followed by savory juices that burst forth, flooding your mouth with flavor.

The mainstream style of gyoza in Japan is pan-fried gyoza. The taste differs from shop to shop, and each shop is proud of its own flavor. Some serve gyoza with crispy wings, while others feature unique fillings or specially crafted wrappers.

Gyoza are a common side dish at ramen shops and Chinese restaurants, and you can find them on street corners almost anywhere in Japan. But there is one city where people eat more gyoza than anyone else—Utsunomiya, in Tochigi Prefecture.

Utsunomiya is so famous for gyoza that a statue of a giant dumpling stands in front of the station. The city is said to have over 300 gyoza restaurants, and locals proudly believe that Utsunomiya gyoza are the most delicious in Japan.

There is even a street called Gyoza-dori (Gyoza Street), lined with well-known specialty shops. At lunchtime, long lines of people form outside, waiting to get a taste, and their excitement builds as they wait.

In Utsunomiya, pan-fried gyoza are casually called “yaki”, boiled gyoza are “sui”, and deep-fried gyoza are “age.” When ordering, a single serving is called a “single,” two servings a “double,” and three servings a “triple.”

After placing your order, you prepare your dipping sauce while waiting for the gyoza to arrive. Soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil are provided on the table so you can mix them on a small plate as you like. The standard style is to combine soy sauce and vinegar with just a few drops of chili oil. However, in Utsunomiya, the “connoisseur’s way” is to use plenty of vinegar—or even vinegar alone.   

When the gyoza arrive, dipping them into your custom-made sauce and taking that first bite fills your mouth with savory aroma and juicy flavor. Paired with rice, it’s easy to finish a plate in no time. It gives you a blissful experience.

Nationwide, three cities—Hamamatsu, Miyazaki, and Utsunomiya—compete for the title of “Japan’s Number One Gyoza City,” based on household spending. Utsunomiya long held the crown, but since 2019, Hamamatsu and Miyazaki have overtaken it.

Why not travel around Japan and taste the different styles of gyoza for yourself? 

Please visit the Utsunomiya Convention & Visitorsbureau website.