Zakuni is a traditional regional dish from Gunma Prefecture.
In Gunma, there is a custom of eating Kenchin jiru (a vegetable soup) during special occasions, and Zakuni is a similar dish that has been passed down in the city of Takasaki. Unlike Kenchin jiru, Zakuni is made without oil. This is said to reflect a wish for marital harmony, as the dish was traditionally served at weddings—symbolizing the hope that the couple would not become like water and oil, a Japanese metaphor for people who do not get along.

Zakuni is also enjoyed as part of New Year’s osechi cuisine, and is served during Setsubun and celebratory gatherings. The broth is made using dried squid (surume), and the rich umami of surume soaks into the vegetables, making it a deeply satisfying and comforting dish.

Konjac miso oden is a local dish made with konjac, a specialty of Gunma Prefecture, which produces Japan’s largest crop of konjac potatoes—accounting for 90% of the national market.
After washing konnyaku, it is cut into pieces, threaded onto long sticks, boiled in plenty of hot water, drained well, and topped with miso sauce.

This dish is typically enjoyed in winter. The miso sauce varies depending on the restaurant or cook, with sweet flavors created using mirin (sweet sake), spicy flavor from yuzu (citrus), or added richness from sesame seeds.
Konjac miso oden may be simple, but it offers a deep umami from the miso. Be sure to enjoy it with plenty of miso sauce.

Okkirikomi is a soup with handmade wide flour noodles cooked with taro root and seasonal vegetables that are simmered until the soup becomes thick and is seasoned with miso or soy sauce. Okkirikomi means to cut and put into, which is how the dish is made. Long ago okkirikomi was a meal that mothers could quickly make after working in the fields or at silkworm cultivation which is a local industry of Gunma. The flour is from locally grown wheat and the soup is made with many nutritious vegetables. It is a dish that is eaten year-round in the mountain farming villages.

The popular home-style dish is made in many homes, each household with their own unique recipe. The dish is also called niboutou or okirikomi in different parts of Gunma. The comforting noodles and umami-filled soup is a satisfying dish. When eaten together with one’s family the umami is even more delicious.