Meibutsu (名物) literally means "famous thing". It is most often applied to regional specialties (also known as meisan, 名産).

Meibutsu can also be applied to specialized areas of interest, such as chadō where it refers to famous tea utensils or Japanese swords where it refers to specific named famous blades.

Definition[edit]

Meibutsu could be classified into the following five categories:^[1]

• 
  Tokusanhin, regional Japanese food specialities such as the roasted rice cakes (yakimochi) of Hodogaya, and the yam gruel torojiru of Mariko;


• 
  Japanese crafts as souvenirs such as the swords of Kamakura or the shell-decorated screens of Enoshima;

In the past it also included:

• supernatural souvenirs and wonder-working panaceas, such as the bitter powders of Menoke that supposedly cured a large number of illnesses;


• bizarre things that added a touch of the "exotic" to the aura of each location such as the fire-resistant salamanders of Hakone; and


• the prostitutes, who made localities such as Shinagawa, Fujisawa, Akasaka, Yoshida and Goyu famous. In some cases these people may have encouraged visits to otherwise impoverished and remote localities, contributing to the local economy and the exchange between people of different backgrounds.^{[citation needed]}

Several prints in various versions of the ukiyo-e series The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō depict meibutsu. These include Arimatsu shibori, a stenciled fabric sold at Narumi (station 41) and Kanpyō (sliced gourd), a product of Minakuchi (station 51), as well as a famous teahouse at Mariko (station 21) and a famous tateba (rest stop) selling a type of rice-cake called ubagamochi at Kusatsu (station 51).

Another category are special tea tools that were historic and precious items of Japanese tea ceremony.

Usage[edit]

Evelyn Adam gave the following account of meibutsu in her 1910 book, Behind the Shoji:

The strain of giving would really become unendurable to half the people in Japan were it not for what is known as the "meibutsu" or specialty of each town. This fills in gaps nicely; this provides the answer to vexed questions. "What shall I give to the kind person from whom I have received my twenty-fifth English lesson?" "A meibutsu." "And what shall I send my ailing father-in-law?" "A meibutsu" also, both to be brought back from the next place I happen to visit. The shops there are sure to make a reduction on quantity, well knowing that every person who goes off on a holiday is expected to return with "meibutsu" for everybody he knows, the idea being that a person who has enjoyed himself and had nothing particular to do should try to make up to those left behind in the place where they belong, engaged in the usual dull routine. Help to lift somebody out of the rut by bringing home to him or her some little novelty — that is the kindly spirit — and never mind what the trifle may be. Whether a metal pipe or a bamboo toy, it can be presented with perfect propriety to grandmother or infant grandson.

"Meibutsus" vary greatly of course. Some are sticky like the chestnut paste of Nikko, some are bulky and a source of perpetual anxiety like the fragile baskets of Arima, some are pretty like the Ikao cotton cloth dyed in the iron spring water, and some are useless and ugly and impossible to carry, like the fierce fishes of Kamakura — the fishes which blow themselves up into a globe when angry or excited and then remain blown up — as an eternal punishment I suppose — and get turned into lanterns. There are dozens of all varieties, useful and useless, dear and queer, sensible and silly, so that people with much-travelled acquaintances are soon in a fair way to start a museum. Or, to be accurate, they would be if they kept the things. But nobody does keep them all. The provident housekeeper constantly receiving "meibutsus," and constantly requiring things to send back in return, has invented a system to circumvent the expense. It is somewhat like double entry book- keeping. When the need for the return gift arises, she goes, like old Mother Hubbard, to her cupboard and looks over the parcels that have arrived lately. Distinctive things like blown-up fish may be out of the question, but there are sure to be some local or non-committal contributions. Doubtless there will be eggs hardly a month old yet, and cakes that only came week before last. Either of these will do nicely; therefore the lady wraps them up properly and passes them on. Nine times out of ten, she who receives them does the same; also her friend and her friend's friend, till those eggs or cakes are nearly as travelled as a war correspondent.^[2]

Examples[edit]

Prefecture	Traditional Crafts	Agricultural Products	Tokusanhin
Aichi	Arimatsu natsumi shibori Fude, calligraphy brush - Toyohashi Sensu, folding fan - Nagoya Seto ware Shippō (截金), cloisonné - Ama, Aichi Tokoname ware	Hatcho miso	Hitsumabushi Kishimen, flat udon Miso nikomi udon, udon in a miso broth with vegetables Miso katsu Tatami iwashi Tebasaki karaage, deep fried chicken wings Tenmusu Uirō
Akita	Kabazaiku, cherry bark boxes and tea caddies - Kakunodate Kokeshi - Kawatsura Magewappa, bent wood cedar boxes - Ōdate		Inaniwa udon Kiritanpo Nabe Shottsuru Tonburi Yokote yakisoba
Aomori	Kokeshi Tsugaru-nuri (津軽塗), lacquerware - Hirosaki Yawatauma, carved wooden horse	Apples Maguro	Apple pie Bara yaki, grilled beef rib meat Igamenchi, minced squid fritter Senbei Jiro, senbei soup
Chiba	Boshu uchiwa, flat fan - Minamibōsō and Tateyama	Peanuts	Aji no tataki, chopped horse mackerel Namerō Suzumeyaki, broiled Crucian carp
Ehime	Cultured pearls Tobe ware	Goishicha Iyokan Mikan	Botchan dango Imotaki Jakoten Satsuma jiro, miso and pork stew Uwajima Tai-meshi
Fukui	Echizen Uchihamono, kitchen knives and scissors - Echizen Echizen washi - Echizen Wakasa nuri, lacquerware - Wakasa		Oroshi soba Saba no heshiko, grilled rice bran pickled mackerel Satoimo no koroni, soy sauce stewed taro Sauce katsudon
Fukuoka	Hakata doll - Fukuoka City Hakata ori, woven fabric - Fukuoka City Hakata magemono, bent wood items Karume kasuri, woven fabric - Kurume Ki uso, carved wooden bird toy Koishiwara ware, pottery - Koshiwara	Mentaiko	Hitokushi gyoza, "one-bite gyoza" Karashi mentaiko Mizutaki, chicken soup Motsunabe Tonkotsu ramen
Fukushima	Akabeko, bobblehead red cow toy - Aizu region Kokeshi Miharu-goma, wooden horse - Miharu Okiagari-koboshi, papier-mâché toy - Aizu region	Fukushima beef	Ikaninjin, squid and carrot in soy-sauce Kitakata ramen
Gifu	Mino washi, traditional paper used in including lanterns (岐阜提灯 Gifu Chōchin), umbrellas (岐阜和傘 Gifu Wagasa) and fans (岐阜うちわ Gifu Uchiwa) Oribe ware, pottery Sarubobo, monkey amulet - Takayama Shino ware	Hida beef	Chuka soba, Takayama ramen Hoba miso, beef grilled with miso on top of a dried magnolia leaf - Takayama Keichan, sautéed chicken and cabbage Kurikinton Tatami iwashi
Gunma	Daruma - Takasaki, Gunma	Konnyaku Rainbow trout	Isobe senbei Kamameshi Mizusawa udon Okkirikomi, hand cut noodles in a soy sauce and mirin broth Yakimanju, grilled manjū
Hiroshima	Fude, calligraphy brush - Kumano Hariko, papier-mâché masks and dolls - Miyajima Kendama, cup and ball game - Hatsukaichi Otagawa glass Shakushi made from cherry wood - Miyajima	Anago Oysters	Calbee Momiji manjū Monaka Okonomiyaki Onomichi ramen Shakushi Senbei, senbei shaped like ladles Tsukemen
Hokkaido	Kibori kuma, carved wooden bear - Yakumo, Hokkaido	Corn Dairy products Kombu Lavender Salmon Yubari King cantaloupe	Butadon Ikameshi Ika sōmen Japanese wine Jingisukan Matsumaezuke Muroran curry ramen Sapporo ramen Shiroi Koibito Rui-be Royce'
Hyōgo	Awaji ware Banshū kebari, fly fishing ties - Nishiwaki, Hyōgo Incense	Ako salt Kobe beef	Akashiyaki Castella Fugetsudo Ikanago no kukini, sand lance tsukudani
Ibaraki	Yūki-tsumugi	Anko	Ankoimo Anko nabe, anglerfish nabe Kenchin jiru
Ishikawa	Kutani ware, glazed porcelain - Kaga, Ishikawa Wajima-nuri - Wajima, Ishikawa	Japanese amberjack Noto salt Snow crab	Gori-karaage, deep fried gori Hasumushi, steamed lotus root egg dish Jibu-ni Kaburazushi, turnip sushi Kaisendon, seafood rice bowl
Iwate	Hidehira-nuri, lacquerware Iwayadotansu (岩谷堂箪笥), wooden chests of drawers - Ōshū, Iwate Kokeshi Tetsubin, cast iron kettle	Wasabi	Nambu senbei Wanko soba
Kagawa	Marugame uchiwa, flat fan - Marugame, Kagawa Takamatsu hariko, papier-mâché dolls -Takamatsu, Kagawa		Iriko meshi, iriko cooked with rice Sanuki udon Shippoku Udon
Kagoshima	Satsuma Kiriko cut glass Tai-guruma, toy red snapper on wheels	Chiran tea Kibinago Wasanbon	Akumaki Kagoshima ramen Karukan Keihan rice
Kanagawa	Hakoneyosegizaiku (箱根寄木細工), wooden marquetry - Hakone and Odawara Kamakura-bori, carved lacquerware - Kamakura	Salt pickled cherry blossoms Shirasu Shōnan pork	Gyūnabe Hato Sabure Kaigun kare, Japanese curry Kenchin jiru Misaki maguro ramen, tuna ramen Namashirasu-don, raw shirasu over rice Odawara kamaboko Sanma-men, Yokohama ramen Shuto
Kōchi	Tosa uchihamono, hammered cutlery Tosa washi	Goishicha Skipjack tuna Yuzu	Dorome Katsuo no Tataki
Kumamoto	Higo zogan, damascene	Basashi Karaimo	Dagojiru Hitomoji no duruguru Ikinari dango Jindaiko Karashi renkon, mustard stuffed lotus root Takamori dengaku
Kyoto	Kiyomizu ware Nishijin-ori Sensu, folding fan Tango chirimen Uchiwa, flat fan	Uji tea	Konpeitō Tsukemono Yatsuhashi
Mie		Matsusaka beef Spiny lobster	Ise udon, thick noodles in a sweet soy sauce Tatami iwashi Tekone-zushi, soy sauce marinated bonito over sushi rice
Miyagi	Kinoshita-goma, carved wooden horse Kokeshi	Oysters	Gyūtan Yubeshi
Miyazaki		Hyuganatsu	Chicken namban Hiyajiru, cold miso soup with cucumber Karukan Sumibiyaki, chicken that has been grilled until black
Nagano	Butsudan - Iiyama, Nagano Matsushiro ware Mizuhiki - Iida, Nagano	Wasabi	Goheimochi, grilled mochi made from non-glutinous rice Inago no Tsukudani Oyaki Pickled nozawana Soba
Nagasaki	Hasami ware		Champon Kakuni Karasumi Sara udon Sasebo burger
Nara	Akahada ware Nara Fude Nara uchiwa, carved paper fan Shikamikuji, carved deer with o-mikuji in its mouth Sumi, inkstick Takayama Tea Whisk	Kuzu Persimmon Strawberries	Asuka-nabe, hot pot of chicken and vegetables cooked in milk Chagayu, kayu cooked in tea Kakinoha-zushi, salted mackerel sushi wrapped in persimmon leaf Kasuzuke Kuzumochi Manjū Miwa somen
Niigata	Mumyōi ware Neko chigura, cat basket	Rice	Noppe Sasa dango
Ōita	Onta ware	Bungo beef Fugu Japanese horse mackerel Kuruma prawn Marbled flounder	Buri no atsumeshi, marinated yellowtail over rice Dango-jiru, dumpling miso soup Gomadashi udon, grilled fish ground with sesame seeds and soy sauce served over udon Karaage Karukan Jigokumushi, steamed food cooked by Beppu's hot springs Toriten Yuzukoshō
Okayama	Bizen ware, pottery	Muscat grape White peach Sawara	Barazushi, scattered fish and vegetables over sushi rice Demi-katsudon Hinase Kakioko, oyster okonomiyaki Hiruzen yakisoba Horumon yaki-udon - Tsuyama Kibi dango (Okayama) Mamakari-zushi, pickled sappa over rice Takomeshi, steamed octopus rice
Okinawa	Bingata Ryukyuan lacquerware, lacquerware inlaid with shells and often red Shisa Tsuboya ware	Goya Hirami lemon Kokuto (黒糖), Okinawan brown sugar Umi-budō	Awamori Chanpurū Chinsuko Hirayachi Kōrēgusu Mimiga Muchi Okinawa soba Rafute Sata andagi Shima-dofu, Okinawa tofu Soki Sukugarasu, salt cured rabbit fish Taco rice Tofuyo Yagi sashimi, raw goat meat
Osaka	Naniwa tinware Sakaiuchi chef knives		Chinsuko Harihari-nabe Kitsune udon Takoyaki Okonomiyaki
Saga	Arita ware, porcelain - Arita, Saga Kakiemon Karatsu ware Saga Nishiki	Saga gyu, beef Saga Nori Takezaki crab Yabuko squid	Dagojiru, chicken and noodle soup Kakinoha-zushi, trout sushi wrapped in a persimmon leaf Kuri okowa, sticky rice with chestnuts Mutsugoro no Kabayaki, grilled mudskipper Ogi yōkan Sicilian rice, combination of rice, salad, and meat
Saitama	Aizome, indigo dyed fabric Chichibu meisen, ikat silk fabric - Chichibu, Saitama Kimekomi ningyo, molded wood pulp doll covered in fabric - Saitama, Saitama Ogawa washi - Ogawa, Saitama Oshie hagoita - Kasukabe, Saitama	Ayu Eel Sayama tea Sweet potato	Gokabou Higashimatsuyama yakitori, pork head prepared in the style of yakitori Hiyajiru udon, cold udon in broth with cucumber and sesame seeds Igamanju, red bean paste stuffed bun covered in adzuki beans and rice Miso potato, fried breaded potatoes with miso sauce Niboto udon Zeri furai, deep-fried potato and okara patty
Shiga	Hikone butsudan - Hikone, Shiga Shigaraki ware, pottery, often used for tanuki statues - Shigaraki, Shiga	Aka konnyaku, red konjac Ōmi beef	Funazushi, Crucian carp pickled in rice Kamo-nabe, duck hotpot Tsukudani Yaki saba somen, grilled mackerel with somen
Shimane	Anesama ningyo, paper doll Iwami ware - Okuizumo, Shimane Izumo nankin, tōrō - Matsue and Izumo, Shimane Sekishu washi Shimenawa Unshu soraban	Hikimi wasabi	Izumo soba Shijimi soup Tai-meshi
Shizuoka	Shitoro ware	Mikan Sakura shrimp Sencha Strawberries Wasabi	Fujinomiya yakisoba Kuro hanpen Shizuoka oden Tatami iwashi Tororo-jiru, grated Chinese yam soup Unagi no kabayaki
Tochigi	Mashiko ware	Kanpyō (food) Yuba	Chitake soba Gyoza Shimotsukare
Tokushima	Awagami, washi	Buckwheat Sudachi Wasanbon	Iya soba, soba in iriko broth Sobagome zosui, buckwheat porridge Tarai udon, udon that is dipped in a sauce and then eaten Tokushima ramen
Tokyo	Edo bekko, tortoiseshell accessories Edo kiriko (江戸切子), cut glass		Bettarazuke Fukagawa-don, deep fried clams over rice Kusaya Monjayaki Tokyo Banana Unadon Yokohama Baumkuchen
Tottori	Inshu-washi, paper Yodoegasa, paper umbrella - Yodoe, Tottori	Nashi Sakyu rakkyo Snow crab	Gyukotsu ramen, beef broth ramen Horu soba Kaniju, crab soup Oyama okowa, steamed glutenous rice with vegetables Tofu chikuwa
Toyama	Takaoka Doki (高岡銅器), copperware - Takaoka	Hotaru squid White shrimp	Masuzushi
Wakayama	Kishu lacquerware Shuro tawashi Yatagarasu Daruma, three-legged crow doll	Ginger Jabara (citrus) Mikan Umeboshi	Kagero, cream puff Kue nabe Kujira no tatsutaage, deep fried whale meat Meharizushi
Yamagata	Kokeshi Shogi koma, Japanese chess pieces - Murayama and Tendō Tetsubin, cast iron kettle	Cherries Yonezawa beef	Imoni
Yamaguchi	Hagi ware Kingyo Chōchin, goldfish lantern	Amanatsu Fugu Ice goby	Iwakuni zushi, pressed sushi with lotus root and flaked fish Kawara soba, soba served on a roof tile Mikan nabe Tsuki de hirotta tamago, castella cakes filled with custard
Yamanashi	Gemstone Jewelry Koshu Inden, lacquered deer leather - Kōfu Koshu Tebori Insho, hand-carved inkan or hanko seals - Kōfu and Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi	Koshu grape	Hōtō Japanese wine Yoshida no udon - Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi

See also[edit]

• Japanese craft


• Meisho


• Miyagegashi


• Omiyage


• Tokusanhin

References[edit]