- Natto
- Where is Natto Eaten in Japan
Where is Natto Eaten in Japan?
Where is natto eaten in Japan?
That's a great question, and I'd like to answer it by starting off with a little natto history.
Did you know that natto has been eaten in Japan for centuries?
It's believed to have originated in the Kanto region in or around 1083, with the fermentation process being discovered by accident (3)(4).
Over time, natto became a staple food, especially during the Edo period (1603-1868), when soybeans were readily available and natto sellers would sell it early in the morning (1).
Even today, many Japanese people and foreigners enjoy eating their natto in the morning.
What is the influence of natto on Japanese breakfast culture?
Since these fermented soybeans are loaded with protein, vitamins and enzymes, the healthy boost one gets from consuming these beans helps to start the day off feeling energized and ready to go.
These SUPER fermented soybeans are enjoyed by many Japanese people and foreigners in Japan, and according to a survey conducted by LINE Research in June 2021, the average percentage of those that like these sticky, stringy beans is approximately 77% (2).
So now that you know a little natto history, that these beans are a Japanese superfood containing a variety of nutrition for the body, that natto has been eaten in Japan for hundreds of years and is liked by nearly 80% of the Japanese population, it's time to answer the question: Where is natto eaten in Japan?
To do this, let's look at which regions of Japan like these sticky, stringy beans the most.
Disclaimer: All the information in this article is published in good faith and for general information purpose only. If you wish to read in more detail about where natto is eaten in Japan or more about its history in Japan, you can follow the links in the "Sources" section in this article.
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Where is Natto Eaten in Japan?
The Regions of Japan that Like Natto the Most
While natto is enjoyed throughout Japan, its popularity can vary by region.
The areas with a long-standing tradition of natto consumption, like the Kanto and Tohoku regions, often have higher rates of natto enthusiasts.
"Really Like" or "Like" Natto:
The following percentages are from respondents that chose either "really like" or "like" natto.
According to a natto survey conducted by LINE Research in June 2021 (2), Hokkaido had a result of 86%, the Tohoku region had a result of 82%, and the Kanto region had a result of 81%.
The remaining results from highest to lowest are as follows:
Kyushu / Okinawa: 78%
Chubu: 77%
Chugoku: 73%
Shikoku: 69%
Kinki (Kansai): 67%
Japan's Region Information
Hokkaido: Hokkaido
Tohoku region: Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Yamagata, Iwate, Fukushima
Kanto region: Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa
Chubu region: Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Gifu, Nagano, Yamanashi, Shizuoka, Aichi
Kinki (Kansai) region: Shiga, Kyoto, Hyogo, Osaka, Nara, Mie, Wakayama
Chugoku region: Tottori, Okayama, Shimane, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi
Shikoku: Kagawa, Tokushima, Ehime, Kochi
Kyushu / Okinawa: Fukuoka, Oita, Miyazaki, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Okinawa
As you can see, these results demonstrate that a high percentage of people throughout Japan either "really like" or "like" natto.
However, the percentages also show that the southern areas of Chugoku, Kinki (Kansai) and Shikoku "really like" or "like" natto less than the northern areas.
What do you think the percentages will be for the respondents that "really dislike" or "dislike" natto?
Do you think the percentages will show similar results?
Let's take a look.
Where is Natto Eaten in Japan?
The Regions of Japan that Dislike Natto the Most
Now that we've discovered which areas of Japan "really like" or "like" natto, let's take a look at which areas "really dislike" or "dislike" natto.
"Really Dislike" or Dislike" Natto:
The following percentages are from respondents that chose either "really dislike" or "dislike" natto.
Looking at the three highest percentages on the natto survey conducted by LINE Research in June 2021 (2), the Kinki (Kansai) region had a result of 21%, the Chugoku region had a result of 20%, and Shikoku had a result of 17%.
The remaining results from highest to lowest are as follows:
Chubu: 14%
Kyushu / Okinawa: 12%
Kanto: 11%
Tohoku: 7%
Hokkaido: 7%
As you can see, these results demonstrate that the same areas with a lower percentage of respondents that "really like" or "like" natto have a higher percentage of people who either "really dislike" or "dislike" natto.
The one difference is that while Shikoku (69%) had fewer respondents that "really like" or "like" natto compared with the Chugoku area (73%), Shikoku (17%) actually had a lower percentage of respondents than the Chugoku area (20%) that "really dislike" or "dislike" natto.
The reason behind this difference was that Shikoku (14%) had a higher percentage of respondents than the Chugoku area (8%) with a response of "can't say for either one."
Though the percentage of people varies throughout Japan for those that "like" or "dislike" natto, these results do show that approximately 77% of the people in Japan enjoy natto.
Wow!
More than 3/4 of the population in Japan likes natto.
That's incredible!
With such a high percentage of people enjoying these sticky, stringy beans, what do they eat with their natto?
Where is Natto Eaten in Japan?
Popular Toppings for Natto
There are various traditional and unique ways you can enjoy natto, and you can click on any of the following links to discover additional ways to add some natto goodness to your diet.
- What to Eat with Natto
- Natto Food with Sauces and Spices
- Natto Dish with Rice
- Natto Dish with Noodles
- Unique Natto Dishes
By looking at the natto survey conducted by LINE Research in June 2021 (2), we can discover the top five toppings from each region.
The following results in each region are ranked from #1 - #5:
Hokkaido: tare, karashi, naganegi, tamago, shoyu
Tohoku region: tare, karashi, naganegi, kimchi, tamago
Kanto region: tare, karashi, naganegi, kimchi, tamago
Chubu region: tare, karashi, naganegi, tamago, kimchi
Kinki (Kansai) region: tare, karashi, naganegi, tamago, kimchi
Chugoku region: tare, karashi, naganegi, tamago, kimchi
Shikoku: tare, karashi, tamago, naganegi, kimchi
Kyushu / Okinawa: tare, naganegi, karashi, kimchi, tamago
As the results show, the top three toppings in all regions are tare, karashi and naganegi (except for Shikoku - tamago).
To close out the top five rankings, tamago and kimchi were the more popular topping choices (except for Hokkaido - shoyu).
Tare and karashi are typically included with each package of natto, and it makes sense that those two toppings would be one and two respectively (except for Kyushu / Okinawa - tare and naganegi).
After all, topping your natto with these condiments is the traditional way to enjoy your fermented soybeans.
Also worthy of mentioning, though too low to make the Top 5 ranking in the natto survey conducted by LINE Research in June 2021 (2), there were some other topping combinations that people enjoyed.
Shoyu, mentsuyu, daikon-oroshi, goma-abura, and even sugar are being used to create different ways of enjoying natto.
I think it's great that others are experimenting with various flavors to combine with their fermented soybeans.
That's exactly why I have built simplynatto.com.
To share with others various traditional and unique ways to eat and better enjoy the taste of natto.
That way you too can enjoy a flavor of Japan and enjoy the benefits these sticky, stringy beans provide.
Simply Natto: Natto Lingo
タレ
(tare)
"taw-rey"
(slightly roll the "r" in "rey")
- sauce (soy based)
からし
(karashi)
"kaw-raw-she"
(slightly roll the "r" in "raw")
- spicy yellow mustard
長ネギ
(naganegi)
"naw-gaw-neh-gee"
- Japanese leek
卵
(tamago)
"tah-mah-go"
- egg(s)
キムチ
(kimuchi)
"kim-oo-chee"
- kimchi
醤油
(shoyu)
"show-you"
- soy sauce
麺つゆ
(mentsuyu)
"mehn-tsue-you"
- sauce for dipping (dashi based)
大根おろし
(daikon-oroshi)
"dye-cone-oh-row-she"
(slightly roll the "r" in "row")
- grated Japanese radish
ごま油
(goma-abura)
"go-mah-ah-boo-rah"
(slightly roll the "r" in "rah")
- sesame oil
砂糖
(satou)
"sah-toe"
- sugar
黒砂糖
(kurozatou)
"coo-row-zah-toe"
(slightly roll the "r" in "row")
- brown sugar
甘い
(amai)
"ah-my"
- sweet
塩っぱい
(shoppai)
"show-pie"
- salty
胡椒
(koshou)
"coe-show"
- black pepper
薄い味
(usui-aji)
"oo-sue-ee-aw-jee"
- light, weak taste
濃い味
(koi-aji)
"coy-aw-jee"
- strong taste
Where is Natto Eaten in Japan?
Additional Topping Ideas for Natto
If you're looking to try out other flavors with your sticky, stringy beans, I've got you covered.
Craving something a little unique?
Try this Sweet & Salty Natto combination.
Here's what you need:
- a package / serving of natto (40-50g)
- brown sugar (kurozato)
- shoyu
- (Optional) cracked black pepper (kosho)
Start off by adding a splash (1 teaspoon) of shoyu and a sprinkle (1/8 teaspoon) of kurozato to your natto.
(Optional: Add some cracked black pepper)
*The above measurements are based on the amounts typically found in packages of natto sold here in Japan (tare: 5.5g & karashi: 1.2g)
If you're like me and you'd rather "eye-ball" it, then the natto is your blank canvas and the shoyu and brown sugar are your paint.
Once you're all set, mix everything together in a circular motion 20 - 30 times.
This will help to bring out the flavor of the fermented soybeans.
*If the flavor is too weak, add more shoyu or brown sugar to your liking.
*If the flavor is too strong, try adding more natto and continue mixing.
Want more? Or perhaps something different?
My article "Natto Food with Sauces and Spices" is a great source for you to discover other pairing ideas for your natto, and it will give you a number of ideas to try out.
Enjoy!
いただきます。 "ee-taw-daw-key-maas" - Let's Eat!
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