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Oodles of noodles! Udon chain pays homage to all 47 prefectures of Japan with 47 dishes【Photos】

You’ll have to travel to Marugame Seimen locations across Japan to try each dish in its respective prefecture.

Following the success of udon specialty chain Marugame Seimen‘s Wagamachi Udon 2025 (“My town Udon 2025”) campaign last year, a whole new lineup of locally inspired udon dishes will hit menus on October 21. Chefs around Japan helped concoct over 300 new dishes over the past year, which were gradually whittled down to only 47 final menu items–one representative for each of the 47 prefectures. These individual dishes will be available for a limited time only at Marugame Seimen locations in their respective prefectures (so if you were looking for a good excuse to take a road trip across Japan, now’s your chance!).

Before anything else, here are some helpful terms to help your noodle understand the different ways that udon can be prepared and served out there.

● Ankake udon: udon in broth thickened with kudzu
● Bokkake udon: udon in broth with salty-sweet beef sinew and other toppings
● Bukkake udon: udon with chilled broth poured over it
● Kake udon: udon in hot broth
● Maze udon: udon without broth that’s mixed with sauce and other toppings
● Mizore udon: udon in hot broth with grated daikon

We were lucky to get a sneak peek of the upcoming lineup at a recent press event for the media, and the collection of udon was truly a sight to behold.

Yup, that’s truly oodles of noodles all neatly gathered in one place. Each of the dishes makes use of famous local ingredients and the food culture from its place of origin.

What was even more impressive was that they were all real, fully edible dishes–not the plastic food samples you frequently see at Japanese restaurants.

We know you’re eager to slurp up the dishes with your eyes, so now we’re proud to present a handy visual guide for all 47 of Marugame Seimen’s new udon dishes!

Hokkaido Prefecture: “Umami of the Earth: Potato Butter Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen (US$5.92), Large size: 1,070 yen

Aomori Prefecture: “Towada Grilled Beef Rib Bukkake Udon”
Regular size: 840 yen, Large size: 1,020 yen

Iwate Prefecture: “Milk Carbonara with Iwate-sourced Milk Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Miyagi Prefecture: “Sichuan-style Mapo Tofu Ankake Udon (Served with a small portion of rice)”
Regular size: 840 yen, Large size: 1,020 yen

Akita Prefecture: “Miso Champon Ankake Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Yamagata Prefecture: “Atsumi Turnip and Pork Shabu-shabu Mizore Udon”
Regular size: 840 yen, Large size: 1,020 yen

Fukushima Prefecture: “Kitakata-style Rich Umami Meat Soy Sauce Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Ibaraki Prefecture: “Grated Lotus Root Curry Udon”
Regular size: 840 yen, Large size: 1,020 yen

Tochigi Prefecture: “Rich Umami Soy Milk Sesame Broth with Tofu Skin Udon Served with Tofu Skin Tempura and Boiled Gyoza”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Gunma Prefecture: “Handmade Cutlets with a Rich Demi-glace Bukkake Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

▼ We briefly interrupt this programming to inform you that the cutlets were HUGE! They could have practically served as an actual lid for the bowl.

Saitama Prefecture: “Fukaya Green Onion and Pork Miso Udon”
Regular size: 840 yen, Large size: 1,020 yen

Chiba Prefecture: “Fragrant Yuzu Asari Clam Tempura and Nori Umami Broth Udon”
Regular size: 840 yen, Large size: 1,020 yen

Tokyo Prefecture: “Marinated Tuna Tempura and Grilled Green Onion Negima Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Kanagawa Prefecture: “Boiled Whitebait and Kakiage with Grated Daikon Udon“
Regular size: 840 yen, Large size: 1,020 yen

▼ The kakiage (mixed vegetable/seafood tempura) was also ginormous!

Niigata Prefecture: “Snow Country Maitake Mushrooms, Meat, and Egg Bukkake Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Toyama Prefecture: “Scorched Soy Sauce Meat and Egg Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Ishikawa Prefecture: “8-ingredient Kanazawa Oden Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Fukui Prefecture: “Taniguchiya Oban Kitsune-age Bukkake Udon”
Regular size: 840 yen, Large size: 1,020 yen

▼ OK, this slab of kitsune-age (deep-fried tofu) takes the cake. It’s meant to resemble an oban, a large gold coin used as currency in the Edo period (1603-1868).

Yamanashi Prefecture: “Shingendori Chicken and Burdock Umami Broth Udon Served with Suridane Spicy Seasoning”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Nagano Prefecture: “Azumino Wasabi and Rapeseed Bukkake Udon”
Regular size: 790 yen, Large size: 970 yen

Gifu Prefecture: “Hida Beef Simmered with Ginger Bukkake Udon”
Regular size: 840 yen, Large size: 1,020 yen

Shizuoka Prefecture: “Sakura Shrimp and Sea Lettuce in Grated Yam Soup Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Aichi Prefecture: “Offal Stewed in Hatcho Miso and Egg Tempura Bukkake Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Mie Prefecture: “Yokkaichi’s Tonteki Pork Steak-style Bukkake Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Shiga Prefecture: “Junjun Hotpot-style Bukkake Udon”
Regular size: 840 yen, Large size: 1,020 yen

Kyoto Prefecture: “Dark Roasted Shichimi Spice-scented Kinugasa-style Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Osaka Prefecture: “Pork and Cabbage Chiritori Hotpot-style Maze Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Hyogo Prefecture: “Beef Sinew Bokkake Udon”
Regular size: 790 yen, Large size: 970 yen

Nara Prefecture: “Spicy Umami Stamina Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Wakayama Prefecture: “Kishu Kinzanji Miso and Nankoume Apricot Bukkake Udon”
Regular size: 840 yen, Large size: 1,020 yen

Tottori Prefecture: “Daisendori Chicken and Various Green Onions Bukkake Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Shimane Prefecture: “Umami Spicy Akaten Fish Paste Maze Udon”
Regular size: 790 yen, Large size: 970 yen

Okayama Prefecture: “Yellow Chives and Meat Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

 Prefecture: “Dotenabe Hotpot-style Oyster Miso Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Yamaguchi Prefecture: “Fragrant Chicken with Iwakuni Lotus Root Udon”
Regular size: 840 yen, Large size: 1,020 yen

Tokushima Prefecture: “Addictively Spicy Deep-fried Chicken Thighs Bukkake Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

▼ It’s been a while since we saw a good hunk like this–but we never forget a hunk.

Kagawa Prefecture: “Mochi with Red Bean Paste Tempura and Sea Bream Chikuwa Fish Cake Tempura Kake Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Ehime Prefecture: “Boiled Broth Large Jakoten Udon”
Regular size: 790 yen, Large size: 970 yen

▼ This jakoten small fish paste tempura is another solid lid contender.

Kochi Prefecture: “Chicken Nanban with Aurora Sauce Bukkake Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Fukuoka Prefecture: “Hakata Motsunabe Hotpot Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Saga Prefecture: “Squid Tempura and Fragrant Nori Udon”
Regular size: 790 yen, Large size: 970 yen

Nagasaki Prefecture: “Egg Tempura with Turkish Rice-style Udon”
Regular size: 890 yen, Large size: 1,070 yen

Kumamoto Prefecture: “Taipien Soup-style Udon”
Regular size: 790 yen, Large size: 970 yen

Oita Prefecture: “Garlic Chives with Pork Bukkake Udon (Served with a small portion of rice)”
Regular size: 840 yen, Large size: 1,020 yen

Miyazaki Prefecture: “Karamen Spicy Noodle-style Udon (Served with a small portion of rice)”
Regular size: 790 yen, Large size: 970 yen

Kagoshima Prefecture: “Chiheitan Chicken Black Soup with Fragrant Black Sesame-style Udon”
Regular size: 790 yen, Large size: 970 yen

Okinawa Prefecture: “Taco Rice-style Maze Udon (Served with a small portion of rice)”
Regular size: 840 yen, Large size: 1,020 yen

…And that’s a wrap with Marugame Seimen’s 47 new udon dishes. It’s truly a crazy concept to be realized. In terms of our immediate reactions, Mie’s “Yokkaichi’s Pork Steak-style Bukkake Udon” wins the prize for “most insane” with its addition of potato salad on top of the soup. Meanwhile, Nagasaki’s “Egg Tempura with Turkish Rice-style Udon” wins the prize for “most chaotic” with its eclectic collection of side dishes masquerading as a noodle dish.

Before we left the press event, we were able to sample Tokyo’s entry, the “Marinated Tuna Tempura and Grilled Green Onion Negima Udon.” It was inspired by the negimanabe hotpot dish that originated in the city of Edo (now Tokyo).

The fish tempura and green onions were the most striking parts of the dish…

…but the edible chrysanthemum and enoki mushroom tempura also left a visual impact.

Its sweet and rich broth paired wonderfully with the tempura and udon, creating a holy trinity of refined flavors. As a whole, it was a solid dish selected to represent modern-day Tokyo.

Not only are all of the above udon dishes available at Marugame Seimen locations throughout Japan for a limited time, but individual branches will have a limited quantity of their local version each day. Therefore, if you’re dying to try a particular bowl, you’ll want to get there nice and early. If all else fails, you can always eat noodles to your heart’s content in the prefecture most famous for udon.

Reference: Marugame Seimen
All images © SoraNews24
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