Photo/Illutration Gyoza dumplings are served at a gyoza restaurant in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

When a sport has two great players competing fiercely for the top spot, fans can always expect exciting matches.

During the years of Japan's rapid economic growth when the great yokozuna Taiho dominated professional sumo, his archrival was yokozuna Kashiwado. Together, they brought about a golden age of sumo that came to be known as the "Hakuho era."

At the time, the expression "Kyojin, Taiho, tamagoyaki" summed up the top three favorites of Japanese children. (Kyojin stood for the Yomiuri Giants baseball team, and tamagoyaki for a Japanese-style omelet.)

There also was a competing version of this trinity: "Hanshin (the Hanshin Tigers baseball team), Kashiwado, medamayaki (fried egg)."

Utsunomiya, capital city of Tochigi Prefecture, is known as "Gyoza no machi" (city of gyoza dumplings), while Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture is dubbed "Gyoza-zuki no machi" (city of gyoza lovers).

Around this season every year, the verdict is handed down on which of these two cities consumed more gyoza during the past year.

According to the 2019 survey of citizens' annual household spending on gyoza, Utsunomiya won the contest with 4,358 yen ($39.15) per household, whereas Hamamatsu's corresponding figure was 3,504 yen.

Both cities far outspent the national average of 2,065 yen.

Conceding defeat, the mayor of Hamamatsu issued a statement saying, "I'm sorry that we lost. But we will continue to join forces with Utsunomiya, and together we will lead the nation in promoting the gyoza culture."

All over Japan today, there is no dearth of "local gourmet dishes" being championed by local administrative authorities. Something as common as a "donburi" rice bowl dish can be successfully turned into a tourism resource.

The funny thing is, even if I have to wait in line for an hour to get into a gyoza eatery in Utsunomiya, it's no big deal because I would tell myself, "Well, so what? This is Utsunomiya."

In Utsunomiya as well as Hamamatsu, I understand that gyoza was popularized by former Imperial Japanese Army soldiers who returned from China after World War II and opened gyoza eateries.

That war caused unspeakable tragedies, but it also introduced a new food culture to Japan. And that, in short, is the history behind this particular "local gourmet dish."

One surprising finding from the 2019 nationwide household spending survey was that Mito in Ibaraki Prefecture, long famous for its natto fermented soybeans, lost to the city of Fukushima for the second year in a row in the amount of natto purchased.

Mito had worked hard in vain to regain its status as the natto capital of Japan.

It's a bit of an exaggeration to say that natto is what defines Mito's historical identity, but I wish it the best of luck this year.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 20

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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