The word “yakiniku” means “grilled meat” and is the catch-all term for Japanese-style charcoal barbeque. Iida City is Japan’s “barbeque capital” as it has more restaurants per-person than anywhere else in the country. Shimoina is also famous for Shinshu Premium beef, which is award-winning local produce.
On Iida’s Chuo-dori street you can find the Yakiniku Lab, which has exhibits on the culture and history of yakiniku in Nagano prefecture. Iida also holds the Guinness World Record for biggest functional iron hot plate, which is now housed in the Lab. You can also pick up T-shirts, barbeque dipping sauces and buy prepared packaged food from the Lab!
For a selection of yakiniku restaurants, please see the places to eat page.
Shimoina has clean water, clean air, and an abundance of sunshine, making it the ideal climate for many different types of fruit. The symbol of Iida is the apple, for which the city has long been famous, but we also have nationally famous grapes, peaches, and Japanese pears. The region also has a special type of persimmon called the Ichidagaki which is seed free and delicious!
Many farms and orchards in the area offer visits and tours, including the chance to pick your own fruit and try and compare different varieties.
Local fruit is available in the direct sales section of local ACoop supermarkets and specialist local produce stores like Cocoro Marche. If you would like to try fruit picking, please see the experiences page.
“Soba” (蕎麦）means buckwheat, and soba noodles are a distinctly Japanese dish, the first mention of which dates back to 1574. Buckwheat being high quality and plentiful in Nagano, they are a regional specialty. They can be eaten cold, served either on a slatted plate or a bowl with the broth to the side, or served hot in broth. Hot soba noodles can also have many types of toppings, perhaps the simplest of which is traditional Kake soba, topped with chopped onion and a fishcake. Other popular dishes include Kitsune soba, which is topped with fried tofu, and Tempura soba.
The “Roadside Station” in Shimojo Village is called the Soba Castle, and here you can try many types of soba dishes as well as buy them to take home.
For a selection of soba restaurants, please see the places to eat page.
Minami Shinshu has clean water, high grade rice and amazing fruit, so it follows the local brews are also fantastic! Founded in 1944, Kikusui (喜久水）is Iida City’s sake brewery, producing a number of different and award winning rice wines.
The region also has a healthy number of vintners and wine maison, producing red and white wines from locally grown grapes. The Mars distillery makes Shinshu Whisky and the award-winning Twin Alps, which was a winner in the blended category in the 2021 world whisky awards.
Being famous for apples, there are also cider makers in the region, including Kikusui who make their own, the Kaneshige Farm and Cidery in Shimojo, and Cider Barn &more near Tenryukyo.
And the menu would not be complete without microbrewery beers! Ogna brand is produced by the Minami Shinshu Beer Company founded in 1996, and in addition to their golden and amber ales, they make seasonal varieties which will often include local fruits and other ingredients such as their Apple Hop Ale, and Yamaso Hop, which won gold medals at the 2023 and 2024 Japan Great Beer Awards.
Local drinks are available at some of the supermarkets, from specialist stores like Cocoro Marche or the chain liquor store Megaten.
ACoop is the supermarket brand of JA, the Japan Agricultural cooperatives group. Has a range of nationally sourced produce but also has direct local sales of specific seasonal local produce.
Akebonocho (near Iida station): https://maps.app.goo.gl/CqAvsPK8rh9CfoQz8
Aipan (near Tenryukyo): https://maps.app.goo.gl/MaWbpmoLg7FjnyAM8
Achi (in Achi village): https://maps.app.goo.gl/8ft9A6UGgiMV636t5
A dedicated store for local produce, including sake, beer and cider, near to Tenryukyo. Good for getting local drinks brands bigger shops don’t carry.
Focuses on different types of alcohol, but also has some selected Costco products.
