Two Japanese cities remain in rivalry over ‘No. 1 dumpling city’ status

The city of Hamamatsu was jubilant Friday as government data showed the Pacific coastal city retained the coveted mantle of “Japan’s No. 1 ‘gyoza’ dumpling city” in 2015, edging its arch-rival Utsunomiya.

Hamamatsu city officials, who gathered at the city hall ahead of the 8.30 am release of internal affairs ministry data on household spending, applauded and shouted “banzai” after confirming that households in Hamamatsu spent more on gyoza on average than those in Utsunomiya for the second year in a row.

Utsunomiya, which had long billed itself as Japan’s No. 1 dumpling city to attract foodie tourists to the city north of Tokyo, was the second biggest-spending city on the dumplings for the second straight year.

Akihiro Suzuki, secretary general of Utsunomiya Gyoza kai, a group of some 80 dumpling restaurants in the city, held his head high despite the disappointing news.

Suzuki, 43, pointed to the fact that a national dumpling festival will be held in Utsunomiya in May, gathering various kinds of dumplings from across the nation.

“We will join hands with other regions to further gyoza culture,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Hamamatsu Gyoza Society, a group of dumpling aficionados in the city, released a statement saying the latest government statistics attest to “the true love harboured by citizens for gyoza.”

The two cities entered into rivalry four years ago, when government data showed dumpling purchases in Utsunomiya had dropped to second in 2011 after remaining at the top of Japan’s major cities for 15 straight years until 2010. Hamamatsu surpassed Utsunomiya in 2011 as the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March that year dented spending in Utsunomiya.

In an effort to regain the top spot, the city of Utsunomiya and local businesses launched a campaign to urge citizens to spend more on the dumplings, playing a dumpling song in promotional events. The efforts were rewarded when Utsunomiya retook the No. 1 status in 2013.

The internal ministry’s spending data for the item cover purchases at supermarkets and other stores, excluding those of frozen gyoza, and do not include costs for dining at dumpling restaurants.

In 2015, the average household spending on the item came to 4,646 yen (HK$303) in Hamamatsu, followed by Utsunomiya at 3,981 yen and Kyoto at 2,541 yen.