Local Speciality

Yanai’s traditional folkcraft from Edo period (17th-19th centuries)
Kumatani Rinzaburo, a highly successful merchant of Edo (former name of Tokyo), invented this lantern inspired by Nebuta ornaments found in Aomori Prefecture.
Made of washi-paper and bamboo framework, painted with the same dyeing material as Yanai-jima textile, they were hung out outside as guiding lanterns to help the ancestors’ spirits to come back home during Obon period.
Today, the town holds a lantern festival on the 13th of August every year.
The fantastical look of swinging goldfish lanterns along white-walled streets in the evening during early August is a typical image of summertime in Yanai.

Enjoy the sight of the unique seasonal “kingyo chochin” (goldfish lanterns) that appear in the Shirakabe historical district.
Please see here for a guide to seasonal “kingyo chochin”.

In addition, Yanai currently holds an exchange with Hirosaki City in Aomori Prefecture, featuring “kingyo chochin” and “kingyo neputa”.

■ “Kingyo neputa” of Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture
“Kingyo neputa” are goldfish-shaped lamps said to be based on the motif of “Tsugaru Nishiki”, a species of goldfish bred in Tsugaru Domain in the Edo period,
and are a vital part of the Neputa Festival.

■ “Hirosaki neputa” created through the exchange program between Yanai City and Hirosaki City
The motif of the artwork on the festival float is “Kumagai Rinzaburo crafting a kingyo chochin”.

Plain cotton textile produced in this area for centuries.
This style became well known during the Edo period, when Yanai prospered as a merchants’ city. As industrialization began in the Meiji period (19th century), production of this folk textile declined and almost disappeared in the early 20th century.
After decades of absence, Yanai-Jima production was revived thanks to a new technology and design, that yet manage to preserve the warmth of hand-woven textile.

Soy sauce with extra-rich flavor thanks to an original double processing. When this sauce was first presented to Lord Kikkawa during the Edo period, the governor praised the flavor as being “kanro” – “heavenly sweet dew”. Hence its name Kanro Joyu.
Using a technique that remains unchanged since it was first developed 200 years ago, soy sauce matures for two years and gains its characteristic flavor.

Japanese wild yams used to be considered very rare, as they were only harvested in the mountains and not produced in farms. After long years of research and trials, Masada Natural Farm in Yanai City invented a special device named “Clever Pipe”, which enabled growing wild yam for the first time in the world, paving a way for other farmers to grow them. This is why Yanai is now called “the place of origin of wild-yam farming”. The Jinenjo wild yam is also scientifically proven to contain a substance which increases DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone), a male hormone which is good for revitalizing, anti-aging and improving hormone balance.