TOKYO - Japan’s annual prefectural attractiveness ranking has placed Saitama Prefecture at the bottom for the first time, surprising even local restaurant owners. Now in its 17th year, the 2025 survey once again crowned Hokkaido as the most attractive prefecture — maintaining its perfect record since the ranking’s inception.
Kyoto and Okinawa followed in second and third place, with Kanagawa climbing to fourth ahead of Tokyo, boosted by the popularity of its coastal cuisine such as shirasu rice bowls. Chiba, home to Tokyo Disneyland, came in 18th.
The biggest shift came at the lower end of the list. Saga Prefecture, which ranked last in 2024, rose two spots, pushing neighboring Saitama down to 47th place for the first time.
According to the survey company, one major factor behind Saitama’s low score is its weak reputation for food, with respondents rating its culinary image particularly poorly.
However, Saitama’s local cuisine tells a different story. In Kawagoe, a historic city known as “Little Edo,” a traditional eel restaurant that has operated since the Edo period highlights the region’s long association with freshwater unagi.
“Eel used to be an important source of protein caught in the Arakawa and Iruma rivers,” said Maki Takahashi of Ichinoya, a long-established unagi restaurant. “There are many eel restaurants in Kawagoe.”
In fact, Saitama has one of the highest numbers of eel restaurants per capita in Japan — a point of pride for locals.
Residents also mentioned the prefecture’s famous udon noodles. Saitama is home to the well-known chain Yamada Udon, and the prefectural government promotes 18 varieties of regional udon as signature dishes.
One standout is “Kawahara Udon,” a wide, flat noodle measuring about 8 centimeters across, inspired by the Arakawa River, said to be the widest in Japan. The dish was created in Kōnosu City 17 years ago and has since become a beloved local specialty.
“I can’t accept that our food ranks so low,” said Hisanao Komine, owner of Men Kobo Kuraichi, a local noodle shop. “If Kawahara Udon could become a top brand for Saitama and help spread our food culture, I’d be delighted.”
While Saitama may have fallen to the bottom of Japan’s attractiveness ranking, a closer look reveals a prefecture rich in flavor and character — from its riverside unagi traditions to its uniquely wide udon.
Source: FNN
