Discover Everything About Gyoza on This Street in Utsunomiya City (2024)

Sept. 1, 2022

Gyoza Everything – From Restaurants to Manhole Covers

©utsunomiya gyozakai

Utsunomiya City in Tochigi Prefecture is famous for its gyoza dumplings. Originally Chinese, these gyozas combine a piping hot meat filling with cabbage and chives wrapped with thin wonton skins that are then pan-fried, resulting in a contrast of textures and flavours of this irresistible treat.

©utsunomiya gyozakai

The city boasts around 300 shops that serve gyozas, including specialty gyoza shops, and has a gyoza association in town, the Utsunomiya Gyozakai, that holds an annual gyoza festival at the start of November. There is even a statue of a Venus goddess wrapped in gyoza skin - the statue itself is made out of Oya stone and produced only in Utsunomiya City’s Oya District - sitting right outside of Utsunomiya station!

©utsunomiya gyozakai

In the centre of Utsunomiya City lies a street called Miyajimacho-dori, named ‘Gyoza Street’ in April 2018. Keep an eye out and you will spot many interesting gyoza-related elements here.

There is a lamp post in the shape of a dumpling, a bus stop sign that is fashioned into a dumpling, as well as replicas of dumplings served on a plate and hung on electric poles, all signs indicating a variety of shops selling delicious gyoza are lined up on the street for you to choose from!

©Utsunomiya Convention & Visitors Bureau

Look at the pavement you’re walking on and you may even spot a manhole cover illustrated with gyoza, continuing an aspect of Japanese culture where manhole covers in the country illustrate a design specific to the culture of any given area.

©utsunomiya gyozakai

Gyoza Street has several gyoza shops all offering delectable gyozas and one of them is called ‘Utsunomiya Minmin’. Opened in 1958, this gyoza shop is no stranger to long queues. It serves gyoza in different ways - boiled, pan-fried or deep-fried.

With its unique gyoza-inspired features and offerings, Gyoza Street offers you an opportunity to fill your eyes and belly!