Loading...

Nov 7, 2025

What is your favorite 'nabe' hot pot?

November 7th is "Nabe no hi" or 'hot pot day'. As I wrote in a post about it, there are many different type of hot pot in Japan. What type of 'nabe' do you like in Japan? The post about 'hot pot day' ; https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/BigfamJapan/G68de-food_wako_shi_saitama

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

Former nickname was "Saitama". Changed it to save confusion on place review posts! Irish, 20+ years in Japan! I also write on my personal website: insaitama.com

4 Answers



Best Answer

  • helloalissa

    on Nov 19

    This question is making me hungry and I can't choose because I have liked all the nabe that I've eaten. I asked a local the same question yesterday and got a few unique (gourmet?) answers that I'll share about. I have never tried these ones. Wild boar nabe, known as bontan nabe. Duck (kamo) nabe, maybe best to get from a restaurant as it's hard to find fresh duck meat. And blowfish (fugu) nabe, known as tecchiri.

    1
  • genkidesu

    on Nov 7

    Our go-to as a family is shabu shabu, probably because it's pretty customizable in terms of ingredients, dipping sauces, and the like. I also feel like it's on the healthier end of nabe options!

    0
  • TonetoEdo

    on Nov 7

    Gyoza nabe with cabbage, carrots, onions, and mushrooms is my favorite right now. Easy to assemble and cook, and it's very filling.

    0
  • BigfamJapan

    on Nov 20

    @helloalissa I've never heard of any of those. So much yet to discover and try. Kamonabe sounds the most appealing to me.

    0

Awaiting More Answers

0 Answers

Public figures, artists, authors with foreign roots you admire?

One that comes to mind is the late C.W. Nichol. Born in Wales, formerly a Canadian, he became a Japanese citizen. Nichol was a journalist and writer who championed the preservation of Japan's natural environment and wrote fiction and non-fiction books. He was a regular columnist in the Japan Times. I regret that I never met him, though some of my martial arts colleagues did. Which foreign resident (or Japanese citizens with foreign roots) do you respect? What are they noted for?

TonetoEdo

23 hours ago

3 Answers

Celebrities, artists, authors with Japanese roots in your home country?

There are people with Japanese roots in the Americas, Eurasia, parts of Africa, and Australasia... Tell us about authors, scientists, artists, and celebrities with Japanese roots we should know about from your countries of origin.

TonetoEdo

on Jun 16

4 Answers

Baby Showers in Japan

Yesterday I wrote about "Baby Shower Day". But now I am curious - have you ever been to a Baby Shower in Japan? And if so, was it for and / or organized by a Japanese person or a foreigner? And FYI, in case you haven't noticed it yet, we can now see how many views our posts are getting again! Baby shower post: https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/BigfamJapan/weBpJ-living_saitama_tokyo

BigfamJapan

on Jun 7

2 Answers

Taking the bitterness out of Goya?

Today is "Goya Day" and as I wrote in my post about it, my MIL is growing some this year so no doubt we'll be given some to cook. I am not a big fan, because I find it unpleasantly bitter. So, following in the same vein as tonetoedo's mentaiko / karako question - what way do you serve goya? Have you any tips for taking the bitterness out of it?

BigfamJapan

on May 8

5 Answers

Your 2026 food omiyage / souvenir picks?

I know this question has probably been asked several times in the past, but it is also the kind of question to which the answer changes frequently! So, I am curious - what are your top food souvenir picks for 2026? I am going home again soon, and I want to get food omiyage for several people, including the school where my son is about to finish a one-year exchange. I would love to hear your thoughts on the BEST Japanese food omiyage around this year! And / or the food omiyage you buy each and every time you are going home because it's always a big hit? I just had the photo in this post to hand, and it is not a recommendation per se, it's not bad and fits well into a suitcase, but it's not the best strawberry daifuku I ever had.

BigfamJapan

on Apr 24

5 Answers

What's your favorite 'kushiyaki'?

Just for fun; what type of skewered food do you like best in Japan? Or, if you feel like sharing, what are your top 3?

BigfamJapan

on Apr 11

2 Answers

Movie locations near you worth visiting?

The live action version of テルマエ・ロマエ Thermae Romae (2012) was shot at Nokogiriyama, Kyonan Town, Chiba Prefecture. It's one of my favourite getaways for hiking, the temple complex, and catching sea breezes. The movie is hilarious and heartwarming. Which Japanese live-action movies do you recommend, and are the filming locations worth a visit? Tell us the original title, English title, the year, and the location.

TonetoEdo

on Mar 23

4 Answers

Recent vending machine discoveries?

I always get a little kick out of finding a vending machine that dispenses something other than drinks or ice-cream. I have been seeing an increase in vending machines that sell religious items lately. I also like finding vending machines with unusual or attractive wrapping. Have you come across any unusual vending machines lately? Either vending machines that sell something other than the norm or a vending machine with eye-catching wrapping?

BigfamJapan

on Mar 21

5 Answers

What are our consumer rights in Japan?

Do you know your consumer rights in Japan? And if so, would you be willing to share anything about them? For example, what is the policy on returns? I am very familiar with my consumer rights in my home country, and they are very widely publicized back home, but information doesn't seem to be as transparent or readily available here. Or is that just me?

BigfamJapan

on Mar 15

18 Answers

What do you most associate with Ehime Prefecture?

Today, February 20th, is Ehime Prefecture Day. What do you most associate with Ehime Prefecture, what is the very first thing that comes to mind when I say "Ehime Prefecture"!?

BigfamJapan

on Feb 20

8 Answers

Do you have a favorite mascot?

The other day, on "Strawberry Day" I wrote about "Yoshimin", the strawberry mascot of Yoshimi. I thought it might be fun to introduce a few others, so I've just written about "Tokimo" the mascot of Kawagoe. And I plan to introduce a couple of my favorites. It begs the question, do you have a favorite mascot? And how about writing a post on City-cost about your favorite or a local mascot? Pictured "Umerin" who I plan to write about next!

BigfamJapan

on Jan 17

7 Answers

Growing Mushrooms

Here's for a weird hobby. I just saw a video by an American Youtuber that I plan to watch about growing shiitake mushrooms. From what I've seen, it probably needs a bit of space. There was a local market in Fukuoka Prefecture that had a "mushroom room" where they grew and sold mushrooms like maitake and eringi. I also saw a video of a couple in Paris that built a mushroom growing shower room! The local hardware store sells "seeded" logs and shiitake mushroom growing kits. I have seen the logs around people's homes on occasion. It seems like a very odd, but sustainable hobby. Has anyone tried it, or is anyone interested to try this? I wonder how involved or beginner friendly it is.

helloalissa

on Dec 29