Revival of Japan’s Wild Game Cuisine

Wild boar has long been loved in Japan. This delicacy can be enjoyed in Tokyo at the long-established restaurant Momonjiya, which serves a lunch special of boar meat over rice.

A raw venison dish served at the restaurant Momonjiya, noted for its rich flavor and lack of any “gamey” smell.

Suwa Taisha shrine (left) in Nagano Prefecture attracted believers among traditional matagi hunters and samurai; the special amulet and chopsticks (middle) at the shrine to sanctify the consumption of venison; the words of a chant used at the shrine (right), which state that the deer that is eaten becomes assimilated into a human being, thereby reaching nirvana.

Wild boar meat (left) used for a stew dish at the restaurant Takinoya in Hakone that brings out its umami flavor; the delicious meat melts in the mouth and does not have any gamey smell because of how the hunters carefully prepare it. A stew of horse and deer meet (right) served at the restaurant Hamakō in Yokohama; the dish is served with raw egg, much like sukiyaki.

Salami made from deer meat hunted in Nagano Prefecture.

A roast turtle dove dish served at the French restaurant L’Habitude, located in the Kagurazaka district of Tokyo (photograph courtesy of L’Habitude).