OKURIMONO (September 2025)

Nagano’s Famous Oyaki—a Perfect Easy Lunch or Snack

(Month information was collected: July 2025)

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A local specialty of Nagano Prefecture, oyaki is a beloved soul food that serves as both a popular regional dish and a go-to gift or everyday snack. Irohado is a well-known maker of oyaki, crafting each one with their own unique methods, from the filling to the dough. This time, we'd like to introduce their "Standard Oyaki Set," available for order from anywhere in Japan.

Chewy dough made with a unique blend and bread-making expertise

Irohado’s factory produces around 10,000 oyaki a day. From processing and cooking the vegetables to wrapping the filling, much of the work is done by hand, ensuring careful preparation.

Packed with vegetables—almost entirely handmade from cooking to wrapping

The dough, a blend of wheat flour and whole-grain buckwheat flour, has a high moisture content that gives it a delightfully chewy texture. Each oyaki is first lightly fried before baking, a step that gives the dough structure.

Ready in a minute—customize to your own liking

The oyaki arrive frozen and can be enjoyed in minutes—just heat them in the microwave. With a shelf life of at least 60 days from delivery, they’re perfect to keep stocked at home.

A Traditional Food Born in Nagano's Mountain Villages

Oyaki are made by wrapping vegetable-based fillings in wheat flour dough, then baking or steaming them. Said to have originated in the mountain regions of Nagano, they spread as a homestyle dish throughout the prefecture. Classic fillings include nozawana greens, eggplant, and pumpkin. Today, oyaki are so popular in Nagano that they can be found in convenience stores and supermarkets.

Founded in 1925 in Ogawa, Nagano Prefecture, Irohado originally produced Japanese sweets and bread before beginning oyaki production around 1970. “Oyaki are filled with vegetables, making them a healthy, light meal. Locally, they’re enjoyed daily as lunch or a snack, and they’re also traditionally eaten during the Obon holiday. While oyaki are a Nagano specialty, we want people across Japan to enjoy them as part of their daily lives. That’s why we deliver Irohado’s oyaki nationwide,” says the company’s fourth-generation president Hiromu Ito.

To spread oyaki culture nationwide, Ito has introduced an oyaki subscription service and, in 2022, opened “Oyaki Farm,” a facility where visitors can enjoy this traditional food in a modern setting.

Wrapped by Hand and a Unique Process for Creating Chewy Dough

At Irohado’s factory, nearly every step—from preparing the filling to wrapping—is done by hand. Ingredients are carefully selected, including vegetables sourced from contracted farmers across Japan and Nagano’s distinctive sweet-and-savory Shinshu miso.

The dough, made from wheat flour and whole-grain buckwheat flour, is the defining feature. Its high moisture content makes it tricky to handle but results in a moist, chewy texture.

Aside from pumpkin and sweet red bean paste fillings, the vegetable oyaki are all hand-wrapped. With a roughly 1:1 ratio of filling to dough, they’re generously packed and carefully wrapped by skilled hands. Around 10,000 oyaki are made here daily.

Another unique step is frying the dough in soybean oil before baking. This adds richness to the flavor and ensures the dough stays moist even after freezing. Once made, the oyaki are flash-frozen, packaged the next day in gift boxes, and shipped nationwide.

Seven Classic Fillings You Can Always Count on

There are no fixed rules for oyaki fillings, but some traditional varieties have been passed down through the years. Irohado continues to focus on these classics, preserving the authentic taste and identity of oyaki.

For first-time customers, the best choice is the “Standard Oyaki 7-Piece Set,” an assortment of the seven traditional flavors. Let’s take a closer look at each one.

1. Nozawana pickles

Nozawana pickles, one of Nagano’s most famous specialties, are also a classic oyaki filling. While oyaki traditionally use well-fermented pickles, Irohado uses fresh, green nozawana lightly pickled, desalinated, and seasoned with Shinshu miso.

2. Negi miso

A savory-sweet mix of Shinshu miso and long green onions sautéed together. The chunky onions turn sweet when heated. An oyaki that pairs perfectly with a drink.

3. Kiriboshi daikon

Dried daikon radish is boiled, then mixed with green onion and carrot and flavored with miso. Refreshing in taste with a satisfying crunchy texture.

4. Vegetable mix

A special oyaki featuring cabbage as the main ingredient, combined with carrot, onion, and nozawana greens. Colorful and visually striking.

5. Bunashimeji mushrooms

Nagano-grown bunashimeji mushrooms paired with green onion and more. Rich mushroom flavor and texture come through. Also delicious with a touch of melted cheese on top.

6. Pumpkin

A classic dessert-style oyaki. Filled with fluffy pumpkin paste, it’s a hearty snack. Try adding cream cheese for a tasty twist.

7. Chunky red bean paste

Another snack-friendly variety. The chewy dough and sweet bean filling are a perfect match. At Oyaki Farm, the oyaki ice cream sandwich with milk ice cream inside is a popular treat.

To prepare the oyaki, simply heat it in the microwave for one minute. For extra flavor, lightly toast the surface in a toaster oven or frying pan to bring out a fragrant crispness. At home, you can also top them with cheese or add spices for fun variations.

Because they arrive frozen and keep for more than 60 days, they’re ideal to have on hand or to give as a gift for busy friends. Since they contain only vegetables, they’re also perfect for vegetarians. Why not bring a taste of Nagano’s famous oyaki into your daily life?