Goshogawara City, Aomori Prefecture: A Trip to Kanagi Town for Horse Meat and Oni-ko (devil's meat)

  • Aomori
  • Eating
A tour around Kaneki-cho

Kanagi-machi (Kanagi Town) is not only famous for... Osamu Dazai! In fact...

Many people may think of Shayokan, the birthplace of Osamu Dazai, when they think of Kanagi-cho.
The elegant brick building, with its modern Meiji-era atmosphere, has become a popular spot for overseas fans of Dazai.

But in fact, Osamu Dazai is not the only thing Kanagi-cho is famous for!

Speaking of Kanagi Town...


They are famous for their horse meat, which is loved by the locals all the time!

Kaneki-cho in Goshogawara City, Aomori Prefecture, is famous for its horse meat eating culture, as well as the festivals and food culture that have been passed down from generation to generation in the southern part of Aomori Prefecture.

Takeruji, who won his first sumo tournament victory at the 2024 Grand Sumo Spring Tournament, was born in Kanagi Town.
Since his childhood, he loved his grandmother's miso-flavored horse meat hot pot, and it has become a topic of conversation that horse meat was the source of Takanofuji's strong body.

If you talk about horse meat in Kanagi Town, this is the place to go first! Odagiri Sangyo Horse Meat Restaurant

Fresh horse meat is available for purchase.
Odagiri Sangyo Horse Meat Restaurant has been loved by local people in Kanagi Town for a long time.
When you step into the store, you will find a variety of horse meat products.

The aforementioned Takeruji in his childhood used to come here with his grandfather to buy horse meat.
The store owner remembers that the boy was famous in the area for his strong sumo wrestling skills from those days, and that he used to buy a large amount of meat at a time and go home.

The shop also sells by mail order, and orders come in from all over the country.

Inside the store, you will find a wide variety of horse meat products!

In the showcase are raw meat for horse sashimi and horse meat hot pot.
The meat for horse sashimi is sliced into chunks after you order, so you can take it home very fresh.

If you want to eat it the same day or later, we recommend that you order the meat frozen in small portions.
This meat is also divided into two types: one for horse sashimi and the other for nabe (hot pot).
You can also choose the type of meat according to your preference, such as lean meat, loin, or shimofuri.

Horse meat may be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of horse meat. In Kanagi Town, people have long eaten miso-flavored nabe or stir-fry made with takana (Chinese cabbage) along with burdock root, leeks, and other vegetables.
That is why in the showcase, along with horse meat, pickled takana without salt is sold together.
Homemade miso sauce for horse meat hot pot is also sold, so you can try a pot with takana at home!

We recommend this place for souvenirs!

Smoked fish and handmade miso sauce in the refrigerated case
In the refrigerated case, you'll find horse meat cherry hamburger steak, horse meat stew, and more!
In terms of processed products, smoked horse meat is also popular. There are a variety of products on the shelves, including cherry tree smoked and bacon.

When I sliced it and tried it, I found that it has no habits and the more you bite into it, the more delicious the taste comes out and you can't stop eating.
It has just the right amount of oil and saltiness and is recommended not only as a snack with alcohol, but also as a snack.

As you can see in the photo, there were also some unusual items, such as horse meat stewed in morotsu, horse meat hamburger steak, etc!
There are many interesting products. How about buying some as souvenirs?

We also ship our products nationwide.
If you cannot take home immediately, or if you are not sure which product to choose, please ask the store staff for advice.

I had no idea there were so many different products just for horse meat.
Isn't it about time you became interested in horse meat dishes?

If you want to try horse meat dishes, we recommend this restaurant.

For those who want to try horse meat cuisine first, we recommend our directly managed restaurants in Aomori City and Towada City.

Horse Meat Cuisine Kitcho Aomori" is open only in the evening.
Horse Meat Cuisine Kitcho Towada" is open for lunch and at night.

For more information about the restaurant and mail order, please check the official website here.
The official HP of [Y.K. Odagiri Sangyo Bannakuya] is here

Have a horse meat lunch at a coffee shop that still retains the atmosphere of the old station building... [Coffee store with a red roof, "Ekisha

Red-roofed coffee shop in the old station building
Calm interior with a retro atmosphere
The red-roofed coffee shop "Ekisha" is a retro-style coffee shop that utilizes the old station building of Tsugaru Railway Ashino Park.
You can find it right after you get off the platform of Tsugaru Railway's Ashino Koen Station, which is located in Ashino Park.
It is a wonderful spot to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the park and the local train.
After a leisurely stroll in the park, how about enjoying Kanagi Town's horse meat lunch at this red-roofed "ekisha"?

Click here to see our popular horse meat lunch menu!

Gekima Kanagi Curry
Horse meat miso rice bowl
One is the horse meat curry, which is made by simmering horse meat over a long period of time.
The mild, not-too-spicy roux in which the ingredients are infused makes it easy to enjoy.
The combination of tender horse meat and curry is a golden combination.

The other is the horse meat donburi, a bowl of rice topped with tender horse meat simmered in miso.
The horse meat has no peculiar taste, and the miso flavor will stimulate your appetite.

We also recommend this place for a snack during your stroll in Ashino Park!

Horse buns come in two flavors: miso and soy sauce.

The "Baman (horse bun)" is also highly recommended. It is a bun filled with horse meat and seasoned with miso or soy sauce.


The soy sauce-flavored bun is made with roughly sliced horse meat and bamboo shoots, a wild vegetable, wrapped in a fluffy, hot Chinese bun dough.


Take-out is also available, so how about a snack while strolling in Ashino Park?

Please visit the official website for more information on the menu and other details♪
[Red Roof Coffee Shop "Ekisha"] The official HP of [Y.K. Odagiri Sangyo Bannakuya] is here

Do you know it? A cute little devil sitting at the torii gate [Kanagi Town

There are many unique shrines throughout Japan, but Aomori Prefecture has a shrine with demons!
Oni are often found at the torii gate, which is quite impressive. Oni = bad guys, but these "Oni-ko" are said to protect the community from natural disasters and epidemics.

In the Tsugaru area, including Kanagi Town, there are about 40 "oniko," each with its own unique personality! Some of them look scary, some look cute, and some even look like they are demons. Some look scary, some look cute, and some even look like they might not even be demons at all.

Let us introduce you to four of them in Kanagi-cho.

Mihashira Shrine

An eight-minute walk from Kawakura Station, one station away from Ashino Koen Station, which is adjacent to the red-roofed coffee shop "Ekisha," is Sanbashira Shrine. At this shrine, you will encounter two oni-kotsu (devil) statues!
Oniko at Mihashira Shrine Part 1
Oniko at Mihashira Shrine Part 2
One is a red ogre with magnificent horns and a club in his hand, giving him a very ogre-like appearance.
But if you look closely, you can see a smiling face...and he wears bracelets and anklets.
The folds of his clothes, carved out of wood, are also very delicate.

The other Oniko, in contrast, has a sharp face. He is staring at us with a powerful stare, as if to say, "I will not let anything bad pass through! The other demon is made of stone, but it too is carefully crafted.
Although made of stone, it is also carefully crafted.
Only the hair is painted black, which is unique. The pose of the man standing on one knee supporting the torii gate is very cool!

Kumanogu Shrine

Entire Kumanomiya shrine
Next up is the Oniko of Kumanomiya Shrine.

Can you see it on the torii gate?
This oniko has a rare white color.
Oniko close-up of Kumanomiya Shrine
If you get a little closer, you can see that this one does not look like an ogre. This is a sumo wrestler with a topknot and a mawashi.

He has thick eyebrows and round eyes, and is handsome. His legs are slender, but his arm muscles are muscular and strong. He is leaning forward a little to step on his four legs. If you turn around, you can see their cute butts.

Tatsuno Shrine

Tatsuno Shrine from outside the torii gate
Lastly, I would like to introduce you to Oniko at Tatsuno Shrine. This shrine is about a 14-minute walk from Kumanomiya Shrine, so it is recommended that you visit the shrine together.

The first thing that will surprise you when you come to Tatsuno Shrine is the size of the oniko. It is considerably larger than other oniko and makes a big impact!
Close-up of Oniko at Tatsuno Shrine
Up close, it looks like an elaborate figure. The colors are painted very carefully, even down to the smallest details. It is rare to see even the kimono pattern painted! It is evident that this figure is treasured by the local people.

Oniko has a cool dragon god painted on its back, so don't forget to look behind it when you visit.

Let's collect oni ko cards!

Oniko Card

If you visit a shrine with oni-ko, be sure to collect the "Oni-ko Card"! They are made in Aomori Prefecture and distributed at stores near each shrine. You will want to collect as many of these solid cards as you can!


Since the cards distributed differ from store to store, please check in advance and don't forget to get one.


Please see the Aomori Prefectural Government website below for the distribution locations of each card.


*Since the number of Oni-Co cards is limited, some cards have already been distributed.

For more information about Oni-ko Card, please visit

Summary

How was your trip around horses and Oniko?
When you visit Goshogawara City and the Kanagi area, be sure to visit the places mentioned here♪

Take your favorite train and lodging combination for a budget-friendly trip!

You can create your own original trip!

The "JR East Japan View Dynamic Rail Pack" is a variable-price individual travel product sold exclusively through the Internet that allows you to choose your train and lodging at your leisure and make a reservation at once. Depending on the timing and conditions of your reservation, you may be able to save even on the day of departure at the earliest! We also offer one-day trip plans! We also offer one-day trip plans!

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