As I've likely mentioned before, Ariake's signature food is たこ (tako) or octopus. Initially, I didn't know the word for octopus, but learned quite quickly the difference between it and タコス (takosu), which is tacos (a famous dish from my home state some might say). For lunch one day, I decided on some tako spaghetti from Ripple Land.
It was pretty good. I've naturally grown accustomed to the tast of octopus, as it was routinely made part of my school lunches. I've had takoyaki, sashimi, many different soups, and occasionally even our rice was garnished with small pieces of octopus. It's generally fresher here and thus isn't as chewy as I remember squid from central Texas being.
Most places in Japan have signature dishes. For example, Kumamoto prefecture is known for basashi, or raw horse meat, there is a town nearby that was well known for a type of orange called a mikan, Aoyama is famous for apples, and Himedo is known for crab. One reason for these highly publicized dishes is おみやげ (omiyage) or souvenirs, usually food, that are almost expected to be given out to coworkers anytime you return from a trip. The next time you're in Japan, I suggest seeking out the signature dish of the area you're in and discover the myriad of ways it is prepared.
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