In the Japanese Shōwa period, the locals of the Nyuto Onsen hot spring region of Akita prefecture sought to develop a dish that encapsulated the local culture and highlighted the local ingredients, and in particular the distinctive local Yamato potato – a type of mountain yam specific to the region. This simple stew was developed through a collaboration between local chefs and was officially decreed as a local specialty. This version, made at the Tsurunoyu hot spring, uses miso for a hearty and flavourful broth. As the Yamato potato is very hard to find outside Nyuto Onsen, you may substitute sweet potato dumplings in its place (see recipe below).
