Off the Trail — Kanagawa, Japan

Tonkoro and Ayu: Tasting Central Kanagawa

Atsugi and Ebina sit just beyond Japan’s usual tourist orbit, but for repeat visitors they offer a precise reading of everyday Kanagawa. Two local flavors say more than any guidebook: tonkoro (shiro koro) from the grill, and ayu (sweetfish) from the Sagami River.

Tonkoro (Shiro Koro): Working-City Comfort

Tonkoro is grilled pork offal, cut from small sections of intestine and cooked until the surface blisters and crackles while the inside stays plush and rich. In Atsugi and Ebina it’s treated simply—usually just salt or a light tare—so the pleasure is all in the texture: a clean snap, then slow, rounded fat. Eaten with beer at compact counters near the stations, it feels less like a specialty dish and more like joining the evening rhythm of these commuter cities.

Ayu (Sweetfish): The Sagami River in One Bite

Atsugi’s other quiet signature is ayu, sweetfish taken from the Sagami River that cuts through the city and anchors its fishing culture. In season—from early summer into autumn—the classic preparation is salt-grilled ayu skewered whole, lightly blistered over charcoal, and served so the head, fins, and delicate flesh carry the same clean, river-cool aroma. Tasting it here links dinner directly to the water just downstream, a reminder that Atsugi’s appeal lies in lived-in landscapes rather than staged scenery.