Suganoya Shinshigai

The Aso region is the jewel of Kumamoto Prefecture. An abundance of volcanic minerals sustain endless expanses of rolling green fields, a landscape punctuated by naturally occurring geothermal springs that bubble up from deep beneath the Land of Fire. It’s here that the Suganoya farm makes its home, a sprawling near-3,000,000 sq m of rich, pastoral land for its horses to graze. As the largest horse meat producer in the whole of Japan, Suganoya has built its reputation not just as a reliable supplier of nutritious and high-quality horse meat, but also hygienic horse meat. Its processing and production plant is certified by the Safe Quality Food Institute, meaning that visitors to Suganoya can eat basashi — raw horse meat, arguably the most iconic way to try this unorthodox local specialty — with certainty that it’s safe. Suganoya’s philosophy is also based around gratitude, which means that every part of each horse is used, so as to ensure nothing goes to waste. This means that the restaurant offers a massive variety of different cuts, ranging from the finely marbled tri-tip, to the unmistakable deep red loin, to the creamy whiteness of the koune (meat from the mane area of the horse) that belies its satisfying crunchiness. Guests are invited to discover the subtle differences between each cut — and these are especially striking when eaten raw. Of course, the restaurant doesn’t just offer basashi; horse meat is traditionally consumed in a number of different ways, including stewed and deep-fried. All of these are featured in Suganoya’s extensive course menus, letting guests discover the multifaceted nature of horse meat — and why it has remained so popular in Kumamoto for so long. Suganoya has several outlets all over Kumamoto Prefecture, but it should come as no surprise that the Shinshigai outlet — set just off of the capital city’s most popular shopping district — sees some of the most foot traffic. The beating heart of Kumamoto’s nightlife, the Shinshigai covered shopping street attracts thousands of people every night, from curious tourists to seasoned locals ambling from bar to bar. Both usually end up at Suganoya at some point or another.