There was much rejoicing in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, earlier this month, when it was announced that its citizens had reclaimed their position as the top consumers of gyōza dumplings.
Utsunomiya had held onto the top position for 15 years until 2010, but then it was overtaken by its archrival: Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. The two cities have been battling it out for the top spot in the gyōza wars ever since.
Last year, after losing out to Hamamatsu for two years running, the citizens of Utsunomiya consumed ¥4,359 worth of gyōza per capita, compared to ¥3,506 per person in Hamamatsu. Per capita gyōza consumption is measured by an official survey of randomly selected households conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
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