Basashi: Kumamoto's Signature Raw Horse Meat Dish

Kumamoto raises more horses for food than almost anywhere else in Japan, a practice with roots going back centuries, reportedly tied to horses kept for warfare and farm work eventually entering the food supply. Basashi — thinly sliced raw horse meat, usually served with soy sauce, grated ginger, and garlic — is treated as an everyday delicacy rather than a novelty here, sold in supermarkets and served in ordinary restaurants, not hidden away as a specialty item.

Good basashi is lean and mild, closer to lean beef than most people expect, with fattier cuts (like marbled toro-style horse belly) offering a richer contrast. It's almost always eaten very fresh and thinly sliced, sometimes with a light char on select cuts. If raw meat isn't for you, basashi is genuinely an acquired taste for many visitors — there's no shame in skipping it, though it's worth understanding why it's a point of local pride.