Kinugasadon is a classic local "donburi" that originated in Kyoto. It is actually a dish that is not that well known throughout Japan, but the donburi can often be found in old udon restaurants in Kyoto.

Kinugasadon is a simple bowl of rice topped with salty-sweet fried tofu and green onions, quickly simmered in dashi broth and topped with an egg. Because the fried tofu and green onion are cooked for different lengths of time, the fried tofu soaks up the flavor and the green onion has a crispy texture. The more you chew, the more the sweetness and richness of the fried tofu that has absorbed the broth spreads, and together with the mild flavor of the egg, this donburi has a texture that makes the rice go down the hatch.

The name of kinugasadon comes from Mt. Kinugasa, located in the northern part of Kyoto City. Mt. Kinugasa is a small mountain about 201 meters above sea level between Kinkakuji Temple and Ryoanji Temple. It is also called "Kinukakeyama" from a legend that the 59th Emperor Uda had his subordinates cover Mt. Kinugasa with white silk (kinu) in mid-summer in order to see a snowy scene. There are various theories, but the name of the donburi is said to come from the resemblance of the fried tofu and green onions tossed with an egg to the snowy Mt. Kinugasa. Perhaps the egg is the white silk, while the green onions and fried tofu resemble the trees of the mountain.

Although interpretations of the ingredients and origin vary somewhat by region and store, if you ever dine at an old udon store in Kyoto in the future, we hope you will try kinugasadon, along with the origin of its name. You can make this delicious dish at home too, so please give it a try.

Seiryugama's Donburi
https://www.shokunin.com/en/seiryu/donburi.html

References
https://www.jz-tamago.co.jp/customer/atoz/recipe/a2z00019106/ (Recipe)
https://www.kbs-kyoto.co.jp/tv/ippin/2008/12/a114.htm 
https://kyotolove.kyoto/I0000204