Okonomiyaki Workshop-Studio OKOSTA: DIY soul food, fresh on the grill

Every visitor to Hiroshima should try the city's "soul food" of okonomiyaki. Here at OKOSTA, you can learn to make it yourself from a professional okonomiyaki chef! Unlike its Osaka-style cousin, which is about as challenging to make as a pancake, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki requires some finesse, building various layers of batter, vegetables, noodles, and toppings into one delicious meal.

Guests gather around a large table that is basically a giant stainless-steel grill and are instructed in English and other languages by staff who have trained for months to learn how to make the perfect okonomiyaki. Choose your own topping from the list of options, and in the end, you'll have made your own meal, kept toasty warm on the grill as you cut off bite-sized portions. The staff will also bring a dizzying array of okonomiyaki sauces for you to sample.

Those wishing to recreate the experience at home can purchase ingredient kits, sauces, and even utensils from OKOSTA's well-stocked shop.

Fujii Shuzo: Brewing small-batch sake for over 160 years

The city of Takehara, in Hiroshima Prefecture, has been producing sake for a long time. Famous for its salt production, Takehara added sake to its list of exports during its heyday in the 18th century. Fujii Shuzo was a relative latecomer to the sake manufacturing party but still has 160 years of experience to its name. In fact, at the first refined sake competition held in Japan in 1907, Fujii Shuzo took home the top prize with its Ryusei brand.

To this day, Fujii Shuzo is run as a small-batch brewery that uses an all-natural, labor-intensive method of sake production that is growing increasingly rare in Japan. Although, if asked about the hard work involved in making great sake, the brewers at Fujii Shuzo are more likely to say that Nature, not Man, does most of the work.

Fujii Shuzo is worth a visit for sake lovers who come to experience the magical atmosphere of Takehara, where local homes and businesses are still maintained in structures from the Edo period. Fujii Shuzo is no exception, with a spacious warehouse facing the street now serving as a tasting room, as well as a stylish craft gallery and shop.

Nipponia Hotel’s Le Un: Savor the ingredients of Takehara’s historical Salt Town

As long as you’re visiting Takehara, take the opportunity to enjoy a sumptuous meal at Nipponia Hotel Takehara Salt Town, which offers accommodation and dining in the heart of the historical district. Nipponia has been helping preserve the beauty of many historical locations around Japan by purchasing old buildings with "good bones"and renovating them into chic accommodations and restaurants, while staying true to the roots of the original location. Nipponia owns several buildings around Takehara’s preserved Salt Town, including their French-inspired restaurant, Le Un, which serves elegant dishes made with ingredients sourced directly from the Hiroshima area.

These ingredients include Hiroshima's famous oysters, various types of citrus, Taoshita wagyu beef, and Takehara's own salt, produced from the emerald waters of the Seto Inland Sea. Takehara-produced sake, Taketsuru whisky, and Hiroshima craft beers perfectly complement your meal here.

One of the unique dishes served at Le Un is a local dish known as "fish rice," combining many local ingredients in a bowl of rice with a delicious, mildly-flavored soup stock. It was created for special events and celebrations in Takehara, and the recipe used at Le Un is the recipe from the Taketsuru family, who have been residents of the town for centuries.

Irori Sanzoku: Yakitori fit for mountain bandits

Hidden in the forested foothills of Yamaguchi Prefecture, Irori Sanzoku appears like a mirage as you drive along the highway from Hiroshima to Yamaguchi, illuminated by hundreds of traditional-style lanterns, including a huge arrangement in the shape of the Japanese kanji character for "festival" (祭).At first you may wonder if you’ve arrived at a restaurant or a theme park, as further suggested by the festival-like games for children and lively atmosphere. But rest assured that, once you enter one of Irori Sanzoku's three main restaurant buildings, you'll know why the locals love this place.

The food and atmosphere recall the lifestyle appreciated by Japanese mountain bandits (山賊,sanzoku): unpretentious and delicious cuisine served in huge portions in a location that combines traditional Japanese design with the beauty of Yamaguchi's natural scenery. Sanzoku-yaki barbequed chicken, fried gyoza dumplings, and baseball-sized musubi rice balls are constant favorites, but you can't go wrong with anything you order. Before or after your meal, stroll around the grounds to enjoy the mystical atmosphere that includes mountain streams and waterfalls, a koi pond, and a cute shopping area to purchase snacks and souvenirs.

Senza Kitchen: Roadside refreshment and local recreation

It may be a bit of a detour from the northern coast of Yamaguchi, but if you're heading for the relaxing town of Yumoto Onsen, Senza Kitchen is not to be missed. Senza Kitchen is a boon for both visitors and locals. Area residents come here to shop at the expansive Farmer's Market, watch cooking demonstrations, and bring their children to the nearby Nagato Toy Museum and outdoor open space. This creates informal opportunities for friendly interactions between visitors and local people in a natural setting.

Senza Kitchen is home to various locally run restaurants and cafes, most using ingredients sourced from around the area. Beyond the obvious combined bounties of the Seto Inland Sea and Sea of Japan, the region has a robust poultry and agricultural industry, so in addition to the seafood, be sure to taste delicious skewers of smoky grilled yakitori and dishes made with fresh fruits and vegetables.

If you're looking for things to do near Senza Kitchen, Nagato City runs YUKUTE, a tourist information center that can offer you a laundry list of recommendations, along with current road and weather conditions around the area.

Karato Market: Fugu and other fish for foodies

Karato Market in Shimonoseki is Yamaguchi's answer to Tokyo's Tsukiji Market and then some. It sells fresh seafood to vendors and tourists, and some restaurants serve dishes made with fresh seafood. At Karato, you can get an up-close look at the delicacies from the sea, including Yamaguchi's extremely popular yet slightly infamous fugu (pufferfish). While there is much media hype around the poisonous glands in fugu fish, fugu poisoning incidents are nearly non-existent in Japan when prepared by professional chefs.

You'll find the fresh fish market area much more lively with the Event (Iki Iki Bakangai)on Fridays and weekends, public holidays when the vendors sell prepared dishes, including sushi, fried fish and shrimp, and fugu miso soup. However, even when there are no food offerings on the market floor, several restaurants on the premises offer fresh seafood dishes for visitors and locals alike. Like all fish market restaurants, they open early in the morning, so you'll find the most extensive selection and freshest offerings if you start your day early, too.

From Hiroshima soul food to Yamaguchi seafood plucked fresh from the sea, this region of Setouchi offers foodies an opportunity to expand their palates and enjoy the beautiful scenery and friendly hospitality of local people at the same time. With plenty of connections using the JR West train lines, including the Sanyo Shinkansen, a foodie tour of Hiroshima and Yamaguchi is feasible and easy to do.

Photographs and text by Todd Fong

You can get more information about the route followed in this article by checking out our itineraries in the "Plan Your Trip" section of this website.
https://www.setouchi.travel/en/plan-your-trip/itineraries/ph2-sta-st-017/