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Hiroshima Specialties

Get a deeper look at Hiroshima's specialties. Cut into okonomiyaki, Hiroshima's "soul food," at foundational places like Okonomimura. Watch the steam float off fresh fried momiji-manju in Miyajima. Explore the bounty of the Seto Inland Sea at places like Oyster Ship Kanawa and Anago Meishi Ueno. These are some of the foods that the rest of Japan thinks of when they think of Hiroshima, a regional cuisine tied to the seasons, the region's ecological diversity, and the post-war dishes that helped rebuild the city. Our Hiroshima specialties guide zeros in on what makes Hiroshima cuisine distinctive in Japan.

Okonomiyaki Horikawa (お好み焼きほり川)

Okonomiyaki Horikawa is situated in the Historic Preserved District of Takehara City and is a restaurant that prides itself on its unparalleled popularity in all of Takehara. In the restaurant, which was established in 1919 from a remodeled soy sauce factory storehouse, customers can enjoy a wide variety of okonomiyaki, such as the Seafood Special, which contains delicacies like scallops, squid, shrimp, and octopus on top of the quintessential pork, eggs, and vegetables. Since every table is equipped with a hot iron plate, diners can savor their okonomiyaki while it’s piping hot to the last delectable bite.

Moment of Joy

The most popular item on Okonomiyaki Horikawa’s menu is the “Takehara-yaki,” which is a rarity in okonomiyaki restaurants in Hiroshima City. The draw of Takehara-yaki is its special batter in the pancake that has this gummy, addictive texture. This peculiar, fluffy-yet-gummy texture is caused by sake lees from Saijo–the prefecture’s renowned sake stronghold–that get mixed into the batter that is used to make Takehara-yaki. When taking a bite of it, one can taste a subtle hint of sake, so it’s also recommended as an accompaniment to an alcoholic beverage.