Aki no Kuni Hikarimachi Branch Store (安芸の国　光町店)

Conveniently located just a 10-minute walk from the Shinkansen exit of Hiroshima Station, Aki no Kuni Hikarimachi is a chanko nabe specialty restaurant where you can eat authentic chanko nabe made by a former sumo wrestler. Chanko nabe is a traditional dish eaten in the dormitories where sumo wrestlers live, and is also very popular as a home-cooked meal in Japan. The restaurant has counter seating and sunken kotatsu-style table seating, which allows customers to sit under a kotatsu (traditional Japanese heated low table) while extending their legs as they would in a Western-style chair.

NOTE: This restaurant charges ¥330 for an “otoshi (お通し),” which acts as an appetizer and admission fee in one.

Moment of Joy

At the Aki no Kuni Hikarimachi branch, you can eat chanko nabe with the same seasonings and ingredients as the sumo wrestlers actually eat. The soup comes in a wide variety of flavors, from the classics like miso, salt, soy sauce, and mizutaki to more unusual flavors like kimchi and curry, so even first-time chanko nabe fans can enjoy it with ease.