1.Onigiri-ya Hitotsubu

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『いくら(Salmon roe)』789 yen／『鮭マヨ(Salmon with mayonnaise)』299 yen

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『ごま味噌鶏そぼろ(Sesame miso minced chicken)』299 yen

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『おかかチーズ(Dried bonito with cheese)』299 yen

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*Sample of packed onigiri

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『合鴨ロース(Roasted duck)』322 yen

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White rice shaped into triangles, cylinders, or cones and filled with various ingredients—onigiri (rice balls) are the soul food of Japan that everybody knows. That culture has spread through other countries as well, with some even experiencing a rice ball boom.

Japan is also in the midst of the rice ball boom, and a growing number of rice ball specialty stores are popping up around the country. In Himeji, Onigiri-ya Hitotsubu is a famous shop right outside the east ticket gate when you get off at Sanyo Shinkansen Himeji Station.

All of the ingredients are carefully selected, including Koshihikari rice grown in Japan, nori seaweed from Ariake, and pink salt from Pakistan. The menu has more than 30 items. Each rice ball is carefully formed only after receiving the order. Staff with a black pin on their chest are onigiri masters. You must try a rice ball formed by a master.

The number one classic favorite among foreign tourists is Salmon. The delicious taste and popularity of salmon are universal. Salmon with Mayonnaise is also popular. Roasted Duck, available in limited quantities, is a unique rice ball topped with duck steak. It is very filling, making it a great choice for times when you want to satisfy your hunger quickly.

If you want something distinctly Japanese, we recommend Spicy Cod Roe or Roasted Cod Roe! Generous amounts of spicy cod roe from Yamaya, a well-known store in Fukuoka renowned for its spicy cod roe, are used both inside and on top. Using fish eggs as an ingredient for a rice ball is the style of Japan. We hope you will try it at least once before leaving Japan!

The staff recommendation is surprisingly Dried Bonito Flakes with Cheese. This rice ball blends Japanese and Western elements, with the aroma of bonito flakes rising through the taste of Camembert cheese. The sweet and savory flavor is a big hit with people from both Japan and other countries.

With its convenient location right outside the Shinkansen bullet train exit and all its menus available in English, Korean, and Chinese, the Onigiri-ya Hitotsubu rice ball specialty shop is easy to pop by, no matter where you are from. If you crave a rice ball, be sure to visit this shop during your trip or at the end of your stay in Himeji.

2.maru.

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『ワビサビ(Wabi-Sabi)』750 yen /『ショコラフレーズ(Strawberry Chocolate Whipped Cream)』650 yen

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『ふわふわハニーカスタード(Honey Custard Whipped Cream)』500 yen

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『抹茶バナナスムージー(Matcha Banana Smoothie)』700 yen

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*Sample of Share Crepe

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When thinking of crepes, many people might picture a galette that you eat with a knife and fork. Japanese Crepes are usually cone-shaped and come wrapped in paper. A feature of this type is that you can eat it with one hand, like ice cream.

There are three crepe shops just around Himeji Station, but “maru.” stands out for its originality. It is located in the basement of Piole Himeji, a shopping center connected to JR Himeji Station.

The shop is particular about each ingredient, using an in-house developed crepe mix and seasonal fruit carefully selected from around Japan. What surprises Japanese people the most is the vibrant yellow color of the crepe, which resembles a full moon! A great feature is the wide variety of toppings and sauces available for you to customize your order.

The most popular flavor among foreign tourists is Wabi-Sabi. The blending of Japanese and Western styles is called wayo-setchu, and these crepes are a perfect example of that. It pairs Japanese elements like matcha ice cream, rice flour dumplings, and red bean paste with a Western-style crepe.

Another great choice is the Matcha Banana Smoothie, available exclusively at the “maru.” Himeji Store. The sweetness of the banana mellows the bitterness of the matcha, making it popular among children and people from overseas trying matcha for the first time. It is topped with ice cream to create a drink that you can enjoy like a dessert.

All crepes, except those on the premium menu, can be ordered as a Share Crepe, a service offered only by “maru.” that allows you to order single crepes split into half sizes. It is perfect for those who want to enjoy all types of food during their sightseeing journey.

3.Takomaru

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『たこ焼き中玉 タコ(Takoyaki Medium Size Octopas)』10pieces 390 yen each

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『だし付きたこ焼き(Takoyaki Medium Size Octopas with Soup)』10pieces 390 yen each

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『ふわとろたまごのせ(Scrambled eggs on Takoyaki)』10pieces 460 yen

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『たこせんたまご大(Big Octopus crackers with Eggs)』1piece 200yen

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One of Kansai’s specialties is takoyaki (octopus balls). A smooth dough made from flour, eggs, and broth, with small pieces of octopus mixed in, is baked into balls that are very popular in Japan. They are considered soul food that everyone, especially in Kansai, should have as part of a meal or as a snack.

In Himeji, Takomaru is a shop that sells authentic takoyaki. This well-established takoyaki shop has been loved by locals for over two decades. The kombu-seaweed broth, which is attentively made in-house, is what gives the dough its delicious, mildly sweet taste. They go great with the shop’s original blend sauce as well as spicy sauce.

A unique feature of this shop is that you can choose either octopus or beef tendon for the filling. Takoyaki filled with beef tendon cooked until soft is a unique take on the food and absolutely delicious.

The shop offers a range of unusual options, such as Akashiyaki-style takoyaki served with dipping broth, where you dip the balls in broth; takoyaki topped with fluffy scrambled eggs; and Takosen, a stall classic with the takoyaki sandwiched between shrimp-flavored rice crackers.

Try the taste of authentic takoyaki at the locals’ favorite shop!

4.Yamasa Kamaboko Otemaeten

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『城下町どっぐ(HIMEJI JD)』200 yen each

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『たこねぎ(Octopas＆Green onion)』270 yen each /『人気ぱっくん(Yamasa Best Selection)』1,512 yen

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『BOCO’s(Crab Flavored Surimi)』1pack 250 yen

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In Japan, there is a food called “surimi”, which is a paste made from mashed white fish. “Kamaboko” is made by heating surimi and then letting it cool and become firm. Yamasa Kamaboko was founded in 1916 and has been a leader in the “Himeji gourmet” market with its signature fish paste products.

Of the four directly operated shops in Himeji, the most popular among tourists is the “Otemaeten”. Located on Otemae-dori Street, which connects Himeji Station and Himeji Castle, it has long been loved by local residents as well. The signature product here is the “Jokamachi Dog”. It is also known by the nickname “Himeji JD”.

While its appearance resembles a normal corn dog, it’s an original Yamasa creation featuring kamaboko kneaded with generous amounts of cheese, and gently wrapped in dough with just a hint of sweetness. They taste especially good when they’re fresh out of the fryer! The soft texture paired with the cheesy kamaboko melting out from the inside creates a taste so exquisite that you can’t help but exclaim, “This is so good!”  It has a lot of foreign fans who often like to get one to go on their way to Himeji Castle, and then another one on the way back.

The tempura, which is always available in at least 15 varieties, is also a must-try when you stop by. If you ask, they will even give you freshly fried ones. Another item whose love transcends national borders is “Takonegi”, which means “octopus and green onion”. Generous helpings of chopped octopus are mixed into the surimi, resulting in tempura packed with umami flavor. Its incredibly chewy texture creates a crunching sound as you eat it, which only makes it more addictive.

If you’re unsure of what to get, ask for the Yamasa Best Selection, which offers a selection of the five most popular tempura items. You’re welcome to eat it on the terrace in front of the shop, or you can get them on skewers so you can enjoy them as you walk, or even take some back to your hotel for a late-night snack.

There’s also BOCO’s (Crab-Flavored Surimi), a snack made with crab-flavored kamaboko that had only been available at events until now, but as of spring 2024, it will be featured on the regular menu as a tasty treat to enjoy as you walk around Himeji!

English menus are also available, so you can order with confidence even if you don’t speak Japanese! On your way from the station to the castle, be sure to take the Otemae-dori Route and enjoy the journey with your “Himeji JD” in hand!

5.Kanmidokoro Kamakura

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『わらびもちバニラアイストッピング(2個入り)(Two pieces of Kamakura Warabimochi with Vanilla Ice Cream)』420 yen

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『濃厚葡萄ヨーグルトわらび餅ドリンク(Grape Yogurt with Warabimochi *exclusive to himeji store)』750 yen

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『かき氷(西尾のお抹茶)( Shaved ice (Nishio Matcha))』700 yen

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Have you ever heard of warabimochi? It is a very popular Japanese dessert known for its transparent color and soft, plump texture. It is a jelly-like confection made from bracken starch, which is derived from the wild bracken plant, or sometimes from gelatin. Beverages and desserts made with warabimochi are currently all the rage in Japan.

Kanmidokoro Kamakura is a specialty shop for warabimochi located on Miyuki-dori Street in the station-front shopping area. It is a popular chain with 50 branches nationwide, but this is the only one in Himeji. It is located along the street from Himeji Station to Himeji Castle, making it popular with foreign tourists who enjoy strolling towards the castle.

Their flagship product, Kamakura Warabimochi, is special for its blend of starch that includes domestically grown bracken, which is rare even in Japan. The chewy texture that melts in your mouth is its most impressive feature. When you stick it with a wooden pick and lift it straight upwards, it is so springy that it stretches all the way up! Another feature is the large size of each piece.

If you want to try it while walking, we recommend getting the option that comes with two pieces. If you choose Two Pieces of Kamakura Warabimochi with Vanilla Ice Cream, you can enjoy the delicious harmony of warabimochi and cold ice cream.

The Warabimochi drink, which features warabimochi in a beverage, and the shaved ice available only in summer are also popular choices. The most popular of the seven types of Warabimochi drinks is the Grape Yogurt with Warabimochi, which is exclusive to the Himeji store on Miyuki-dori Street. Thick grape juice, tasting as if it were made from freshly picked grapes, is perfectly paired with refreshing yogurt.

All menu items are also displayed in English, so you can feel confident even if you don’t speak any Japanese. How about popping in during a stroll around Himeji Station or when visiting Himeji Castle?

6.HIMEJI DANGO HOKKORISAN

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『おだんごドリンク(Rice cake latte green tea flavor / strawberry flavor)』650 yen each

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『姫路“大玉”炙りみたらし(Himeji Big Grilled Mitarashi Rice Cake)』350 yen per skewer

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『千乃彩り(Sen-no-irodori)』1set 1,500 yen / 1piece 300 yen

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HIMEJI DANGO HOKKORISAN is a shop specializing in dango, a type of Japanese rice dumpling, and is located about an 8-minute walk from Himeji Station. It is on Miyuki-dori Street, a historical shopping street that goes from Himeji Station to Himeji Castle.

At this shop, you can try fluffy freshly baked dango dumplings , which are hard to find in modern-day Japan. The freshly pounded and baked dumplings are so delicious that both foreign visitors and locals keep coming back for that exceptional taste. They are also popular for being easy to eat with one hand, and are perfect for a snack while sightseeing.

Their specialty is the Himeji Grilled Giant Mitarashi Dango. Dumplings lavishly topped with a sweet and savory sauce made by boiling down soy sauce and sugar are called “mitarashi dango” in Japanese. These dumplings are larger than usual, each one being about 1.5 to 2 times the size of regular dango! A set of three fills both your belly and your soul.

The unique Dango Latte, a drink topped with dumplings, is also a popular choice. It comes in green tea and strawberry flavors, with the green tea flavor being the most popular choice among people from overseas. You can taste the refreshing bitterness of matcha. Dipping the dumplings in the drink is also a great way to eat them.

Be sure to check out the Chocolate-flavored Dango, a new option that blends Japanese and Western elements!

The bright and cheery staff at this shop always greet you with a smile. They provide an English menu, so you can easily drop in for a Japanese dessert while sightseeing.

7.CRAFTBEER＆CAFE DINER KOGANE

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*Sample of Set menu

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『3種のきのこマリネ(Three Mushroom Marinade)』1,210 yen

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『淡路牛ボロネーゼ(Awaji Beef Bolognese)』 968 yen, 『MELLOW PALE ALE#3』Medium 1,160yen

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『Chug Chug Chug』Small 660 yen / Medium 1,050yen

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*Sample of Hot dog on beer

Otemae-dori Street stretches out in a straight line from Himeji Station towards Himeji Castle. Many tourists take this street to visit Himeji Castle, which towers in the distance about 1 km ahead. KOGANE, located on this street, is a craft beer brewery situated roughly halfway between the station and the castle.

Craft beer originated in the United States, but the number of breweries has been increasing in Japan as well. Among the four breweries in Himeji City, KOGANE is the closest to Himeji Castle. You can find all sorts of people there, some enjoying a beer while standing as they pop in for a drink during sightseeing and others hard at work with a beer in one hand during the daytime.

It sells six types of originally-crafted beer. It also offers three types of guest beers on tap, crafted by other breweries. All are available to go, and it is great to enjoy a beer outside while gazing at the castle in the distance. Foreign visitors are big fans of the light Chug Chug Chug and the refreshing JET IPA#4.

In mid-July 2024, the brewery began selling hot dogs that pair well with beer. To match the distinctive flavors of the beers at the brewery, the ingredients in the bread are also unique. All five items on the menu are made with bread baked at the city’s famous Coboto Bakery. Their Awaji Beef Bolognese, heaped with Awaji Beef, and the Three-Mushroom Marinade, both seasoned with Italian flavors, pair perfectly with the malt notes of the beer.

In addition to providing an English menu, staff who are fluent in English are available on some days to kindly assist customers, so you can enjoy your meal and conversation while receiving tourist information from locals. How about discovering your favorite Japanese craft beer at KOGANE, which has a different atmosphere at different times of day, acting as a standing bar for enjoying hot dogs and beer during the day and a beer restaurant for dining at night?

8.Koka Rice Flour Taiyaki Stand Himeji Castle Store

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『米粉たい焼き(Rice Flour Taiyaki)』200 yen

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『米粉たい焼き つぶあん(Rice Flour Taiyaki Tsubuan)』200 yen

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『チョコレート(Chocolate)』260 yen / 『カスタード(Custard)』230 yen /『つぶあん(Tsubuan)』200 yen

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Since ancient times, sea bream (tai) has often been used in Japan during celebrations as a symbol of good fortune, because the Japanese word tai is part of the lucky term medetai, meaning auspicious. Have you ever heard of taiyaki, the Japanese dessert shaped like a sea bream? It’s a cake baked in this distinctive shape and filled with red bean paste, custard, or other creamy fillings. It has long been cherished as a popular snack among common people in Japan.

They are generally sold in specialty taiyaki shops rather than in Japanese confectioneries or grocery stores, and there are about five specialty shops in front of Himeji Station as well. Among them, the Koka Rice Flour Taiyaki Stand Himeji Castle Store, which opened in April 2024, has been taking off among locals.

The main difference from regular taiyaki is the batter. It is typically made with wheat flour, but this shop uses only 100% domestically grown rice flour. The outside is crispy and aromatic, while the inside is soft and chewy. Features of rice flour taiyaki are that it stays chewy for a long time and is very filling.

The shop’s motto is “freshly baked,” and one of its appealing features is that it bakes the taiyaki only after receiving your order. The batter is poured into a custom-made mold with a ninja motif, followed by the addition of red bean paste or a creamy filling, and it is ready in about five minutes. Customers line up every day for piping hot just-baked taiyaki.

It comes in three flavors: Red Bean Paste, Custard, and Chocolate. The most popular choice is Red Bean Paste, the classic taiyaki flavor. The red bean paste at this stand is made of adzuki beans sourced from Tokachi, Hokkaido, a region renowned for its adzuki bean production, which features a refined taste that is not too sweet. They are designed to bring out the full-bodied flavor of the beans.

Meanwhile, Custard and Chocolate are very popular among foreign tourists! You are guaranteed to love the taste of the creamy filling overflowing from the hot pancake! How about making rice flour taiyaki, a rarity even in Himeji, a part of your memories from Himeji sightseeing?

9.Harimaya Chaho Himeji Castle Store

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『ミックスソフトクリーム(Matcha & Roasted Green Tea soft-serve ice cream)』600 yen

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『宇治抹茶パフェ(Matcha Pafait)』800 yen

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『オーガニック抹茶(Organic Matcha (sugar free))』600 yen

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Harimaya Chaho is a specialty Japanese tea shop that was established over 75 years ago. They sell various products made of Japanese tea and matcha with the hope of making Japanese tea feel more familiar. The Castle Store, located right in front of Himeji Castle, is based on the concept of a “Himeji green tea stand,” and it is so popular among people from overseas that there are days when none of the customers are Japanese.

The shop sells a wide variety of Japanese tea carefully selected from around the country, and you can also try desserts and drinks that are packed with premium matcha. The Soft Serve that lets you easily enjoy matcha is a major hit among tourists! The most popular is the Mixed Soft Serve , which features a swirl of rich, less-sweet matcha soft serve and aromatic hojicha (roasted green tea) soft serve.

As for drinks, Green Tea that mixes matcha with sugar to create a mellow flavor was popular, but recently sugar-free Organic Matcha has become more favorable among health-conscious foreign tourists. The rich flavor and aroma of matcha that can only be savored at a long-established Japanese tea shop will surely be memorable. Stop by for a break when visiting Himeji Castle.

English menus are also available, so you can order with confidence. Also be sure to check out the products the shop offers, such as tea leaves and tea bags, which make perfect souvenirs. If you have any questions about how to drink tea or the differences between types, feel free to ask the staff. They will be happy to assist you. The Japanese word used to describe the feeling of relaxing while drinking tea is “hokkori.” Enjoying a moment of hokkori after coming home is also nice.

10.Kushiyaki Kobe Beef

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『神戸牛の串焼き(WAGYU BEEF SKEWER)』2,400円

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『神戸ビーフバーガー(KOBE BEEF BURGER)』2,700円

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Kushiyaki Kobe Beef is a restaurant popular with foreign tourists, where you can easily enjoy Kobe Beef, a renowned brand of wagyu beef from Hyogo Prefecture. It is located in an area where you can admire the charming townscape and the castle close by. It promotes itself as a restaurant where you can quickly enjoy high-quality Kobe Beef at an affordable price, without worrying about a dress code, and where people of all ages, genders, and nationalities are welcome!

Kobe Beef is typically served as steak, but a unique feature of this restaurant is that it serves it on bamboo skewers, similar to yakitori (skewered chicken). Their specialty Kobe Beef Skewer is great for easily savoring high-quality meat in one hand while enjoying a stroll through the city.

The menu items only use 100% Kobe Beef purchased from a butcher in Kobe. The restaurant carefully selects fatty, marbled cuts of beef, such as chuck roll and sirloin, and cooks them to medium rare. The flavor and softness of the meat are maximized with professional techniques.

If you start craving a hamburger during your trip, try the Kobe Beef Burger. Sandwiched in the bun is a generous stack of thinly sliced steak strips, topped with a special steak sauce and cream cheese that create a harmonious and rich flavor. How about trying the restaurant’s specialty hamburger made of steak under the blue sky?