Photo: Taisyo / CC BY 3.0Hiroshima okonomiyaki is layered, not mixed: a thin crepe, a mound of cabbage and bean sprouts, pork, noodles and egg, topped with a sweet-sharp sauce. Okonomi-mura is the building that holds the best-known counters in one place. A consumer travel guide describes it as a multi-storey block of more than twenty counters at Shintenchi, formed from post-war stalls and rebuilt as a high-rise in 1992.
You choose a counter, sit at the hot plate, and watch it cooked in front of you. Each counter has its own cook and its own rules, so go with the line rather than the guidebook. It is a lunch rather than a sightseeing stop.
The catch: this is not a spot with an official website we could read today, and counters keep their own days off, so something will be shut. Pointing at the menu may be needed. If you would rather have a sure thing, Mitchan Sohonten operates inside Orizuru Tower beside the Dome.
Five things the plaques won't tell you
- Choose a counter that is open when you arrive; hours and days off differ counter by counter.
- Order the local style with noodles in the layers (soba, or udon at some counters); pork and egg are the standard filling.
- Expect to sit at a counter around a hot plate; carry cash in case a counter does not take cards (unverified).
- Mitchan Sohonten has a branch in Orizuru Tower beside the Dome (per the tower's floor guide) if you want to eat without leaving the Peace Park area.
- From the Hondori or Hatchobori tram stops it is a short walk; a travel guide gives 6 minutes from Hatchobori.
It is a lunch rather than a sightseeing stop.
Guided days from Hiroshima
Booked before you sail — there is no tour desk at the pier. Booking through these links supports the site.
5.0★ · 9119 reviewsPeaceful Hiroshima & Miyajima UNESCO 1 Day Bus Tour
From US$126.
Why we list it →
4.9★ · 1572 reviewsHiroshima & Miyajima in 1 Day: Private Tour, Licensed Guide
From US$200.
Why we list it →
5.0★ · 1035 reviewsHiroshima Peace (Heiwa) Walking Tour at World Heritage Sites
From US$88.
Why we list it →More in Hiroshima
Questions people ask here
What is Okonomi-mura?
A multi-storey building at Shintenchi, near Hondori, with more than twenty okonomiyaki counters, each with its own hours and days off. A consumer guide says it began as post-war stalls and became a high-rise in 1992.
How do I get from the Hiroshima cruise port to Okonomi-mura?
Take the Hiroden tram from Ujina to Hondori (about 31–37 minutes, ¥240, no change, per a route search) and walk. The exact walk is unverified; a guide gives 6 minutes from Hatchobori.
How is Hiroshima okonomiyaki different from Osaka's?
Osaka mixes the cabbage into the batter. Hiroshima layers it, with noodles, over a thin crepe. Both cities are firm that theirs is correct.