Hiroshima Okonomiyaki Monogatari Station Square

Hiroshima Okonomi-Monogatari Ekimae Hiroba is located on the sixth floor of a building just a three-minute walk from the south exit of JR Hiroshima Station. It is a retro food-stall village inspired by the late 1960s to early 1970s, where 15 okonomiyaki specialty shops gather in a food-court-style setting. When people think of okonomiyaki, Osaka-style often comes to mind, but Hiroshima has the highest number of okonomiyaki restaurants per capita in Japan and rivals Osaka as a fierce battleground for this iconic dish. Unlike Osaka-style, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is cooked without mixing the ingredients into the batter; instead, the batter is spread thin like a crepe and used as a lid to steam the fillings. The use of Chinese noodles and finely shredded bean sprouts is also characteristic. Ekimae Hiroba features many shops offering creative and unique takes rather than strictly traditional styles. Highlights include "Denko Sekka," famous for its dome-shaped okonomiyaki, "Sozo," which serves okonomiyaki topped with grated daikon radish, and the 30-year-old local favorite "Otama no Kyabetsu." Each shop has its own personality, making it fun to visit several and find a favorite. Families and groups of 5 to 16 people can also use rental booths where they can cook okonomiyaki themselves under instructor guidance.