Kashiminyaki is a riff on okonomiyaki with a few key differences. Beef fat is added to the recipe to give it an unctuous sweetness. Chicken is a key ingredient, and egg is watered down to make a thin batter. The result is a lighter version of okonomiyaki which may be considered by some as a healthier option. They also offer a dish unique to the restaurant called Tokubetsu Sogetsuyaki, in which the batter is made of three whole eggs and the final dish has a close appearance and texture to a quiche. Both dishes can be customized to have a base ingredient to your liking, whether it is a meat option such as beef or pork, or a seafood option such as shrimp, squid, or oyster. Flour is not used in the batter for either dish making them both good gluten-free options.

While okonomiyaki is often made by diners as a type of food experience, the two specialty dishes are complicated to cook, and the current owner is the only person in the restaurant trained to complete this task. The best way to sample these dishes is to book your order in advance to ensure that the owner is available. But don’t be shy about asking the staff to make one for you even if you stop by without a reservation!

Tenshoji Temple is a must-see for its unusual story. During the Tensho period (1573-1592), nearby Kishiwada Castle was surrounded by enemies and at risk of falling. Allegedly, a Buddhist monk riding a large octopus, accompanied by thousands of other octopi, appeared out of nowhere, knocking down enemy soldiers to save the castle. Several days after this event, a damaged jizo statue (a Buddhist guardian deity) was discovered in the castle moat, and was subsequently placed inside the castle for safekeeping. The same statue was then moved to Tenshoji Temple in the Bunroku period (1592-1596), where it remains to this day. As a result, the temple is nicknamed the “Tako-jizo” Temple, since tako means “octopus” in Japanese. Various depictions of octopi can be found around the temple complex, such as on the votive tablets visitors write their wishes on. It is also an unwritten rule that visitors to the temple should not eat any dishes containing octopus within a few days of their visit.

The Kishiwada Danjiri Festival is a famous festival in which wooden floats called danjiri are pulled through narrow city streets by participants from 80 neighborhoods. The festival is divided by district, and held twice a year—once in mid-September and again in early October. Why not pay a visit to the Kishiwada Danjiri Hall, a museum dedicated to the festival’s history and traditions?

A final highlight of the walking tour is Kishiwada Castle, believed to have been originally constructed in 1334. In 1585, Hidemasa Koide (1539-1604), the uncle of Hideyoshi Toyotomi (1537-1598)—a famous warlord, and one of the unifiers of Japan—was appointed lord of the castle, and constructed the keep into a five-story structure. Several changes in ownership followed, before a lighting strike in 1827 burned down the castle. The current structure is a three-story building constructed in 1954, with exhibition rooms and an observation deck offering views of the city.

For information on a tour of Kishiwada Castle and surrounding cultural sights, please contact the Senshu Japan Concierge Team.