When it comes to food in Obihiro, "butadon" (pork rice bowl) is a popular choice.

The restaurant we'd like to introduce today is "Obihiro Hageten Main Store," which exudes the elegance of a long-established business.

This restaurant specializes in tempura, local cuisine, and pork bowls, all made with plenty of ingredients from Hokkaido.

Let's get started!

Table of Contents:
1. What is "Hageten," founded in 1934?
2. Obihiro's specialty: Pork rice bowl
3. Hageten Main Store's Popular Menu Items
4. The Life Story of Hageten
5. The taste of Hageten that crossed the sea.
6. Access to Obihiro Hageten Main Store
Final thoughts

Obihiro Hageten Main Store is a tempura and local cuisine restaurant that was founded in 1934.
This long-established restaurant continues to uphold the founder's passion for delicious food.

Apparently, when the business first started, they sold tempura and oden from a food cart.

The sign for Hageten features a portrait of the first owner, Shōroku Yano. It's a heartwarming illustration that welcomes you in.

2-1 The origin of Obihiro's specialty, Butadon (pork rice bowl)

The connection between Obihiro and pork rice bowls is long-standing, dating back to the pioneering era (1883).

It is said that the first settlement in Obihiro was in 1883, when Benzo Yoda and his company, Banseisha, brought four pigs with them to Oberiberi (then Shimo-Obihiro, later Obihiro) from Matsuzaki City, Shizuoka Prefecture, to develop the area.

As they began clearing land and embarking on the path of agriculture, at that time, cows were distinguished as providing milk, horses as providing horsepower, and pigs as providing food.
Apparently, Obihiro, a place where people didn't eat beef, gradually became a region where people ate pork.

Butadon (pork rice bowl) originated in the early Showa period. In an era when pork, soy sauce, and sugar were all extremely precious, it is said that a chef at the time, inspired by "grilled eel," experimented and perfected the recipe, which marked the beginning of Butadon's popularity.

Decades have passed since then. Butadon, a specialty of Obihiro that took root along with the pioneering spirit, has now become an indispensable part of the food culture of Tokachi Obihiro.

Image source: "Obihiro Hageten Main Store"

2-2 Obihiro Hageten's "Pork Bowl"

One of the people who helped popularize Butadon (pork rice bowl) from its early days was Shohoku Yano, the first owner of "Obihiro Hageten."

After much trial and error, Mr. Shoroku created the "pork bowl sauce." This secret sauce has been passed down through the second and third generations.

Hageten's pork bowl uses only the finest cuts of meat from a single Hokkaido-raised pig, which is nurtured in the harsh climate and blessed with abundant nature in Hokkaido.

At Hageten, we carefully grill each piece of our specially selected pork over a charcoal grill at a high temperature of 850℃.

 Image source: "Obihiro Hageten Main Store"

The grilled pork rice bowl is so tender you can tear it apart with chopsticks, and you can savor the rich, authentic flavor of the meat. Truly top-notch!

Our "Pork Bowl Sauce" is made with carefully selected ingredients and a strong emphasis on safety. It contains absolutely no thickening agents, polysaccharides, or preservatives.
Made using traditionally brewed soy sauce, sugars, and natural umami, all using safe, natural ingredients.

We don't mass-produce; we make everything by hand, preserving the traditional, additive-free taste.

Hageten Main Store offers a wide variety of dishes, including tempura, local cuisine, and pork bowls.
We asked about their most popular menu items!

[Tempura rice bowl]

A tempura rice bowl topped with shrimp, seafood, and several kinds of vegetables.

[Pork Bowl]

This traditional flavor remains beloved by the locals of Tokachi and Obihiro to this day.

Our meat is grilled to perfection, using a secret sauce that has been passed down for over 70 years, resulting in a fragrant and juicy finish.
The balance between the sauce and the meat is exquisite, making you want to eat more and more rice.

Pork rice bowls are popular with people from overseas as well. On the day I visited for the interview, people were ordering them by simply saying "Pork."

[Ten-san Bento]

Bento box with tempura, sashimi, simmered dishes, and grilled dishes (with dessert)

[Shohoku Bento]

A bento box named after the first generation owner, Shoroku. Includes tempura, sashimi, simmered dishes, grilled dishes, and a mini kongo (with dessert).

[Tempura rice bowl]

This kakiage donburi (tempura rice bowl) is luxuriously packed with about ten different ingredients, including asparagus, salmon, maitake mushrooms, crab, shrimp, scallops, corn, shimeji mushrooms, chikuwa (fish cake), and nagaimo (Japanese yam).
The batter is crispy! You can fully enjoy the flavor of each individual ingredient.

*The ingredients for the kakiage donburi (tempura rice bowl) may vary depending on the season.

Apparently, many customers comment that the food is delicious!
The kakiage donburi comes with a small amount of sauce already on it, but you can add more to your liking. The sauce is delicious! I could eat a whole bowl of rice with just the sauce.

It has the reassuring and luxurious feel you expect from a long-established store, and the interior is very clean.

We have tatami seating, table seating, and counter seating.
The spacious and tranquil atmosphere makes it a great place to relax and unwind.

The first thing that caught my eye when I sat down at the table was a small booklet (autobiography) called "Hageten Ichidaiki" (The Life Story of Hageten).

This is a compilation of "Hageten Ichidaiki," a series written by the first generation Shohoku Yano and serialized in the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper for three and a half years starting in 1968.

The story, told through manga and text, is a bright, humorous, and fast-paced tale of pre-war times over 80 years ago, including memories of his apprenticeship. I found myself completely engrossed in reading it.

When you visit Hageten, please take your time to read this.

For over 80 years, Obihiro Hageten has remained committed to selecting the finest ingredients, upholding the teachings of its first owner, Shoroku Yano, who said, "To make delicious food, it's sometimes necessary to take a loss."

In July 2016, the first overseas store opened in Hong Kong.
You can enjoy a wide variety of dishes, from tempura to local cuisine.

Apparently, some customers from Hong Kong become fans of Hageten and even come all the way to our main store in Obihiro.
Hageten's Japanese cuisine is now being passed down across the seas.

"Obihiro Hageten Main Store"
HP)http://www.obihiro-hageten.com
Address: 5, Nishi 1-jo Minami 10-chome, Obihiro City, Hokkaido
　Approximately 5 minutes on foot from the north exit of Obihiro Station, next to Kita no Yatai.
Business hours: 11:00 AM - 21:00 PM (Last order 20:30 PM)
Closed on irregular days
Phone) 0155-23-4478

Final thoughts

"Hageten Main Store" is a restaurant that will satisfy the stomachs and hearts of those who want to eat tempura, pork bowls, and a variety of other dishes!

A blissful moment awaits you as you savor the exquisite Japanese cuisine that only a long-established restaurant in Tokachi, Hokkaido can offer!

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