Mihara: Octopus Cuisine and Historic Castle Town Charm

Mihara: A Castle Town Where Seto Inland Sea Octopus Culture Thrives

Mihara City in Hiroshima Prefecture is a castle town famous for dishes using octopus raised in the rich fishing grounds of the Seto Inland Sea. The "Mihara Yassa Festival" held every October is a traditional summer festival dating back to the Edo period, with Yassa dancing enlivening the streets.

Octopus Dishes of Mihara

Known as the "Town of Octopus," Mihara offers various octopus dishes including octopus rice, octopus tempura, octopus rice balls, and octopus with wasabi. Restaurants around JR Mihara Station and fresh fish markets also sell live octopus and processed products.

Mihara Castle Ruins

The ruins of the naval castle built in 1567 by Kobayakawa Takakage, son of Mori Motonari, remain as "Mihara Castle Ruins." The unusual structure has JR Mihara Station's platform overlapping what was once the main castle enclosure, and you can view the Seto Inland Sea from the castle tower platform ruins.

Mihara Yassa Festival

The Yassa Festival held in August is a Bon dance festival where citizens dance to the chant "yassa, yassa." It is popular as a participatory festival where both locals and tourists can dance together.

Access

JR Mihara Station is also a Shinkansen stop, making access from Hiroshima and Okayama convenient. Tourist spots are concentrated around the station, making half-day sightseeing possible.