Yamasa Kamaboko is a kamaboko (蒲鉾) specialty shop. Founded in 1916, Yamasa Kamaboko has grown to become one of the largest Kamaboko manufacturers in western Japan. Their shop in Himeji offers a wide variety of age-kamaboko (揚げ蒲鉾) with a variety of ingredients and flavors. It’s not easy to find a kamaboko specialty shop, so don’t miss out on this one.
The shop is more of a takeaway stand than a dine-in shop, so you can buy some items in the shop, and sit at the benches to consume them, before returning the wrappers to the shop. The fried kamaboko don’t actually have a crispy coating, so expect a soft, jelly-like texture, and the savory saltiness of seafood as you bite into these fried fish cakes. There’s some simple, yet addictive about the taste, and it’s easy to see why kamaboko are a popular ingredient in home cooking in Japan.