Have you ever heard the name Meister Kobo Yachiyo? It's a shop, known to those in the know, whose rolled sushi is hugely popular! Don't assume all rolled sushi is the same. This one is so delicious and popular that you can't get it without a reservation. But this shop has a rather unusual origin story. This time we introduce Meister Kobo Yachiyo and its specialty rolled sushi.

What Is Meister Kobo Yachiyo?

A shop featured many times in the media, popular for rolled sushi that requires a wait of several months even with a reservation. It is located in Yachiyo, Taka Town, in the central part of Hyogo Prefecture. Although it is in a region called Kitaharima, set in the mountains and by no means a bustling place, it is so popular that many people come from far away specifically to buy its rolled sushi.

It started when local women who originally made pickles and other items from regional vegetables wanted to "provide a place where elderly people could gather and drink tea," and created a tea room. The rolled sushi made in that tea room gradually gained a reputation.

As the Meister Kobo Yachiyo website also says, "Welcome to the countryside convenience store," the representative, Ms. Fujiwara, reportedly wanted to create a convenience-store-like shop because the area had no convenience stores. A place that fit the countryside yet was convenient and where everyone could gather—its reputation led to it being featured in newspapers as a "farm-village convenience store," and eventually commercial TV stations came to cover it. From then on, day by day, it became known throughout Japan.

The Menu and the Specialty Rolled Sushi

The menu at Meister Kobo Yachiyo includes mushroom tsukudani, mushroom mustard pickles, mountain-village croquettes, ohagi, doughnuts, okaki, and various other regional and seasonal items, but the popular ones are the rolled sushi and mackerel sushi.
Among them, the most popular by far is the rolled sushi "Amafune Makizushi."

Each and every roll is handmade by the local mothers. They begin preparations from the middle of the night, cooking the rice and so on, and even on weekdays more than 1,000 rolls—and on holidays more than 1,700 rolls—sell out by midday, such is its popularity.

Amafune Makizushi contains rolled omelet, cucumber, kanpyo, shiitake, and koya-dofu (freeze-dried tofu). Out of dedication to local ingredients, even the rice is from Hyogo. It is so juicy that the simmering broth of the koya-dofu oozes out, never cloyingly sweet, and the cucumber—used in halves—refreshes the palate.

Within the soft texture, the assertive cucumber brings a change of bite, so you never tire of it and want to eat it again and again. This exquisite balance is the appeal. It lacks the flashiness of seafood rolls, but its simple flavor puts those who eat it at ease. They never neglect efforts that consider the eater and make the most of local specialties, such as devising the nori so it is easy to bite through.

They also make efforts not to waste ingredients: the fresh, juicy part of the cucumber is used in the rolled sushi, while the firm skin is processed into jam and the like. Any leftover parts are somehow processed deliciously and used up entirely. This echoes the ingenuity of a mother who made furikake from the kelp used to take dashi. Perhaps it is precisely because this rolled sushi is born of a warm "heart," like a mother's thoughtfulness, that it captivates so many palates.

If you're lucky you can buy it even if you go on the day, but it often sells out by midday. If you want to be sure of eating the hugely popular Amafune Makizushi, it's best to reserve by the day before.

The Price of Meister Kobo Yachiyo's Sushi

Now, as for the prices you may be curious about at Meister Kobo Yachiyo, the "Amafune Makizushi" was 700 yen per roll around 2019, but by 2021 it had become 800 yen per roll.

Also, the equally popular mackerel sushi changes in price depending on its contents: "Se / Hara (back/belly)" is 1,200 yen, "Toku (special)" is 1,500 yen, and "Dai (large)" is 1,700 yen.

Besides these, there is "Sake Sushi (salmon)" at 1,300 yen and "Anakyu Maki" at 750 yen, as well as the somewhat unusual "Choi-waru Oyaji Maki" at 750 yen, "Mukashi Otome no Hatsukoi Maki" at 750 yen, and "Mukashi Otome no Shitsuren Maki" at 750 yen.

All prices include tax, but they may change, so when you go to buy, please check directly with the shop in advance.

So Many Local Menu Items That Stir the Heart!

Businesses started by people who love their hometown often find it difficult to continue, but Meister Kobo Yachiyo only grows more vibrant by the day.
Besides the rolled sushi—of which 1,800 rolls reportedly sold in a single day at Setsubun—there are many delicious regional and seasonal menu items, so if you go nearby on a trip, be sure to give them a try.

Meister Kobo Yachiyo

Address: 46-1 Nakamura, Yachiyo-ku, Taka-cho, Taka-gun, Hyogo Prefecture
Phone: 0795-30-5516
Website: http://www.hari-hari.com/sg-meister.html
Access: About 40 minutes from the Takino-Yashiro Interchange or Kasai Interchange on the Chugoku Expressway
Closed: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Hours: 9:00–16:00 (specialty products shop) / 8:30–16:00 (tea room)
*On some days only reserved sales are handled. Also, hours and closed days may change, so it is recommended to confirm by phone before going. Note that mail order is not available.