Onigiri Showcasing the Flavors of the Okitama Region

Yamasai

Tabiiro’s picks: signature dishes

An indulgent onigiri made with "Yonezawa Beef" and "Benibana Eggs"

Generously made with branded "Yonezawa Beef" selected by a professional butcher

"Yonezawa Beef Sukitama" made with rice cooked in a traditional hagama pot

Gourmet onigiri freshly shaped right before your eyes

Rich Egg and Savory Beef Flavors in "Yonezawa Beef Sukitama"

"Yonezawa Beef Sukitama" is an onigiri that highlights the savory flavor of branded "Yonezawa Beef," reflecting the expertise of a butcher-operated specialty shop. Its key seasoning is the secret warishita sukiyaki sauce used by "Niku no Asahiya" since the business was founded. The balanced sweet-savory flavor complements the beef and pairs well with rice cooked in a traditional hagama pot. The egg is a "Benibana Egg" from "Yamada Garden Farm" in the nature-rich Okitama area of Yamagata, where the chickens are raised on feed that includes safflower, Yamagata's prefectural flower. The rich egg and savory beef come together in a substantial onigiri.

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  Brand-Name Yonezawa Beef Selected by Meat Experts

  "Niku no Asahiya," a butcher with direct purchasing rights at the Yonezawa Beef Carcass Market, uses its professional expertise to select branded "Yonezawa Beef" for its onigiri fillings. Served in the familiar form of onigiri, the beef offers an approachable way to experience the distinctive flavor of "Yonezawa Beef" selected by a meat specialist.

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  A Secret Recipe Passed Down Since the Shop's Founding

  The secret warishita sukiyaki sauce, passed down since the founding of "Niku no Asahiya," has a sweet-savory flavor that brings out the umami of branded "Yonezawa Beef." It also pairs especially well with the rich "Benibana Egg."

Popular pairings

"Chieko Miso" with a nostalgic flavor

A grandmother's recipe created to make the most of every ingredient

A ground pork filling with burdock root and other ingredients

"Chieko Miso"

"Chieko Miso," used as an onigiri filling at the shop, is a family recipe created by Chieko, the grandmother of the third-generation owner of "Niku no Asahiya," the butcher behind "Yamasai." It began as a way to make use of mountain ingredients and homegrown vegetables by combining them with miso. Based on seasoned ground pork, it also includes burdock root, maitake mushrooms, shiso, walnuts, and shishito peppers, bringing a range of textures and flavors. The richness of the miso, savory pork, and flavors of the vegetables and mushrooms pair well with rice, and its nostalgic taste has also made it popular.

Must-try signature dish

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  "Yamasai Miso Soup"

  "Yamasai Miso Soup" features seasonal ingredients that change throughout the year. In spring, "Sansai Soup" is filled with mountain vegetables; summer brings the Yamagata specialty "Hiyajiru (Chilled Soup)"; fall features "Imoni" made with taro and other harvest vegetables; and winter brings "Tonjiru (Pork Miso Soup)," with the flavors of meat and vegetables infused into the broth. Each season offers a different taste of Yamagata.

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  "Tawara Inari"

  The mildly seasoned "Tawara Inari" is available in limited quantities each day. Rice flavored with a sweet-savory dashi is wrapped in barrel-shaped fried tofu pouches, a style long made in the Okitama area of Yamagata Prefecture. Different from freshly made onigiri, it offers an easy way to experience a traditional local food.

Restaurant highlights

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  Onigiri with Hagama-Cooked Rice That Gently Separates with Each Bite

  Each day, the rice is cooked in a traditional hagama pot using the shop's own blend, centered on Yumegokochi rice from the local contract farm "Kurosawa Farm." Ingredients are chosen with equal attention, including "Sakata no Shio" salt from Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture, and nori from Ariake. The onigiri are shaped so that the rice gently comes apart in the mouth with each bite.

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  Onigiri Reflecting Yamagata's Food Culture

  Made with an emphasis on local ingredients, the onigiri offer more than just classic fillings. Limited-time varieties featuring seasonal vegetables are another highlight. Traditional foods and ingredients long enjoyed in the Okitama region of Yamagata Prefecture, such as "Cucumber Tsukudani" (simmered cucumber) and "Goshiki Natto" (a fermented soybean dish), are also offered in the easy-to-enjoy form of onigiri.

Interior

Traditional charm enhanced with modern comfort

A warm space with the charm of a traditional Japanese folk house

A dining experience with time to relax and unwind

An interior with striking pillars and walls that reflect its history

A distinctive counter finished with ochre-colored tiles

The interior retains traces of the original building while incorporating ochre-colored tiled counters and modern furnishings, blending traditional character with contemporary comfort. From the windows, diners can look out over the peaceful rural scenery typical of Yamagata while enjoying freshly made onigiri in a renovated traditional house, making the setting and landscape part of the dining experience.

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  A Traditional Hagama Rice Pot That Stands Out in the Shop

  Located inside a shared space created by renovating an atmospheric sake brewery building about 250 years old, the shop features a traditional hagama pot that immediately catches the eye. High-quality rice grown by local farmers is cooked in the hagama each day, bringing out its full flavor. Each onigiri is shaped to order, offering a simple way to experience the taste of Yamagata-grown rice.

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  Freshly Made Onigiri in a Traditional Japanese Folk House

  "Yamasai" is located inside the renovated traditional-house shared space "Tsurunoko TSURUNOCO." Onigiri can be enjoyed at the counter inside the shop or taken to the facility's "Community Hall" or "Terrace," where food and drinks are permitted. Surrounded by the character of the historic building, the onigiri made with an abundance of Yamagata ingredients offer an especially memorable way to enjoy the flavors of the prefecture.

From the Tabiiro Editorial Team

This onigiri shop showcases the flavors of the region through ingredients from the Okitama area of Yamagata Prefecture, including branded "Yonezawa Beef." High-quality rice grown by local farmers is cooked in a traditional hagama pot, then shaped into onigiri one by one. The setting in a renovated traditional house surrounded by peaceful countryside is another highlight. It is an inviting stop on a trip to experience Yamagata through its food.