Hiroshima Yakitori Sakaba: Yakitori Near Nishi-Hiroshima
日本語版はこちら → https://ao-happy.net/hiroshima-yakitori-sakaba-nishi-hiroshima-ja/
In late September, a friend came to visit me in Hiroshima. Japan has a cluster of national holidays around that time, often called “Silver Week,” and the whole city was busy. For dinner we went to Hiroshima Yakitori Sakaba, a small yakitori bar right by JR Nishi-Hiroshima Station, a short walk from our Skyview Base. It is popular and usually full, but that evening we were lucky and got two seats. If you like yakitori, this is a place I would happily send you.
A small yakitori bar by Nishi-Hiroshima Station
Yakitori means skewers of chicken grilled over a fire, and a sakaba is a casual drinking place, so the name tells you exactly what to expect: Hiroshima’s yakitori bar. It sits on the ground floor of a building in Koi-honmachi, about one to two minutes on foot from JR Nishi-Hiroshima Station and two to three minutes from the Hiroden tram stop of the same name.
Inside, it is mainly a long counter facing the grill. There was also one table for four when we went. It is a narrow space, so it is not a place for a big group.
We even had a short chat with the guests sitting next to us. Making friends with people you have never met is what I love about counter seats.
So many kinds of yakitori on the menu
What I liked most was how many kinds of yakitori there are. There are so many items on the menu, so you can order a few at a time and compare them side by side. We tried many different skewers that night, and that was the fun of it.
For side dishes we ordered edamame and kimchi. You will notice a small cup on the counter labeled for empty edamame pods and used skewers. Small details like this show how thoughtful the staff are.
How to read the menu
All the menus are handwritten in Japanese, and there is no English menu. The good news is that yakitori menus follow a familiar pattern. Here are the chicken skewers on the table menu when we visited, with the Japanese so you can point. Menus change, so use this as a guide. Prices are on the menu at the shop.
| On the menu | Say | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 皮 | Kawa | Chicken skin |
| 鳥肝 | Tori-kimo | Chicken liver |
| ネギマ | Negima | Thigh and green onion |
| ズリ | Zuri | Gizzard (called zuri in western Japan) |
| つくね | Tsukune | Chicken meatball |
| セセリ | Seseri | Neck meat |
| 軟骨 | Nankotsu | Cartilage, crunchy |
| 鳥はつ | Tori-hatsu | Heart |
| はつもと | Hatsumoto | Heart root (a rarer cut) |
| ササミ梅肉 | Sasami ume | Chicken tenderloin with pickled plum |
| ササミチーズ | Sasami cheese | Chicken tenderloin with cheese |
| ぼんじり | Bonjiri | Tail meat, rich and juicy |
| 手羽先 | Tebasaki | Wing tip |
Beyond chicken, the same menu has pork, beef and seafood skewers, vegetables, bacon-wrapped rolls such as asparagus and cherry tomato, and rice dishes like grilled rice balls and ochazuke to finish. On the wall there was also a sign for an omakase set of eight skewers chosen by the shop, which is handy if you would rather not choose.
A true local izakaya
To me, this is what a local Hiroshima izakaya feels like. Handwritten menus cover the walls, the TV is on, and there is a big cut-out celebrating the 200 career wins of Hiroki Kuroda, one of the Hiroshima Carp’s most loved pitchers. During baseball season, expect the Carp game on TV.
Before you go
It is a popular place and there are usually many people. With a small group, you may be able to get in. In my experience, it is relatively less crowded early in the evening, so I would aim for a visit soon after it opens.
A few practical points from Tabelog, Japan’s big restaurant review site: reservations are accepted, cards and e-money are listed as not accepted, so bring cash, and smoking is allowed at all seats. Sources disagree on closing days, so call ahead if you plan a Monday visit. The staff probably speak only Japanese, so pointing at the menu table above works well.
| Name | 広島やきとり酒場 (Hiroshima Yakitori Sakaba) |
|---|---|
| Address | Okada Bldg 105, 1-13-6 Koi-honmachi, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima |
| Hours | 17:00–23:00 (last order 22:30), per the sign in the shop |
| Closed | Sundays. Tabelog also lists Mondays as closed. |
| Phone | 082-273-1441 (Japanese) |
| Seats | Mainly counter, plus one table for four |
| Payment | Cash recommended (Tabelog lists cards and e-money as not accepted) |
| Smoking | Allowed at all seats (per Tabelog) |
| English menu | None |
Getting there
The shop is about one to two minutes on foot from JR Nishi-Hiroshima Station and two to three minutes from the Hiroden Nishi-Hiroshima tram stop. It is just a few doors from Okiu, the set-lunch spot I wrote about. Times below are rough estimates: walking time to the stop, plus the ride, plus the walk to the shop. Waiting time is not included.
| From | Route | Approx. time |
|---|---|---|
| Ao’s Skyview Base (Koi) | Walk about 5 min to JR Nishi-Hiroshima Station, then 1–2 min to the shop | About 5–10 min |
| Ao’s Retreat Base (Ushita) | Walk 6 min to Ushita-minami bus stop, bus No.5 to Hiroshima Station (12 min), JR Sanyo Line to Nishi-Hiroshima (about 10 min, plus about 5 min to change), walk 1–2 min | About 35–40 min |
| Peace Memorial Park | Hiroden tram Line 2 from Genbaku-Dome-mae to Hiroden Nishi-Hiroshima (about 18 min), walk 2–3 min | About 20–25 min |
| Hiroshima Station | JR Sanyo Line to Nishi-Hiroshima (about 10 min), walk 1–2 min | About 10–15 min |
A short walk home
Because it is so close to my place, we walked home after dinner and had a few more drinks there. The next morning, we could see the sunrise from the living room. If you stay at Ao’s Skyview Base, this is an easy dinner on the way back from the station.
If you are planning more food stops, I have also written about 45 bis Awa, a charcoal yakitori spot in the city center known for its overflowing sparkling wine.
