Okayama Barazushi is a beautifully arranged dish featuring fresh seafood from the Seto Inland Sea Sea and seasonal vegetables. This local dish is packed with the charm of Okayama , offering an abundance of both mountain and sea delicacies. Here are some restaurants around JR Okayama Station where you can easily enjoy Okayama Barazushi while sightseeing.
2026.07.17-
Table of Contents
- What is "Okayama Barazushi"?
- 1. ADUMA ZUSHI, Sun Station Terrace Okayama
- 2. Fukuzushi Main Store
- 3. Yozushi, Tenmaya Okayama Main Store Basement Shop
- 4. Ekiben (train station bento box) "Momotaro Festival Sushi"
- summary
What is "Okayama Barazushi"?
Okayama Barazushi, also known as Matsurizushi or Bizen Barazushi, is a local dish from Okayama that is made for festivals, celebrations, and when entertaining guests. During the Edo period, Ikeda Mitsumasa, the first lord of the Bizen Okayama domain, issued a decree to abstain from extravagance, stating that "commoners should eat only one soup and one dish." The common people rebelled against this, arguing that if fish and vegetables were used as sushi toppings, they would no longer be considered side dishes to eat with rice. It is said that this is how "barazushi" began, with fish and vegetables placed on top of rice. It's one of my favorite stories that is so typical of Okayama.
In those days, sushi rice was packed into a tub-shaped container, and more than 10 kinds of seasoned vegetables and seafood were added and mixed together before eating. The types of fish and vegetables used as ingredients varied depending on the household and region. In addition to Spanish mackerel and silver-stripe round herring, which are representative ingredients of Okayama, other seafood such as conger eel, mussels, and shrimp were also sometimes included, as well as bamboo shoots and burdock root. Incidentally, the difference between "bara sushi" and the similar dish "chirashi sushi" is that "bara sushi" is made by mixing finely chopped ingredients with vinegared rice, while "chirashi sushi" is made by scattering ingredients on top of vinegared rice.
1. ADUMA ZUSHI, Sun Station Terrace Okayama
Founded in 1912 (Meiji 45), Azuma Sushi has been serving Okayama 's signature flavors for over 100 years. You can enjoy their Okayama Barazushi at their Sun Station Sun Station Terrace Okayama branch, directly connected to Okayama Station. When you order, the chefs at the counter will carefully arrange and serve it for you. It also comes with a red miso soup made with Yellow Chives (Okayama Specialty) , an Okayama ingredient, which you can also enjoy. Takeaway bento boxes are also sold at the entrance of the store. Please note that the red miso soup is not included with the bento boxes. Okayama Barazushi: 2,300 yen. *Takeaway is the same price.
[ADUMA ZUSHI, Sun Station Terrace Okayama]
Location: 2nd floor of Sunste Okayama Prefecture , Sun Station Terrace Okayama Ekimae-cho, Kita-ku , Okayama City Kita Ward
TEL: 086-227-7337
Opening hours: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM (Last order 9:30 PM)
Closed on: None
Parking: None
2. Fukuzushi Main Store
Located on the west side of JR Okayama Station is the Hokancho Shopping Street. As you walk down the street leading to the shopping street, you'll see "Fukuzushi Honten," a renowned restaurant specializing in sushi and local cuisine. Here you can enjoy authentic "Bizen Bara Sushi." Reservations are required at least three business days in advance, so this time we'll introduce "Okayama Chirashi," a more casual version of bara sushi. At this restaurant, the chefs prepare the food behind the counter after you order. The ingredients are already seasoned, so you can enjoy it as is. The overall flavor is mild, making it easy for anyone to enjoy. "Okayama Chirashi" is 2,750 yen.
[Fukuzushi Main Store]
Location: 2-16-17 Okayama Prefecture, Kita Kita Ward, Okayama City, Hokancho
TEL: 086-252-2402
Opening hours: Lunch 11:30-14:00 (last entry 13:30), Dinner 17:00-21:00 (last entry 20:00)
Closed: Mondays, the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesdays, and Sunday evenings.
Parking: 2 spaces (behind the store)
3. Yozushi, Tenmaya Okayama Main Store Basement Shop
Tenmaya is a department store located in the Omotecho Shopping Street. In its basement food hall, "Tenchika（Tenmaya Basement Food Floor）," is "Yoru Sushi Tenmaya Main Store Basement Branch." This is a take-out only shop. It's recommended if you want to enjoy your meal at your leisure after returning to your hotel.
There are two types of bara sushi: regular bara sushi and Okayama Barazushi . The difference lies in the amount of fish used. Okayama Barazushi allows you to enjoy local Okayama ingredients such as mamakari, so I chose that one this time. When I asked the staff why they were the "second best restaurant in Okayama," they replied, "Because the best is the home-style cooking made by the owner's mother and wife." It was a heartwarming story. A soup is also served as a complimentary dish, so it's a very satisfying meal. Okayama Barazushi costs 1,998 yen.
[Nighttime Sushi Tenmaya Main Store Basement Branch]
Location: Basement floor of Okayama Store, 2-1-1 Omotecho, Kita Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture
TEL: 086-231-7749
Opening hours: 10:00 - 19:30
Closed during the New Year holidays.
Parking: Available ( Okayama Tenmaya parking lot)
4. Ekiben (train station bento box) "Momotaro Festival Sushi"
If you're looking for something to eat on the train ride home from your trip, how about a bento box from the station? "Momotaro no Matsuri Sushi," sold at " Tabibento Ekiben Nigiwai Station Sun Station Terrace Okayama South Building, is a famous bento box that I've eaten many times myself. The peach-shaped container is adorable, and in the past, people used to wash and reuse it after finishing the meal.
As this is a bento box sold at train stations, the flavor is a little stronger compared to the "bara sushi" I've introduced so far, and the ingredients are cut into smaller pieces to make it easier to eat. The bento box packaging is also fun, as it includes the origin of "Matsuri Sushi" as explained earlier. "Momotaro Matsuri Sushi" 1,250 yen.
[ Tabibento Ekiben Nigiwai ]
Location: 2nd Floor, Sun Station Sun Station Terrace Okayama Kita Ward , 1-1 Ekimae-cho, Kita-ku , Okayama City Okayama Prefecture Prefecture
Opening hours: 7:00 AM - 8:30 PM
Closed on: None
Parking: None
summary
Even though I live in Okayama Prefecture, I haven't had many opportunities to eat Okayama Barazushi lately. When I tried various kinds this time after a long time, I felt a sense of nostalgia, thinking, "Yes, this is the taste!" I realized that it is indeed Okayama's soul food that remains in the body and memory. Please try Bara Sushi, which allows you to enjoy Okayama ingredients such as mamakari, sawara, and Yellow Chives (Okayama Specialty) all on one plate! Personally, I like the strongly flavored mogai, so please try that as well.
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