Jakoten: Where to Eat, Prices & Opening Hours (Ehime)

Jakoten is a fried fish cake long loved in Uwajima and the Nanyo region of Ehime. Small fish such as hotarujako (known locally as haranbo) are ground into a paste bones and skin included, flattened out, and fried in oil. Using the bones creates a deep savory taste and calcium, and the fragrant flavor makes it a fixture at family tables.

Origin and History

Its beginning is said to trace back to the Uwajima domain first lord Date Hidemune, who invited fish cake artisans from his home of Sendai to make it, giving it a long history from the domain era. As for the name, one theory holds that zako ten, from the assorted small fish caught in bottom trawls, shifted to jakoten, while another links it to the hotarujako used as the raw material. Because the small fish are ground up with skin and bones after only the head and innards are removed, being slightly gray with visible black specks is proof of the real thing. It is featured in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries collection of local dishes.

Highlights

Bite into a piping hot piece freshly fried at a shopfront and you get a crisp exterior with a fluffy inside, the powerful flavor of small fish filling the mouth. Long established fish cake shops line the streets of Uwajima, and comparing their flavors is one of the pleasures.

Enjoying the Seasons

It can be enjoyed all year, but in the cold season it is superb added to oden or warm dishes. In summer it is also delicious chilled as a companion to beer.

Practical Travel Notes

It can be bought at fish cake shops around Uwajima and at stores and roadside stations across the city, and it is also available around the Nanyo region including neighboring Yawatahama. Some shops let you enjoy it freshly fried on the spot, which suits food strolling. Vacuum packed souvenir types keep relatively well and are convenient to carry home, but the flavor of a freshly fried piece is special, so on site it is best to taste it made to order.

A Quick Tip

It is plenty tasty as is, but lightly grilling it and adding grated daikon and soy sauce brings out the savoriness even more.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Main areas where it is handed down and the season: The Nanyo region (Uwajima City, Yawatahama City and elsewhere). It is eaten all year round and is a familiar everyday side dish as well as a snack with drinks.
• Public facilities where you can try it: Roadside Station Minato Oasis Uwajima Kisaiya Hiroba (1-318-16 Benten-cho, Uwajima City) / 9:00-18:00. The only closing day is New Year's Day. Kawachiya Kamaboko Agetate-ya inside the building demonstrates and sells freshly fried handmade jakoten every day.
• How to spot the real thing: Uwajima Jakoten is a registered trademark of the Uwajima Kamaboko Cooperative Association (5-1-13 Meirin-cho, Uwajima City). It has 21 member shops, including outlets at Matsuyama Airport and JR Matsuyama Station.
• In Tokyo too: Kagawa and Ehime Setouchi Shunsaikan, 1st floor (2-19-10 Shinbashi, Minato-ku) / open 10:00-20:00, sells jakoten.

* Opening hours and prices at individual shops vary from shop to shop.

(Sources: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Our Local Cuisine: Jakoten (Ehime Prefecture); Roadside Station Minato Oasis Uwajima Kisaiya Hiroba official website; Uwajima Kamaboko Cooperative Association official website; Kagawa and Ehime Setouchi Shunsaikan official website)

Information Sources

This article is compiled from tourist information for Uwajima City and Ehime Prefecture together with information published by the individual shops. Prices and product details are subject to change, so please check the official information of each shop for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Budget guide: From a few dozen yen per piece, and gift assortments are affordable too
• Where to eat it: Fish-paste shops and souvenir shops in Uwajima and the rest of the Nanyo region, or as a dish at izakaya pubs
• Recommended time of day: Available all year round, and at some shops you can try it freshly fried on the spot
• Avoiding the crowds: Souvenir versions are well stocked and easy to buy
• Enjoy it together with: Uwajima taimeshi, as a snack with local sake, or lightly grilled with grated daikon radish