Choshu Dori: Where to Eat, Prices & Hours (Yamaguchi)

Choshu dori is a branded chicken named after "Choshu," the old provincial name for Yamaguchi. Raised in spacious surroundings on carefully chosen feed, it is prized for firm, lean meat with little excess fat and the natural savoriness of the bird. It is a local point of pride, carefully raised by producers within the prefecture.

Highlights

Its charm lies in a depth of flavor that unfolds as you chew and a pleasant, moderate firmness. It shines in a wide range of dishes such as yakitori, karaage, and mizutaki hot pot. The skin, too, is well regarded, and the quality of the ingredient comes through directly, whether in a simple salt-grill or a hot pot.

Seasonal Enjoyment

It can be enjoyed year-round, but the light mizutaki hot pot is especially fine in winter, and it is popular as the star of a yosenabe hot pot. In summer, a refreshing salt-grill offers a lighter way to enjoy it, keeping it welcome on the table in any season.

Access and Basic Information

It is handled at restaurants and butcher shops across the prefecture, mainly in Yamaguchi City, and can be tasted at izakaya and yakitori shops near stations. You can also buy the meat at supermarkets and farm stands to cook at your lodging or home.

A Little Advice

A simple salt-grill is the dish that tests its true worth, so start there with the fragrance of charcoal grilling. For karaage, keeping the seasoning light lets the chicken's savoriness stand out.

Practical Travel Notes

Choshu dori is easy to try a single skewer at a time at izakaya and yakitori shops, and specialty chicken restaurants often serve it as mizutaki or a karaage set meal. Yakitori is generally a few hundred yen per skewer, while a karaage set meal is typically around a thousand yen. At supermarkets and butcher shops in the prefecture it is sold as whole cuts or thigh meat, making it easy to obtain if you cook at your lodging while traveling. Shops that handle local or branded chickens often list the region of origin on the menu, so look for the "Choshu dori" label when choosing. Many izakaya stay open late, so it also pairs well with a drink to cap off your travels.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Where it is raised: Raised in Nagato City and Mine City, with the Fukawa Poultry Farming Agricultural Cooperative handling production and shipping (Japan Chicken Association).
• How it is raised: The birds are free-range with an average rearing period of 46 days. No antibiotics or synthetic antibacterial agents are used, and the feed is blended with five kinds of herbs.
• Public facility where you can buy it: Roadside Station Senzaki Kitchen (4297-1 Senzaki, Nagato City / TEL 0837-27-0300) / 9:00-18:00 (varies by shop). Closed on the second Thursday (except in August and on public holidays) and on New Year's Day. Choshu-dori meat and processed products are also sold in the official online shop.
• How to enjoy it: Yamaguchi Prefecture's official tourism website lists restaurants serving "Choshu chicken steak" made with "Choshu-dori" and "Choshu Kurokashiwa" chicken.

* Opening hours and prices vary from restaurant to restaurant.

(Sources: Japan Chicken Association, "Choshu-dori"; Roadside Station Senzaki Kitchen official website and official online shop; Yamaguchi Prefecture official tourism website "Oidemase Yamaguchi," Choshu chicken steak feature)

Information Sources

This article is compiled from tourism information for Yamaguchi Prefecture together with information published by each restaurant. Prices, menus and seasons may change, so please check each restaurant's official information for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Budget guide: From around 1,000 yen for a dish
• Where to eat it: Restaurants, izakaya and butcher shops in Yamaguchi Prefecture
• Best time of day: Both lunch and dinner, especially with an evening drink
• Avoiding the crowds: Popular places get busy in the evening, so shift your timing
• Combine it with: Ordering processed products by mail, local sake of Yamaguchi, Rurikoji Temple, and Yuda Onsen