Hakurakuten: Imabari’s Classic Yakibuta Tamago Meshi with the Signature Sweet Sauce
Imabari, the Shikoku-side gateway of the Shimanami Kaido cycling route, is famous for one local dish above all: yakibuta tamago meshi — rice topped with roast pork, soft fried eggs, and a sweet-savoury sauce. If you want to taste the definitive, “standard” version, Hakurakuten is the place. It is one of the city’s most popular shops, often with a queue, and sits in a spot that is easy to find near the town centre.
One of Imabari’s three famous shops
Yakibuta tamago meshi is Imabari’s signature “B-kyu gourmet” — inexpensive, hearty local comfort food. It began as a quick staff meal (makanai) in the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant called Gobankaku, now closed. The cooks loved it, and when they went on to open their own places they put it on their menus, until the dish spread across the whole city.
Among those long-established shops, Hakurakuten is the one to visit if you want to understand the “standard” Imabari flavour — the benchmark against which locals measure every other bowl.
The classic sweet sauce and big slices of pork
Hakurakuten’s yakibuta tamago meshi is defined by its generously sweet sauce and its large slices of roast pork. The pork is cut big and thin, so it is easy to scoop up with a Chinese spoon and blends readily with the rice and egg — scoop anywhere and a piece of pork comes with it. That sweet sauce is so representative that you could call it the standard taste of Imabari yakibuta tamago meshi — some say it is even sweeter than eel (unagi) sauce.
And true to the dish’s origins as a staff meal, it arrives remarkably fast — a quick, filling plate that is perfect when you are hungry between sightseeing stops or bike rides. If you want a fuller meal, you can also order it as a set, for example with fried gyoza or a bowl of ramen.
A popular shop that appears on TV
Hakurakuten has been featured on Japanese television many times and is well known as a shop where people line up. Depending on when you arrive you may have to wait a little, but that is simply the mark of a genuinely popular place. Arriving slightly before or after the midday rush usually means a shorter queue.
Try the new “Kara-tama” spicy version
Recently the shop has also introduced a new menu item: yakibuta tamago meshi kara-tama. It adds a spicy kick to the classic bowl, rounded out with the rich aroma of sesame oil — a different way to enjoy the dish from the usual sweet sauce. If you already know and love the standard version, the spicy kara-tama is a fun change of pace worth trying.
Getting there and parking
Hakurakuten is easy to find: it sits just behind the post office. There is parking for about 12 cars in front of the shop, but because it is so busy the spaces are often full. If you cannot find a spot, rather than waiting in front of the shop it may be smoother to use one of the nearby coin parking lots.
Traveller’s FAQ
How much does it cost? Yakibuta tamago meshi is B-kyu gourmet, so it is very affordable — usually under 1,000 yen for a bowl, depending on size.
Ordering without Japanese. It is a casual, well-loved local restaurant; the signature dish is easy to point to and order.
How do you eat it? Break the soft yolk and mix the pork, rice, egg, and sauce together across the whole bowl, then dig in — that is the local way to eat it.
Lunch or dinner? Unlike some of the other famous shops, Hakurakuten serves both lunch and dinner (with a break in between), so it is a flexible choice for your schedule.
How does it fit a Shimanami trip? It is in central Imabari, close to the Shikoku end of the cycling route, making it a convenient stop before or after crossing the bridges.
Make it a yakibuta tamago meshi crawl
Because Hakurakuten serves both lunch and dinner, it slots easily into a day of eating around Imabari. To compare all three famous shops, have lunch at Daikokuya (which is lunch-only), then come to Hakurakuten or Shigematsu Hanten — both open in the evening — for dinner, and you can complete a yakibuta tamago meshi taste test in a single day. Add a visit to Imabari Castle or a ride across the Shimanami Kaido bridges to round it out.
Imabari’s other famous yakibuta tamago meshi shops
Hakurakuten is one of a trio of long-established shops famous for this dish. Read about the other two, or see all three compared side by side:
- Shigematsu Hanten — the orthodox line, richer flavour, celebrity walls
- Daikokuya Hanten — the rider’s favourite, pork shredded fine
- Imabari’s yakibuta tamago meshi: 3 long-established shops compared
Restaurant information
Hakurakuten (白楽天)
Address: 4-1-19 Tokiwa-cho, Imabari City, Ehime
Tel: 0898-23-7292
Hours: 11:00–14:45 (LO 14:30) & 17:00–21:15 (LO 21:00)
Closed: Tuesdays and year-end/new-year holidays
Official site: hakurakuten.net
Please check the latest hours before visiting, as they may change.
