What is OKONOMI?

Okonomiyaki in the post-war period

After the war, everyone was suffering from starvation and searching for anything that they could eat. It was at this time that a certain food called issen-yoshoku became extremely popular. Issen-yoshoku, which can roughly be translated as “one-coin western food,” was originally a food highly popular among children and was sold at local candy shops.

During the pre-war period, issen-yoshoku was not popular with adults as it was considered a children’s snack. However, due to the damage the town had sustained during the war, the people were desperate and gradually issen-yoshoku was adapted into a dish that adults could enjoy as well. Eventually, it’s popularity as a dish increased until it became popular nation-wide. This is how the history of okonomiyaki began in the post-war period.

The Pioneers of Okonomiyaki

The pioneers of okonomiyaki, a number of restaurant owners in the downtown area, began to adapt issen-yoshoku by placing a strip of pork onto it. They changed the name from “issen-yoshoku” (a term that had implied a one-coin price, though in actuality, it cost much more than one coin) to “okonomiyaki.” Along with the name, the food itself was transformed into a dish that adults could enjoy as well. Thus, okonomiyaki ventured onto its journey into a totally new world. During the late 1940’s however, it was still considered a light snack for relieving hunger and was predominantly sold by street vendors or small-scale restaurants of low quality.