Image: Wikimedia Commons
Ikameshi is a local dish of Mori, Hokkaido, in which small squid bodies are stuffed with glutinous and non-glutinous rice and simmered slowly in a soy-based sauce. It is said to have been created in 1941 by Abe Shoten, a shop running an ekiben (train station box lunch) business in front of Mori Station, as a substitute food to make up for the rice shortage during the Pacific War. Originally the squid was used as a clever way to “bulk out” precious rice and stretch it further, but the combination of chewy rice and the squid's umami became popular, and it took hold as the signature ekiben of JR Mori Station. From around 1955 it also began to be sold through live demonstrations at department stores in Tokyo, and it built a nationwide reputation, ranking among the top sellers for many years at Keio Department Store's “Original Famous Ekiben and National Delicacies Fair.” The combination of squid and rice soaked in a sweet-savory soy sauce is a testament to the finished quality unique to an ekiben — delicious even when cold.
Origin
The birth of ikameshi stems from the rice shortage during the Pacific War. Abe Shoten, which ran an inn and ekiben business in front of Mori Station, devised a dish that made effective use of limited rice by stuffing the readily available and inexpensive squid body with glutinous and non-glutinous rice and simmering it, and released it in 1941 (Showa 16). Having been created as a substitute for rice is ikameshi's defining characteristic.
History
Ikameshi took hold as an ekiben of JR Mori Station, and it continued to be cherished as a specialty of Mori even after the postwar food situation improved. From around 1955 it also expanded into live demonstration sales at department stores in Tokyo; at Keio Department Store's “Original Famous Ekiben and National Delicacies Fair,” it took the top sales spot in 32 of the 35 fairs held in the 20th century, and it maintained the top position continuously from 1971 onward, establishing a nationwide reputation.
Features
Rice made of a mix of glutinous and non-glutinous grains is stuffed into the bodies of small squid, the openings are secured with toothpicks, and the squid is then simmered slowly in a sweet-savory sauce made from soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and other seasonings. It is characterized by the sauce, soaked with the squid's umami, and the chewy texture of the rice, and because it stays delicious even when cold, it is distributed nationwide as an ekiben and souvenir.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
Born as a wartime substitute food, ikameshi has become a symbol of Mori's ekiben culture, and today it stands as a representative local specialty and souvenir of Mori, enjoyed year-round. As a pleasure of traveling the Hakodate Main Line, it has also gained fans nationwide through ekiben fairs and similar events.
How It Differs from Home Cooking
At home, people often make it easily using pre-portioned ikameshi kits or store-bought ingredients, but long-established shops in Mori select smaller squid and apply techniques handed down through generations for the rice blend and how the sauce is reduced.
Famous Shops
いかめし阿部商店
北海道茅部郡森町御幸町112
The original shop that invented ikameshi in 1941. Sold inside Mori Station and at storefronts near the station; ikameshi around 1,450 yen per piece (as of 2026).
View details →| いかめし（阿部商店） | Known as the signature ekiben of Mori Station, ikameshi is also popular as a frozen or retort-pouch souvenir, available by mail order and at airports and souvenir shops throughout Hokkaido.Where to buy →PR |
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