Image: Wikimedia Commons
Kakogawa katsumeshi is a local specialty of Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture, consisting of rice on a Western-style plate topped with a beef cutlet (beef katsu), covered with a demi-glace-style sauce, and served with boiled cabbage. It is served on a flat Western-style plate rather than in a bowl, and the rule is to eat it with chopsticks rather than a spoon or fork. It is said to have been first served by 'Iroha Shokudo' (いろは食堂), a diner that opened in 寺家町, Kakogawa Town, in 1947 (Showa 22), just after the end of the war. According to tradition, it began when the diner ran short of plates while serving beef cutlets and put the rice and cutlet on a single plate with sauce poured over them. As 'Western-style food that can be eaten casually with chopsticks, without a knife and fork,' it spread to diners and coffee shops throughout the city. Today, some places also make it with pork cutlets, chicken cutlets, or shrimp cutlets. The Kakogawa Tourism Association's 'Katsumeshi Map' lists 94 establishments in and outside the city. In 2023 it was recognized as one of the Agency for Cultural Affairs' '100-Year Foods.'
Origin
Katsumeshi is said to have been first served by 'Iroha Shokudo,' a diner that opened in 寺家町, Kakogawa Town, in 1947 (Showa 22), just after the end of the war. According to tradition, the diner ran short of plates when serving beef cutlets, so it put the rice and cutlet on a single plate and poured sauce over them, and this was the beginning. At a time when beef cutlets were still a rarity, it was devised as 'Western-style food that can be eaten casually with chopsticks, without a knife and fork.' From there it spread from the area in front of Kakogawa Station to diners throughout the city.
History
For a long time katsumeshi was a staple of Kakogawa's diners and coffee shops, and eventually it was also put to use in town revitalization. 'Katsumeshi no Uta' (The Katsumeshi Song) was created in 1999 (Heisei 11), followed by 'Katsumeshi Ondo' the next year. In March 2009, the Kakogawa Tourism Association, local shopping streets, and others installed stone statues of the PR characters 'Kattsun' and 'Demi-chan.' The Kakogawa Tourism Association's 'Umaidee! Kakogawa Katsumeshi no Kai' certifies the establishments that serve it. In 2023 it was recognized as one of the Agency for Cultural Affairs' '100-Year Foods.'
Features
A fairly thin layer of rice is placed on a Western-style plate, and a beef cutlet that has been pounded flat and fried is laid on top. The basic style is to pour on plenty of demi-glace-style sauce and add boiled cabbage on the side. Each shop has its own sauce recipe, giving each one its own character, from sweeter versions to lighter ones. Shops also adapt it to their type of business; for example, yakiniku restaurants use a sauce blended with yakiniku sauce. Some shops also let you choose a pork, chicken, or shrimp cutlet instead.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
In Kakogawa City and its surroundings, many kinds of establishments serve katsumeshi, including diners, coffee shops, yakiniku restaurants, and Chinese restaurants. Katsumeshi is loved as the soul food of Kakogawa City. The Kakogawa Tourism Association publishes the 'Katsumeshi Map' introducing these establishments, and the 2025 edition featured 94 of them.
Famous Shops
Coffee House Rocky（コーヒーハウス ロッキー）
兵庫県加古川市野口町水足22-2
A long-established coffee shop founded in 1971, so popular that customers keep arriving one after another as soon as it opens in the morning. Its secret demi-glace sauce has a reputation for a flavor that is neither too heavy nor too sweet. You can enjoy it in an interior that retains a Showa-era atmosphere. The Beef Katsumeshi (large) is about 1,450 yen.
本家かつめし亭
兵庫県加古川市尾上町池田642
A katsumeshi specialty restaurant that opened in 2012 (Heisei 24). It uses Banshu beef, a Japanese Black wagyu graded A4 or higher, and tops it with a demi-glace sauce simmered with a combination of pork bone and chicken bone stocks. Thanks to its popularity, it has also opened a branch in Sannomiya, Kobe.
洋食 エデン
兵庫県加古川市加古川町寺家町155-6
A Western-style restaurant founded in 1974 and long loved by locals. It is about a two- to three-minute walk from JR Kakogawa Station. Its popular 'Ebi & Katsumeshi' combines katsumeshi with fried shrimp.
FAQ
Q. Why is katsumeshi served on a Western-style plate instead of in a bowl, and eaten with chopsticks?
A. Because katsumeshi was devised shortly after the war as 'Western-style food that can be eaten casually with chopsticks, without a knife and fork.' It spread as a dish served on a flat Western-style plate, in keeping with Western-style food, yet easy to eat with chopsticks. That is why, locally, the rule is said to be to eat it with chopsticks rather than a spoon or fork.