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Hirakata Port Anko Nabe

Published: Aug 11, 2026

Updated: Aug 11, 2026

anko nabedobujirumonkfishHirakataKitaibaraki

Representative image — not a photograph of this location.

Monkfish is ugly, gelatinous and almost entirely edible — the Japanese phrase is that seven parts of it can be eaten, including the skin, the stomach, the gills and above all the liver, which is rich enough to be compared with foie gras. Ibaraki lands more of it than anywhere else, and Hirakata, a small bottom-trawling port at the northern tip of the prefecture, is where the fishermen's own version of the dish comes from.

That version is dobujiru, and it is not the same as the anko nabe sold inland. The liver is dry-fried in the pot first until the fat renders, miso is worked into it, and then the fish and vegetables go in with no stock and no water at all — the liquid comes entirely out of the ingredients. The result is thick, grey and extraordinarily rich. Traditionally it was cooked on the boat. Several small inns at the port serve it through the winter, and it is worth booking a room rather than doing it as a lunch.

Essential Information

Opening Hours

By reservation at individual inns; typically dinner service

Closed: Anko dishes served roughly mid-September to early May | Individual inns keep their own rest days

Entrance Fee

Varies by inn and by whether you stay overnight — confirm when booking

Best Season

November–March, when monkfish is in season and the liver is largest

Visit Duration

2 hours for a meal | Overnight recommended

Getting There

Access Information

Hirakata-cho, Kitaibaraki. Car recommended; the port is a short drive from Otsuko Station on the JR Joban Line. Monkfish is in season from November to March, with dishes generally served from mid-September to early May. Several inns at Hirakata Port — among them Marumitsu, Marutaka, Togamiya and Seikaitei — serve anko nabe and dobujiru. Prices vary by inn and by whether you stay overnight; reserve in advance, as this is a set-menu dish rather than something ordered on arrival.

Insider Guide

Premium

**Ask for dobujiru specifically.** The ordinary anko nabe uses stock; dobujiru uses none, and the liver is fried into the pot first. They are different dishes and the second is the one this port is known for. It is usually a pre-booked item. **Book, and book for a night.** These are small family inns, the dish is prepared to order, and lunchtime walk-ins are not a reliable plan. Staying over also means the fish is put in front of you at the temperature it is meant to be eaten at. **November to March is the season that matters.** Dishes are served from around mid-September to early May, but the fish is at its best and the liver at its largest in the deep winter months. **The liver is the whole point.** If richness of that order is not for you, this is not the meal to travel for. There is nothing subtle happening in a bowl of dobujiru. **Combine with the Izura coast.** Okakura Tenshin's hexagonal hut is fifteen minutes down the same coast road, which makes a winter day of cliffs in the morning and monkfish at night.

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