Hirome Market

Hirome Market feels like a festival every day of the year! Kochiites and visitors alike come here to check out the food shops and grab a table to enjoy an array of local and international cuisine. Nicknamed "Kochi's kitchen", this is one spot you simply cannot miss!

Located just a short walk away from Kochi Castle, Hirome Market is a great place to try a wide range of Kochi specialties, as you can buy food and drinks from different stalls and enjoy them at one of the many large tables set up around the market. Hirome Market is open from morning to late in the evening, but no matter what time you visit there are sure to find plenty of friendly folks chatting, eating, and sipping some of Kochi’s smooth dry sake.

There are around 60 eateries in Hirome Market, and while some have their own seating, for the most part, the market is like a big food court. A food court, that is, that serves some of the most delicious and authentic local foods you are likely to find anywhere. Customers generally order from a few different places and enjoy your food at communal tables. As explained in more detail below, sharing tables with people you don't know is very common. Locals like to encourage vistors to get into the spirit by enthusiastically asking diners at or near their tables to join them in a hearty, "kampai!" (Cheers!). Kochi natives are known for liking a drink or two and Hirome Market is a great place to experience this part of the local culture, day or night!

While discovering the local delicacies is part of the fun, there are a few dishes that are sure to start you off on the right path. Katsuo no tataki (seared bonito) is the soul food of Kochi, and here you can catch the chefs searing the filets over piles of burning straw. Keep an eye out for packs of inaka-sushi (country-style sushi) made with preserved vegetables and crunchy aonori (laver) tempura, as well as other popular dishes like juicy fried chicken and gyoza (potstickers).


Know before you go

Although the official website is only available in Japanese, you can get an idea of what the individual restaurants and stores offer on this page. Scroll down below the map and click on each of the individual thumbnails to see more photos and find details (including opening hours and regular days off) that you can run through the translation app of your choice.


Hirome Market 1, 2, 3

1. Grab a seat

The first thing to do is to make sure you have somewhere to sit and enjoy your food. With over 400 seats available, you should be able to find somewhere to sit even when it’s busy. Many of these seats, however, are around tables that seat 4 to 8 people and sharing tables with others is not only common, it is part of the Hirome Market experience and encouraged.

If you are dining with other people, have one person stay at the table to secure your seats. Be sure to make a note of your seat number as some shops may bring your food and drinks to you when they are ready.


If you would like to say something when joining another table, try the phrase "douseki shitemoii desu ka" (can I/we share this table with you?). You can, of course, also point at the seats and ask "OK?", with a smile.

2. Order your food

Now it’s time to go and get your food and drinks. Hirome market is like a food court and you can pick up whatever you like from any of the stores and take it back to your table to eat. If you are in a group, it can make sense to split up so that you can all bring your food back around the same time to enjoy it together.

Please pay for your order at each individual shop. Please note that credit cards are generally not accepted.

If your chosen dish takes a little while to prepare the staff may give you a ticket and bring your order to your table when it’s ready. In some cases, you may be asked to come back to pick it up after a certain amount of time.

3. How to clean up

When you have finished your meal, collect your used glasses and plates together at the end of your table to make it easy for cleaning staff to clear up. Any plastic or other kinds of trash should be thrown away in the trash cans provided.

Other points to note:

Although Hirome Market is all about freestyle dining, please refrain from bringing in food and drink from outside. Pets are also not allowed in Hirome Market.

Although passages in parts of the market are quite narrow, the main areas are accessible to wheelchair users. 2 wheelchairs are also availble for use (please ask at the information counter inside the market). A universal toilet and a private baby feeding room can be found on the first (ground) floor.