Towada’s Signature Local Dish: Towada Bara-yaki
Towada Bara-yaki, a dish made by stir-frying beef short ribs and a generous amount of onions in a sweet and savory soy-based sauce, has been a beloved specialty of Towada City in Aomori Prefecture for many years. Originally born from street stalls in the post-war era, this dish has been passed down as a staple of local flavor and has come to be known as a representative cuisine loved by the community. Today, it is widely recognized as Towada City’s signature local gourmet dish. This article explores the dish’s origins, its spread throughout the region, and the charm it continues to evolve with to this day.
The Birth of Bara-yaki
Towada Bara-yaki is a simple yet flavorful dish where beef short ribs and a large amount of onions are seasoned with a soy sauce-based sweet and savory marinade, then grilled on a hot iron plate. Despite its simplicity, the combination of the beef’s richness and the onions’ sweetness makes it a perfect companion to rice, earning it deep popularity among residents.
There are several theories about the origin of the dish, but the most widely accepted one is that it was first created in the 1950s, shortly after World War II, by people from the Korean Peninsula. It is said to have originated at street stalls located near the U.S. military base in neighboring Misawa City.
At the time, eating beef was not yet common in Japan, and it was considered expensive and rare. Meanwhile, U.S. military personnel preferred lean cuts of meat and tended to avoid fatty portions like short ribs or offal. As a result, these cuts were sold off at low prices.
In that context, inspired by Korean bulgogi, people developed Bara-yaki using the readily available onions in abundance. The sweet-savory sauce coated the meat perfectly, and the onions absorbed the juices and brought out their natural sweetness—making the dish a hit with many.
Spread to Towada City
Towada and Misawa were connected by rail and had active exchange of people and goods, so it was only natural that Bara-yaki would spread to Towada.
In fact, an advertisement published on November 27, 1958, in the local newspaper “Minna-san no Shinbun” (“Everyone’s Newspaper”) featured the headline, “Popular from the Start! Beef Bara-yaki.” This confirms that the dish was already being served in Towada at that time (the advertiser was a restaurant named “Eiraku,” which is no longer in business).
Towada had long incorporated horse meat into its everyday cuisine. Additionally, prior to the war, large-scale sheep farming was practiced in areas like Aisaka within the city, and households were accustomed to grilling seasoned meat on iron plates. Thanks to this cultural foundation, Bara-yaki was quickly embraced by local families and became a favorite among all age groups—from children to the elderly.
The Styles of Towada Bara-yaki
Today, many restaurants in Towada City serve Bara-yaki, and the dish is also widely prepared at home. Over its roughly 70-year history, Bara-yaki has taken root in the community while evolving into many variations.
Some restaurants use pork or horse meat instead of beef. In addition to onions, ingredients like bell peppers, carrots, cabbage, bean sprouts, and shimeji mushrooms are also added, creating unique takes on the classic.
At yakiniku (grilled meat) restaurants, it’s common for customers to grill the dish themselves, adjusting the cooking time of the onions to suit their preferred level of sweetness and texture. On the other hand, diners and casual restaurants often serve pre-cooked Bara-yaki, with some offering it as a rice bowl dish—Bara-yaki Don—topped over steaming white rice.
Today, Towada Bara-yaki is firmly established as a “representative local dish loved by the community.” It is a symbol of local pride, and its humble yet robust flavor continues to leave a lasting impression on those who taste it.
