The “Taste of the Common Man” is in big trouble…! Takoyaki and okonomiyaki “konamon-ya” are in danger of disappearing from Osaka.

Material cost more than doubled…… shopkeepers screamed.

A cheap and tasty taste of the common people. Kansai people call the restaurants that serve flour-based takoyaki and okonomiyaki “konamon-ya. Joto-ku, Osaka City, used to be crowded with many konamon-ya. Hamasaki, an okonomiyaki store in a corner of this town, is a long-established business that has been in operation for nearly 70 years, with two generations of parents and children, but the shutters have been down since the beginning of this year. A sign titled “Notice of Closure” was posted on the storefront.

According to a survey by Tokyo Shoko Research, there were a record 28 bankruptcies of “koumon-ya” in 2013 (up 33% from the previous year). The Kinki region accounted for 70% of the total, with Osaka Prefecture accounting for 11 cases, the highest number in Japan. The Japan Konamon Association, which promotes konamon, conducted a survey of 100 konamon stores nationwide and found that about half of them said they had no successors. The association warned that the number of okonomiyaki restaurants is likely to decrease by half by the year 1960. Mana Kumagai, chairperson of the Japan Konamon Association, says, “The number of okonomiyaki restaurants is likely to decrease by half by the year 35.

It doesn’t look good on social media, takes a long time to cook, and has a poor typa. In addition, the fact that young people are becoming less and less interested in konamon because of its high calorie content, even though it is actually nutritionally balanced, is another reason why more and more stores are closing. While places such as Dotonbori that are visited by inbound tourists are still doing well, locally-oriented restaurants that cater mainly to local customers are reaching their limits.

The FRIDAY reporter asked the owners of flour dumpling shops what is really happening to Kansai’s soul food.

Daks” in Taisho Ward, Osaka City, is a long-established okonomiyaki store that opened in 1985. Its specialty was the “Ultra Jumbo” (2,500 yen), a 20 cm long x 30 cm wide, 2.5 kg scallop-filled okonomiyaki, but it disappeared from the menu in January of last year.

The owner, Katsumasa Hirao, 80, reveals his predicament.

The reason is the rising cost of raw materials. The Ultra Jumbo used to contain six scallops, 10 shrimp and 10 squid each, and pork and eggs for four people. However, due to recent price hikes, the scallops, which used to cost 100 yen each, have doubled in price to 200 yen. …… Cabbage used to cost 100 yen per ball when it was cheap, but recently the price has gone up to nearly 800 yen. Shrimp, squid, and pork have also continued to rise in price since last year. The cost of food has exceeded the list price, and we are only losing money whether we grill or not. That’s why we had to tear them off the menu.

Flour, which is essential for konamon, has also increased in price over the past 10 years, from 233 yen per bag in January 2004 to 343 yen per bag in January 2014, a 1.5-fold increase.

We can’t raise prices so easily.”

When asked about the future of the restaurant, Mr. Hirao’s expression clouded.

I thought about having my children take over the business, but it’s obvious that they won’t be able to make it work. They know what they’re doing, so they’ve gone off on their own to find other jobs. They think they can quit anytime they want.

The reality is not that there are no successors, but rather that they do not want anyone to succeed them.

The price of takoyaki has doubled in the past 15 years, but some stores lament that they cannot raise prices so easily.

Even if prices go up, we are allowed to charge 150 yen for six takoyaki. The customers are all familiar people who come to us because of this price. …… We are afraid to raise the price if we think they will leave. If we only sold takoyaki, we would lose a lot of money. So we make up for it with oden, side dishes, takikomi-gohan (cooked rice), and other non-takoyaki menu items to somehow make ends meet.

The okonomiyaki restaurant “Kameya” in Higashiosaka City was opened in 1969 by the owner, Mr. Kogiku Takeuchi (85). After 57 years in business, the owner, Kogiku Takeuchi, 85, decided to close the restaurant at the end of February this year.

Unlike in the past, okonomiyaki is no longer a profitable business. We are at the end of our physical strength, and I thought it was time to move on.

Despite the difficult situation, there is a movement to somehow rebuild “Kameya. His grandson, Reina (26), will take over the store and reopen it.

Still, Yoshikiku is pessimistic, saying, “Times are tough for running a flour dough shop, so I can’t be happy about it,” but the aforementioned Mr. Kumagai is hopeful about Reino’s case.

However, Kumagai is hopeful about Reino’s case. “Recently, there are young people in their 20s and 30s who are opening new koumon-ya,” he said. With a string of flour dough shops going bankrupt, the key will be whether the new generation of store owners can create products that will capture the hearts and minds of the young.

The cheap and delicious taste of the common people is facing a crisis of extinction.

From the April 10, 2026 issue of FRIDAY