{"id":11986,"date":"2016-09-20T08:00:58","date_gmt":"2016-09-20T07:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.insidejapantours.com\/?p=11986"},"modified":"2026-02-26T16:34:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T16:34:55","slug":"making-takoyaki-scratch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2016\/09\/20\/making-takoyaki-scratch\/","title":{"rendered":"A delicious day out in Japan: Making takoyaki from scratch"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11986&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11986\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11986&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11986&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11986%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11986\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11986\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p><strong>Richard Farmer is our very own travel-consultant-turned-tour-leader, blogger extraordinaire and expert in Zen Buddhism. When he&#8217;s not turning his hand to those pursuits, however, what does he get up to? We caught up with Richard after a day of culinary adventures in the Kansai region. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>In Japan\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-regions\/kinki\/\">Kansai (Kinki)<\/a> region, of which my current home of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/kyoto\/\">Kyoto<\/a> is a part, <em>takoyaki <\/em>octopus dumplings are treated with an almost spiritual reverence. Although the popular street food snack, often somewhat titillatingly referred to as \u2018octopus balls\u2019, originated in neighbouring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/osaka\/\">Osaka<\/a>, it\u2019s taken just as seriously here in Kyoto, and can now be found all over Japan. I\u2019ve always been a fan of <em>takoyaki<\/em>, but I\u2019d never tried cooking them before, so when some friends at my local bar invited me to join them for a <em>takoyaki<\/em>-making party, I jumped at the chance. There was one proviso\u2026 we were quite literally making them from scratch.<\/p>\n<p>First we needed octopus, and for that a fishing trip was required. And a 5:30am start to get there. I\u2019m not quite sure why such an early start was required, as I was pretty sure that the sea would be there all day, but I was assured that we would have a better chance of success the earlier we set out. Our motley crew assembled at an ungodly hour outside our local drinking hole, Bar Robbins Nest, for the drive over to the port city of Amagasaki, which took about an hour.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11987\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11987\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11987\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-1.jpg\" alt=\"Assembling at 5:30am in front of Bar Robbins Nest\" width=\"1170\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-1.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-1-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-1-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-1-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-1-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-1-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-1-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11987\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Assembling at 5:30am in front of Bar Robbins Nest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On arrival we donned our lifejackets and while we were waiting for the boat, I had an ice cold beer thrust into my hands. It may have only been 7:30am, but it was already nearly 30 degrees Celsius. How could I say no?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11988\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11988\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11988\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-2.jpg\" alt=\"Normal social drinking hours do not apply to octopus fishing\" width=\"1170\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-2.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-2-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-2-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-2-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-2-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-2-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-2-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11988\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Normal social drinking hours do not apply to octopus fishing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Just as we were finishing up our first beers, the boat pulled up to take us on a short 10-minute trip to our fishing destination.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11989\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11989\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11989\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-3.jpg\" alt=\"All aboard!\" width=\"1170\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-3.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-3-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-3-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-3-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-3-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-3-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-3-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-3-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-3-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11989\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">All aboard!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The boat dropped us off at an offshore breakwater, which was to be our hunting ground for the next four hours. Although we were only ten minutes&#8217; boat ride from the mainland, the strip of concrete out in the middle of the bay felt pretty remote. There were no toilets or facilities of any kind, and amazingly for Japan, not even a single drinks vending machine! Anyone who needed to use the bathroom had to wait for the boat to come back every 45 minutes or so, shuttling people to and from the port, and use the toilet on there. There were quite a few people out on the breakwater engaged in the same business as we were &#8211; octopus fishing. The views from the breakwater were great, and we could even see Osaka, the birthplace of <em>takoyaki<\/em>, in the distance.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11990\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11990\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11990\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-4.jpg\" alt=\"Views over to Osaka from the offshore breakwater\" width=\"1170\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-4.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-4-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-4-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-4-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-4-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-4-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-4-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-4-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-4-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-4-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11990\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Views over to Osaka from the offshore breakwater<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At this point I forgot to take more pictures, as people kept giving me beer, but five hours later we were back on the mainland and heading back to Bar Robbins Nest for the all-important second stage of our schedule &#8211; cooking. We didn&#8217;t have as successful a haul as we were hoping, having caught only six small octopuses between the seven of us, but it was just enough to feed us all.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11991\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11991\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11991\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-5.jpg\" alt=\"Our catch \u2013 Not looking particularly appetising at this stage!\" width=\"1170\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-5.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-5-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-5-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-5-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-5-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-5-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-5-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-5-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-5-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-5-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11991\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Our catch \u2013 Not looking particularly appetising at this stage!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>First the octopuses had to be cleaned, which involved a fairly gruesome procedure of taking everything that was inside their heads out of there. After gutting and cleaning we boiled the octopuses whole for five minutes, after which they had turned the familiar reddish purple. We couldn\u2019t resist a little nibble at this stage, and they already tasted great and had a much more pleasant texture then the octopus on sale in supermarkets.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11992\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11992\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11992\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-6.jpg\" alt=\"Little purple nuggets of deliciousness\" width=\"1170\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-6.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-6-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-6-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-6-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-6-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-6-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-6-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-6-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-6-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-6-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11992\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Little purple nuggets of deliciousness<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The next step was to prepare the batter, which consists mainly of wheat-flour and egg, deliberately diluted to a very watery consistency with a light <em>dashi<\/em> fish stock. The watery batter means that as the dumplings cook, they crisp up on the outside, but maintain a soft soupy interior. At this point a piece of specialist equipment is required, a dimpled electric <em>takoyaki<\/em> hotplate, readily available at electronics stores and department stores in Japan. The dimples are oiled and then the batter is poured into them all, and a small chunk of octopus added to each one.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11993\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11993\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11993 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-7.jpg\" alt=\"Takoyaki: Now we\u2019re cooking!\" width=\"1170\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-7.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-7-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-7-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-7-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-7-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-7-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-7-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-7-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-7-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-7-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11993\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Now we\u2019re cooking!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After a short time, the bottom half of the dumplings are cooked, and it\u2019s time for the all important turning of the balls. The professional <em>takoyaki<\/em> chefs in Osaka use long steel skewers that look like knitting needles, but we made do with chopsticks. It takes a little while to get the hang of turning the balls so that the part that\u2019s still liquid turns towards the bottom of the heated hot-plate dimple, but that\u2019s the fun of a <em>takoyaki<\/em> party!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11994\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11994\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11994\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-8.jpg\" alt=\"Teamwork turning!\" width=\"1170\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-8.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-8-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-8-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-8-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-8-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-8-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-8-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-8-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-8-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-8-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11994\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teamwork turning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A few more minutes later and the <em>takoyaki<\/em> are cooked and ready for eating. But first they require a few final touches \u2013 decorating with mayonnaise, dried <em>nori <\/em>seaweed flakes, dried <em>katsuobushi<\/em> fish flakes, thinly sliced green onions, and a special <em>takoyaki<\/em> brown sauce.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11995\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11995\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11995\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-9.jpg\" alt=\"The finished product!\" width=\"1170\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-9.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-9-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-9-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-9-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-9-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-9-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-9-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-9-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-9-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Tako-9-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11995\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The finished product!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We were all very pleased with the result, and they certainly tasted better thanks to the effort we\u2019d put in to truly make <em>takoyaki<\/em> from scratch. We\u2019re planning to go fishing again later in the year, and hope to catch a few more next time!<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you would like to try <em>takoyaki<\/em> in their birthplace of Osaka, but aren\u2019t keen on a 5:30am start, ask your travel consultant about including an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/experience-japan\/i-fd006-4\/osaka-street-food-evening-tour\/\">Osaka street food tour<\/a> in your tailored itinerary. I, or one of a number of native Kansai guides, can take you on a whirlwind evening tour of Osaka\u2019s most famous culinary district, sampling <em>takoyaki<\/em> and a number of other local specialties along the way! Great fun! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/about-us\/contact-us\/\">Click here to start planning now<\/a>.<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11986&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11986\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11986&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11986&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11986%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11986\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F11986\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Richard Farmer is our very own travel-consultant-turned-tour-leader, blogger extraordinaire and expert in Zen Buddhism. When he&#8217;s not turning his hand to those pursuits, however, what does he get up to? We caught up with Richard after a day of culinary adventures in the Kansai region. Like this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2366],"tags":[1719,1730,2160,2678],"class_list":["post-11986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-japanese-food-and-drink","tag-japanese-cuisine","tag-japanese-food","tag-takoyaki","tag-richard-farmer"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11986","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11986"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11986\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36328,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11986\/revisions\/36328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}