🍵Beauty & Taste｜Following a Samurai to a Hida Beef Bowl in Sekigahara

/ Beauty & Taste / By

Visit date: Saturday, October 10, 2026 | Sunny

I spotted someone dressed in samurai armor.

I was just looking for somewhere to have lunch.

Well then, I’ll follow.

Collage featuring a person in samurai armor standing in front of the Sekigahara Sengoku Armor Museum, traditional wooden buildings under a blue sky, and illustrations of surprised and cheerful samurai ducks.

Samurai Armor on a Hot Day

It was a sunny, hot day.

I was walking around Sekigahara, looking for somewhere to have lunch.

Then I spotted someone wearing samurai armor.

They seemed to be guiding visitors to a restaurant.

“I’m drenched in sweat,” the person in armor said.

…I can imagine.

Since I was looking for lunch anyway, I simply followed.

To Hyōrō Restaurant

I ended up at Hyōrō, a restaurant located on the grounds of the Sekigahara Sengoku Armor Museum.

Collage showing signs for Hyōrō restaurant and the Sengoku Armor Museum in Sekigahara, a walkway lined with traditional buildings, and an illustration of a samurai duck taking a break.

I looked at the menu and chose the

Daimyo Don.

Hida beef.

And so, on this trip through Gifu,

Hida beef encounter number one.

Collage featuring the Daimyo rice bowl topped with generous slices of meat and a bowl of soup at Hyōrō restaurant in Sekigahara, accompanied by illustrations of a samurai duck taking a selfie and holding a thumbs-up sign.

🍵 YUMEVOJA Food Radar

Hyōrō Restaurant — Daimyo Don | ¥2,000

Sweetness: ★★★☆☆
Saltiness: ★★★☆☆
Dashi flavor: ★★☆☆☆
Oiliness: ★★★☆☆
Spiciness: ☆☆☆☆☆
Aroma: ★☆☆☆☆

Portion size: Average

Ease of visiting: ★★★★☆

【YUMEVOJA Satisfaction Rating】
★★★★☆ Satisfied
My personal impression, including the food, atmosphere, and people.

📍 View location on Google Maps
Hyōrō Restaurant

More Memorable Than the Hida Beef? The Yam Soup

Hida beef with a special sauce.

Of course, it was delicious.

But surprisingly, what stayed in my memory was the yam soup served alongside it.

Thick and full of flavor.

It was only a side dish accompanying the Daimyo Don, yet somehow, it left a lasting impression.

At that moment, I had no idea.

I would encounter Hida beef twice more during this trip.

What Exactly Is “Mitsunari Meshi”?

While walking around Sekigahara, I kept noticing a phrase.

Mitsunari Meshi.

What was that?

Hyōrō also offered an officially recognized Mitsunari Meshi menu item.

“Mitsunari’s Hospitality.”

A dorayaki-style pancake.

👉 To learn more about Mitsunari Meshi, visit the Hikone Tourism Guide.

I’d found one.

But… pancakes.

Right now, I wanted a proper lunch.

I’ll try Mitsunari Meshi somewhere else.

That’s what I thought as I chose the Daimyo Don.

And in the end, I never got to try it during this trip.

Perhaps one day I’ll even follow it all the way to Hikone.

Quack, Quack

There was one more character that caught my attention.

A white duck.

Collage featuring two photos of a white duck encountered at Hyōrō restaurant in Sekigahara, an illustrated samurai duck holding a thumbs-up sign, and a traveling cat and duck in samurai armor.

Around the grounds,

Quack, quack.

It wandered about as if it owned the place.

The door was open.

But it didn’t go outside.

Did it know this was its home?

Samurai armor, a Daimyo rice bowl,

and a duck.

It turned out to be quite a lively lunch.

Next Stop: Ogaki

With a full stomach, I collected my luggage from the coin locker near the station and headed for Ogaki Station.

👉 Read about the day’s journey here:
▶︎🚉Stopover Journey｜Looking for a “Wow!” in Sekigahara, Then to Ogaki｜Two Days in Gifu – Part 1

👉 Related illustrations here
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