On Monday, September 14, 2026, Shabu-Shabu and Obanzai Kuguru opens in Sakuracho, Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture.
The restaurant buys whole Hayashi SPF Pork, a branded pork from Chiba Prefecture, and serves a "tasting" style of shabu-shabu that lets diners compare the flavor and texture of different cuts — loin, belly, shoulder loin, and leg.
Business hours run from 6:00 PM to 3:00 AM the following day. From 6:00 PM to 11:59 PM, the restaurant serves shabu-shabu, then switches to a menu centered on obanzai (Kyoto-style home cooking) from midnight onward, offering different ways to enjoy the restaurant depending on the time of day.
Buying a Whole Hayashi SPF Pig for a Four-Cut Tasting
The star of Kuguru is Hayashi SPF Pork from Chiba Prefecture.
By buying whole pigs, the restaurant serves each cut — loin, belly, shoulder loin, and leg — according to its individual character. Because shabu-shabu involves passing thin slices of meat quickly through broth, diners can simply enjoy the differences in texture, marbling, and flavor between cuts.
Hayashi SPF Pork is a branded pork from Chiba Prefecture raised in a hygienically managed environment, known for its mild flavor with little off-taste and a sweet, enjoyable fat.
Rather than treating "pork" as a single category, Kuguru wants diners to savor the individual character of each cut, one slice at a time. The menu is built around this idea of tasting and comparing.
Signature Dish: The ¥6,000 Four-Cut Hayashi SPF Pork Course
Kuguru offers three shabu-shabu courses to match different appetites and ways of enjoying the meal.
Hayashi SPF Pork Three-Cut Course — ¥5,000 (tax included)
A plate of about 150g combining three cuts: loin, belly, and shoulder loin.
Hayashi SPF Pork Four-Cut Course — ¥6,000 (tax included)
A plate of about 250g combining four cuts: loin, belly, shoulder loin, and leg.
Hayashi SPF Pork Three-Cut and Sanda Seto Beef Course — ¥7,500 (tax included)
Combines about 150g of Hayashi SPF Pork loin, belly, and shoulder loin with about 100g of Sanda Seto beef sirloin.
Every course comes with an assortment of three appetizers, a plate of seasonal vegetables, a hot pot finish, and dessert. For the hot pot finish, diners can choose between rice porridge (zosui) or Inaniwa udon, and dessert comes as Kobe gelato.
All prices include tax, and there is no otoshi (table) charge.
After Midnight, Kuguru Becomes an Obanzai Restaurant
Kuguru's menu changes depending on the time of day.
6:00 PM to 11:59 PM: Shabu-shabu menu
12:00 AM to 3:00 AM: Obanzai menu
From midnight onward, the restaurant switches from shabu-shabu to a menu centered on obanzai.
Guests can enjoy pork dishes such as chilled shabu-shabu salad, shogayaki (ginger pork), and pork kimchi, alongside standards like potato salad, wasabi-pickled nagaimo, avocado with salted kelp, and ochazuke.
A few varieties of daily-changing obanzai dishes are also available.
Whether for a proper meal, a drink after work, a second stop for the night, or a late-night bite, the restaurant suits a range of occasions.
For drinks, Kuguru offers draft beer (The Premium Malt's) and bottled beer (Sapporo Lager, "Akaboshi"), along with Japanese whiskies such as Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita, shochu, and sake.
A Wood-Toned Space With 28 Seats
The restaurant is a 5-minute walk from JR/Sanyo Akashi Station, on the 3rd floor of the Akashi Kanko Building.
Past the entrance curtain (noren), a calm space opens up, built around a single-plank wooden counter and wood-lattice lighting.
The restaurant has 28 seats in total, with counter seats, table seats, and a private room for up to six guests.
The goal was to create a space where guests can slow down and enjoy the time spent over a meal, not just the food itself — from the choice of tableware to the lighting.
Kuguru suits a wide range of occasions, from a solo meal to a date, a get-together with friends, or a dinner with colleagues.
The Idea Behind the Name "Kuguru"
Passing a single slice of meat through the broth — a brief moment that Kuguru wants to make special. That idea is why this restaurant exists.
By facing a whole pig, choosing the tableware, and adjusting the lighting, the restaurant has prepared a quiet moment of "kuguru" — one pass through the broth — for guests on an Akashi evening.
The goal is for guests to enjoy not just the ingredients themselves, but the time spent savoring each slice, one at a time.
Shabu-Shabu and Obanzai Kuguru aims to be a restaurant where guests can enjoy a slow, unhurried meal on an Akashi night.
Store Information
Store Name: Shabu-Shabu and Obanzai Kuguru
Opening Date: Monday, September 14, 2026
Address: Akashi Kanko Building 3F, 12-21 Sakuracho, Akashi, Hyogo 673-0885
Access: 5-minute walk from JR/Sanyo Akashi Station
Business Hours: 6:00 PM to 3:00 AM the following day
- Shabu-shabu: 6:00 PM to 11:59 PM
- Obanzai: 12:00 AM to 3:00 AM
Closed: Mondays
Phone Number: 078-939-6646
Seats: 28 (including one private room)
Payment Methods: Cash, card, QR code payment
Smoking: Smoking allowed at all seats
Parking: None
Reservations and Store Details: Tabelog
Instagram: @kuguru.akashi
Details are current as of September 2026 and may be subject to change.
