Experience Traditional Irori-Yaki within an Hour of Tokyo

Those who have visited Japan multiple times tend to turn away from the major attractions in Tokyo, Osaka, or Hokkaido, and instead look towards rural areas, where they can experience traditional Japanese lifestyles and food cultures. For first time visitors however, a majority still tend to base themselves in the Tokyo area. 

For those who are coming to Japan and whose travel plans have them based in Tokyo, we would like to introduce two restaurants that tell of rural traditions and food; restaurants that operate out of traditional style buildings and whose hearthside cooking techniques, called irori-yaki, speak to older traditions. Both restaurants are becoming renowned amongst Japanese food connoisseurs and VIPs visiting Japan. 

Kokonotsuido—Main Restaurant

A ten-minute taxi ride from JR Ofuna Station, the mountains of the Taya area were a well-known strategic location for the Hojo clan, feudal lords during Japan’s Warring States Period. Legend states that this area came to be known as Kokonosuido (Nine Wells) after many springs at the foot of the hills provided an important source of drinking water. The main restaurant of Kokonosuido is one that can truly take you back to this time period. 

For those rushed for time, there are also locations in Yamato, Tamagawa, and Yokohama, all of which are easily accessible from central Tokyo, but which, being in modern buildings, lack the atmosphere of the main restaurant.  

On the other hand, the main restaurant of Kokonosuido will whisk you away from the hustle and bustle of the city, taking you to a place that, for Japanese people, speaks to a spiritual nostalgia now mostly lost, and to overseas visitors, quintessential Japan. An hour from Tokyo, it is a restaurant of such fame that executives in Tokyo will bring their most important overseas business partners, and where VIPs will be whisked to from their top-class hotels.

Each party is served in their own private detached room, where they sit around a hearth grilling the finest meats, seasonal fish, and fresh vegetables. Time moves slowly, with each dish and glass of Japanese sake being served with exquisite care by the waitstaff. Everything speaks to a slower pace of life, and even the ceramics, from the dishes on the table to the paving stones and lighting, were made on-site, in a ceramics studio that also offers custom made pieces and pottery classes. 

Each meal is finished with handmade, traditional-style soba noodles, the flavor and texture of which does not disappoint. For those unable to obtain reservations for an irori-yaki meal, a bowl of homemade soba can be enjoyed in the reception building without prior reservations. 

For those wishing to experience the best in Japanese culinary hospitality, a trip to Kokonosuido will certainly do, and will put you in the upper ranks of Japanese food connoisseurs. 

Kokonosuido Main Restaurant 

1319-1 Tayacho Sakae-ku Yokohama Kanagawa 

TEL: 045-851-6121 

11:30–21:00 (Last Order: Table Seating 20:00, Detached Rooms 19:30) 

Closed Mondays 

https://www.kokonotuido.com

Ukai Toriyama

Based in Tokyo’s Hachioji area since 1964, the ryotei restaurant company running Ukai Toriyama (featured here), Ukai Ten, Ukai Take Ten, and Tofu-ya Ukai has become famous amongst businessmen across Japan. At present, they have restaurants in Shiba Park near Tokyo Tower, Ginza, and Roppongi, and Tofu-ya Ukai is responsible for some in-flight meals for ANA’s international business class and domestic premium class flights. 

While the city-centered Ukai group restaurants have a high reputation amongst VIPs visiting Japan, Ukai Toriyama is best for those who want to enjoy the best of traditional Japanese scenery alongside a rich tradition of Japanese cuisine. Accessible via a shuttle bus from Takaosanguchi Station, the last stop on the Keio line and about one hour from the city center, the ryotei restaurant is surrounded by the mountains of Oku-Takao. In a vast site filled with nature, the traditional buildings in the thatched, gassho-zukuri style are unlike anything you’ll see in Tokyo. Here, you’ll be able to forget about the rush of the city and enjoy charcoal-grilled seasonal ingredients from the hearth in front of you. 

Being surrounded by nature, the clean mountain air and the call of the four seasons make Ukai Toriyama a unique experience. The chef puts seasonality at the forefront. Charcoal-grilled chicken, the restaurant’s top choice, is simple yet flavorful, and the charcoal-grilled beef will leave diners speechless. Depending on the season, the restaurant also offers kamo-suki-nabe, a duck hotpot simmered on the sunken hearth, and, as there is also a world-famous tofu restaurant in the group, you can also order deep-fried sesame tofu. At the end of your meal, you can enjoy mugi-toro gohan, a rice dish topped with barley and grated toro root—a simple yet elegant finish. 

In the end though, it is not just the food or space that makes the restaurant, but the hospitality. Here too you can experience Japanese hospitality from the heart. A meal at Ukai Toriyama is a culinary experience epitomizes Japanese food culture. 

Ukai Toriyama 

426 Minami-asakawa-machi Hachioji City, Tokyo 

TEL: 042-661-0739 

Weekdays: 11:30–15:00 (Last Order), 17:00–21:30 (Last Order 19:00) 

Weekends and Holidays: 11:00–21:00 (Last Order 19:00) 

**The weekday lunch course is available until 15:00 

Closed: Tuesdays (varies depending on the season), New Year Holiday 

https://www.ukai.co.jp/toriyama