The Secrets Behind Tokyo’s Deliciousness

Why is it that in Tokyo, everything is delicious, no matter where or what you eat? Uncovering the answer from the backstage of food distribution.

“In Tokyo, everything is delicious, no matter where or what you eat.”
This is a sentiment often expressed by international travelers. They are likely amazed that such a high, consistent standard is maintained throughout the city. This quality is found not only in world-famous Edomae cuisine—a style born in the 1800s when Tokyo was called Edo—but even in casual shops or simple, everyday dishes.

Because there was no refrigeration back then, Edo’s chefs developed clever ways to cure, marinate, or simmer local seafood to preserve its freshness and enhance its flavor. These techniques laid the foundation for modern favorites like sushi and tempura. To unravel the reasons behind this lasting culture of quality, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government hosted a three-day event titled “The Secrets Behind Tokyo’s Deliciousness.” The event brought together producers, logistics experts, and intermediate wholesalers.
In Japan, these wholesalers serve as highly specialized “gatekeepers” of quality. They act as expert curators who use their deep knowledge to select the best products at auction, process information about the day’s catch for chefs, and provide a guarantee of quality that the culinary world relies on. By sharing the background of how this "deliciousness" is born, the event connected influential international media and influencers with the true backbone of Tokyo’s food scene.

In this report, we explore the backstage of the culinary world through three perspectives: Tradition, Evolution, and Innovation. From casual izakaya for the general public to the cutting edge of gastronomy, there are countless professionals standing behind every single plate enjoyed in Tokyo. The following sections explore the specific “secrets behind Tokyo’s deliciousness.”

Diverse ingredients gather in Tokyo: A system that began in the Edo period

The first thing to focus on is the transportation and logistics that deliver vegetables grown in Tokyo, seafood caught in the Tokyo islands, and fresh ingredients from across the country. Most fish harvested in the morning are lined up in the market within a few hours, and vegetables reach Tokyo by the following morning. Safe, secure, and clean: the precision and speed of this system are something Tokyo can proudly share with the world.

The foundation of this was born approximately 400 years ago during the Edo period (17th-19th centuries). As a means of national unification, the Shogunate (central military government) developed a network of five major roads called the “Gokaido,” all starting from Edo. The famous “Tokaido” Shinkansen line which runs from Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka roughly follows the path of one of these roads. This infrastructure connected Tokyo with every corner of the country, and  ingredients, people, goods, and information began to circulate on a national scale. As a result, Edo developed into a massive center of consumption and distribution. 

As time progressed, the introduction of railways and the Shinkansen, as well as the development of highway networks, allowed ingredients to reach Tokyo faster and more reliably than ever before.

Ingredients arriving from all over the country are gathered and sorted in one place: Tokyo’s wholesale markets, which function as the central hubs of collection and distribution. This system has its origins in the Nihonbashi Fish Market of the Edo period. In 1673, Edo was a regional city of fewer than 100,000 people. However, through urban planning under the Shogunate’s strong leadership and the Sankin-kotai system—a political rule that forced regional lords to live in the capital every other year—the city underwent a radical transformation.

This constant flow of people from all over the country turned Tokyo into a "melting pot" of regional flavors and ingredients. In just 100 years, Edo grew into the world's largest city with over one million people, surpassing even London and Paris. The fish market was established in Nihonbashi to satisfy those massive appetites, establishing the historical predecessor to the famous Tsukiji and current Toyosu fish markets.

Today, the market has evolved from a simple trading post into a system responsible for fair price formation and stable supply. Tokyo operates 11 Central Wholesale Markets, a publicly maintained network unparalleled in the world, handling everything from marine products and meat to produce and flowers. Equipped with thorough temperature and hygiene management and the latest logistics systems, these markets are run by professionals with expert knowledge in identifying the best ingredients. This world-class market mechanism supports the food culture of Tokyo. 

Day 1: Tradition 　 collection of wisdom for stabilizing quality, not just oldness.

Tradition refers to techniques and a sense of stability passed down through generations.
It is not just about flavor, but also the long-running relationships with customers. Staff remember the preferences of regular customers, read the mood of the room, and adjust their service accordingly. They also have a relationship of trust with expert wholesalers, and operations refined through history. When such a system is sustained over generations, a restaurant becomes what is known in Japan as a “shinise,” a long-established family-run establishment.

Tokyo has many such shops that carry on tradition, from world-famous specialties like sushi and tempura to Western-style cuisine, izakaya, and traditional confectionery shops. Flavors refined over a long history live on in every corner of the city, allowing even travelers to easily experience the tradition of taste through food. 

Tradition is not a relic of the past; it is the act of constantly updating the unseen parts to continue providing the same flavor every day. This persistence is the foundation of why Tokyo is delicious wherever you eat. 

This was eloquently demonstrated on the first day by Ginza Mikawaya and Yamariki, along with the indispensable presence of the intermediate wholesalers who support them. 

A long-established Western-style restaurant that has continued for 90 years in Ginza

Ginza is a place where new things always gather, while at the same time, it is a place where being top-tier is expected. In this center of Tokyo, Ginza Mikawaya has maintained its Western-style restaurant for 90 years.

Yoshoku(Japanese-style Western cuisine) refers to Western dishes introduced to Japan 140–150 years ago, which were reconstructed after WWII to suit Japanese tastes and lifestyles. It is a unique Japanese take on Western comfort food, redesigned over a century ago to complement the flavor and texture of Japanese rice. 

Head Chef Tatsuya Yamamoto presented the “Shiba Shrimp (local Tokyo Bay-caught shrimp) Gratin,” which uses a traditional béchamel sauce (a white sauce made from butter, flour, and milk) that has remained unchanged since the shop's founding. He also prepared “Fried Live Japanese Tiger Prawn,” which continues to be a popular dish for special occasions. Both are iconic symbols of Yoshoku history. 

While these dishes are familiar even as home cooking, high-level techniques in heat control, sauce making, and ingredient selection are required when served in a professional restaurant. Because they are classic menu items, the quality of the ingredients is immediately apparent; for this reason, owner Shinpei Tonaka is extremely particular about the procurement of shrimp.

Communication with fishermen and chefs using intermediate wholesalers as a hub

For the gratin, Mr. Tonaka demands Shiba shrimp. These are highly flavorful and aromatic, named after the Shibaura area of Tokyo where they were once caught. For the fried shrimp, he seeks live Japanese tiger prawns, the quintessential ingredient for special occasions. He prioritizes freshness, which greatly affects the taste, and appearance, to ensure a consistent finish. 

The relationship with the intermediate wholesaler, Sanei Suisan, plays a crucial role here. Sanei Suisan is a wholesaler specializing in shrimp, handling various types from Japan and abroad; it is often said in the market that “if it's about shrimp, go to Sanei Suisan.” 

The cross-talk introduced the practical exchanges between the chef and the wholesaler. Mr. Tonaka says, “Unless they supply good products, I cannot do good business.” 

To meet those expectations, Hideki Takano of Sanei Suisan, an expert in shrimp, bids for products at the auction after checking every detail at a fair price. 

“If the seawater temperature differs by even 1℃, the firmness of the meat and the color when cooked will change,” Mr. Takano says, explaining the difficulty of the job, including recent issues with climate change. 

What becomes vital is communication between fishermen and restaurants, with the wholesaler serving as the hub. If good shrimp don't come in, he tells them honestly. Despite being affected by climate change, he says they do their absolute best within those conditions. 

Each professional takes pride in their work and interacts with sincerity. This type of relationship is also a tradition of Tokyo, practiced by many establishments. Thus, whenever you visit Tokyo, you can always enjoy the finest meals.

Loved for 100 years in the downtown: What an izakaya stew tells us

Yamariki, located in Morishita in Tokyo's traditional downtown core, has built its tradition in a completely different context from Ginza. Having lasted nearly 100 years as an izakaya, it is a place beloved by the locals. An Izakaya is a casual Japanese drinking and dining establishment, similar in concept to a pub.

Yamariki’s specialty is Nikumi stew. This dish, made using beef and pork offal, originated during the post-war reconstruction period when food was scarce, and it has now become a staple of izakaya cuisine. The deep flavor of the shop is achieved through tsugitashi—a tradition where the stew pot is never fully emptied, but topped up daily with fresh ingredients.

Much like a sourdough starter, this allows the flavors to deepen and develop a "soul" that spans decades. This stew is so highly regarded that it is considered one of Tokyo’s three great stews.

The secret lies in the techniques the previous owner cultivated in the world of French cuisine. He added red wine and a bouquet garni (a bundle of herbs and aromatic vegetables) to the simmer as flavoring and to remove odors. By doing so, a mild and refined flavor is born, even though the offal fat is used as is. Freshness is paramount for offal and Yamariki uses only fresh offal slaughtered that day.

“Gatsu-sashi with Ginger Soy Sauce” also incorporates French techniques, such as parboiling the gatsu (carefully prepared pork stomach) with bay leaves and vegetable scraps. The stance of making an ingredient like pork stomach palatable, which may seem challenging at first, through careful preparation and skill, and using it without waste, overlaps with modern thoughts on sustainability.

Sell out what was procured that day within the same day

The reason Yamariki has been loved for so long cannot overlook the fact that it has provided an important place to belong for many people. The atmosphere of the town lives within its operating hours: opening at 5:00 PM and taking the last order at 10:00 PM.

“Day laborers start early in the morning, so they drink quickly and head home. But there are also regulars who come five days a week,” says owner Kenichi Yamada. Items sell out one after another during business hours, a style of selling everything procured that day within the same day. In many izakayas loved by the common people, highly sustainable practices are implemented by providing fresh items on the day and not wasting ingredients. 

Yoshoku and izakaya. While they may seem like polar opposites, their essence is the same. Prioritizing procurement, preparing with care, and refining flavor while listening to customers, and this accumulation creates “Tradition.”

Tokyo has many shops that continue these activities daily. Markets and wholesalers are indispensable behind them. Tradition is not just an individual skill; it is maintained by Tokyo's high-precision distribution. Finding a shop by chance only to find it delicious, that, too, is a form of tradition unique to Tokyo. 

Day 2: Evolution　The process by which Tokyo’s trends and culture are reflected in traditional dishes

The theme for the second day is “Evolution,” how new techniques are developed and spread.
The discussion emphasized that evolution does not mean abandoning tradition, but about layering new elements upon that foundation. The focus was on shops that have evolved the “Edomae” style, which originally developed around ingredients from Tokyo Bay, specifically Sushi and Tempura. 

The interesting point here is that evolution is not happening solely through the ideas of chefs; it is being accelerated through co-creation with diverse “backstage” players who select and deliver fish and vegetables from new perspectives. Tokyo is a city that accepts diversity and, at the same time, transforms that diversity into flavor. It became clear that distribution and information are indispensable to this background.

Edomae Sushi evolving through craftsmanship and borderless techniques

Takuya Motohashi, owner of Hiroya Tokyo-mae located beneath Tokyo Tower, advocates the concept of Tokyo-mae, a modern take on traditional Edomae sushi techniques with a borderless mix of Japanese, Western, and Chinese methods. Mr. Motohashi emphasizes the desire to “remove constraints and create something purely delicious.” Through the perspective of Tokyo as an international city, he is boldly updating while keeping the Edomae soul. This is Evolution. 

A symbolic piece specially prepared for this event was “tuna Tuna TUNA.” Lean meat (akami), medium-fatty tuna (chu-toro), and fatty tuna (o-toro) are pressed into a single piece of sushi, with the name layering lowercase to uppercase letters to match the gradually changing types of tuna. Although these parts are usually enjoyed separately, this challenging dish expresses that variation in one piece while keeping the nigiri method intact. 

The following “Chawanmushi (Savory Egg Custard) Sushi” was similar. Chawanmushi, milt, and vinegared rice are mixed in a lotus spoon, and by adding black pepper to sake, the dish is designed so the flavor profile switches. What is provided here is not just a “finished product,” but a “finishing experience.” The process of the dish becoming three-dimensional in the mouth shows that the style of presentation is also an evolution. 

Delivering peak deliciousness across seasons: The evolution of freezing technology

Taro Miyashita of Kitani Suisan, with shops in Toyosu and Tsukiji, spoke during the cross-talk. He is a professional specializing in intermediate tuna wholesaling. What was discussed here were the elements behind evolution: freezing & refrigeration, distribution speed, and peak control.

For example, it is said that tuna is not most delicious when freshly caught; it must be packed in ice and aged for at least 3-4 days for the fat to spread properly. Furthermore, he states that the fat is at its best during the winter. This is where freezing technology becomes important. 
While a home freezer is around -20℃, the freezers used for tuna operate in a temperature range of -50℃ to -60℃. This allows the peak flavor to be maintained for 6 months to a year, making it possible to transport seasonal deliciousness to a different season. Freezing is not a compromise; it is a tool for maintaining quality. 

The term “Edomae” carried the concept of “blessings from the sea you can see” (Tokyo Bay). However, as distribution speed and preservation technology evolve, that concept transcends constraints of time and distance, expanding toward drawing on seafood from oceans around the world. The ability to freely provide out-of-season items is one form of evolution in Tokyo. 

Tempura reinterpreted with French sensibilities

Next is the tempura of Tenki, created by Gou Kametani, who is also a French chef. This evolution is not just about adopting French methods; it lies in the novelty of decomposing and reconstructing the culinary processes of ingredients, batter, seasoning, and ways of eating. 

“Seasonal Vegetable Tempura ~taco style~,” where seasonal vegetable (carrot) tempura is wrapped in nori and eaten by hand, uses a batter with sparkling water for lightness and neutral vegetable oil. By adding aromatic vegetables and a meticulously calculated sauce, it is finished as a dish with excellent total balance, distinct from traditional tempura using sesame oil. 

Mr. Kametani's “Shrimp Tempura” is not just simple shrimp tempura; it features a shrimp paste containing a gelée made from the meat and a sauce from the heads, double-fried so that the tail can also be eaten. The plate is lined with a lightly finished sauce similar to those used in French fish en croûte (pastry crust). 

In this way, while keeping the essence of tempura—sealing the flavor of ingredients in batter and finishing with temperature and time—he evolves the materials, batter, seasoning, and style of eating.

Dialogue with connected producers outside the market

Behind the “evolution” of tempura by Mr. Kametani is the presence of Kazuhiko Yoshioka of &Bugrass Hokuso Nosan, who handles vegetable distribution. Mr. Yoshioka, who turned toward food after health issues while working at a securities firm, met producers who create soil with the help of fermentation. Currently, every weekend at the Aoyama Farmers Market (a direct-sales market held every weekend in Shibuya), he gathers and sells vegetables from small farms across the country. 

What emerges here is a closer relationship and a richer flow of information different from the network of the Central Wholesale Markets. Mr. Yoshioka specializes in “irregular” vegetables—produce that might be excluded from standard distribution due to appearance, but possesses superior flavor and seasonal character—and buys directly from producers who grow vegetables using traditional methods, cooks and tastes them himself, and sells them while conveying that information to consumers. Therefore, only seasonal ingredients appear at his stall. “Our standard is deliciousness, not appearance, so there is no such thing as ‘irregular’ vegetables in our shop,” says Mr. Yoshioka. 

On weekends, the restaurant staff visit the Aoyama Farmers Market, which is about 10 minutes by bicycle, and select vegetables while engaging in dialogue with Mr. Yoshioka. Information about field conditions and harvest timing is shared, and a circulation of information is born, with feedback from chefs returning to the producers. 

Thus, Evolution in Tokyo’s food does not mean simply adopting foreign cuisines; it refers to the power to accept and organize diverse ingredients and techniques and establish them as the flavor of a single plate. 

Behind chefs who evolve across genres are logistics that deliver ingredients quickly and accurately, freezing and preservation technologies that maintain quality, and the discernment of wholesalers and producers who judge materials daily. Information on production areas and seasonal changes is shared with chefs, and new ideas return to the production areas. Information is not one-way; it circulates. 

While Tokyo is a city that accepts ingredients and ideas from around the world, it possesses the operational capacity to manage them properly and convert them into flavor. That urban receptivity and the close collaboration between professionals are what support the Evolution of Tokyo’s food. 

Day 3: Innovation　The challenge of making the delicious sustainable

The theme for the third day is Innovation as seen through gastronomy.
What was emphasized here is that innovation is not simply about doing something new, but born from questions: “If we are to continue gastronomy in Tokyo, what kind of deliciousness should we propose?” and “How can we provide sustainable deliciousness while many ingredients are affected by climate change?” 

Expressing sustainability with a touch of playfulness

Chef Shinsuke Ishii of the French restaurant Sincere is working on the practice and dissemination of sustainable seafood. True to the shop's name, he selects sustainable ingredients but cooks them with a sense of playfulness so as not to be overbearing. His ability to make this sense translate to the food is a major appeal. 

In the demonstration, he used resource-managed sea bass to make a traditional French pastry crust dish (Rouen en Croûte), baking it in a Taiyaki-shaped waffle maker (a traditional fish-shaped cake mold). Despite its cute appearance, the flavor is classic. He also demonstrated a beautiful dish scattered with various treasures of the sea and seasonal vegetables, including fish with low name-recognition that are not typically distributed in the market.

Both dishes maintain the basic principle of being delicious to look at and eat, while subtly tucking in the fact that there are fishermen taking on the challenge of protecting the fish of Tokyo Bay. 

Reasons to proactively utilize delicious yet unknown fish

Hiroki Hasegawa, representative of Sakanabito, which handles fish for restaurants in Kanagawa, spoke during the cross-talk. He is a professional who delivers fish to chefs while maintaining peak freshness using Shinkei-jime.

This is a precision method where a wire is passed from the brain to the spinal cord to instantly relax the fish’s nerves. By "switching off" the nervous system, it prevents stress hormones from spoiling the flavor and delays rigor mortis.

The result is a significantly cleaner taste and a firmer, "snappy" texture that lasts much longer than traditionally caught fish. In recent years, practitioners of this technique have increased worldwide, and Mr. Hasegawa often travels abroad to teach this master skill.

His philosophy on procurement was striking. Generally, buying cheaply at the market is considered valuable. However, Mr. Hasegawa says he takes pride in buying at a high price directly from fishermen without going through the market. By stabilizing the lives of fishermen, they, too, begin to look at the issues of the sea, such as marine resources. Fishermen working with Mr. Hasegawa catch only large fish, release small ones, and do not catch fish whose landing volume is decreasing. This stance of self-regulation creates new value. 

The same applies to so-called “unmarketable fish.” There are fish that do not circulate in the market due to low name-recognition or poor appearance. However, through correct processing and proposal, they can be reborn as recommended products. For example, Black Scabbardfish is delicious and fatty but is often avoided because its bones are troublesome. However, it can be perfectly prepared using Hone-kiri (bone-cutting).

This is a master skill where a chef makes hundreds of microscopic, parallel cuts to neutralize tiny, prickly bones without actually removing them. By softening the structure of the fish this way, the "troublesome" bones disappear, making the fish literally melt in your mouth.

Similarly, Flathead Lobster has excellent flavor but very little meat; while it might be ignored as a main dish, it can be utilized to create incredibly rich, deep-flavored sauces or soups.

The reason such proposals are possible is that Mr. Hasegawa takes the lead in eating various non-marketable fish, researching cooking methods, and sharing that information. As a result, he has earned great trust from chefs. 

“It's not that we can't catch fish because of global warming; rather, because of warming, we can catch these kinds of fish. That, too, is a form of happiness, and we thank the fish that have come to the fishing grounds,” says Mr. Hasegawa. “I convey this to the chefs, and the chefs express it through their cooking to the customers. I am proposing that cycle.”

This stance is not just an ingenuity of procurement. It is a challenge to create a new market by shining a light on fish that previously had no value, adding proper processing and information, and putting them into distribution. From fisherman to wholesaler, chef, and then customer. By updating the design of distribution itself, they make deliciousness sustainable. That activity is indeed one of the innovations in Tokyo.

Surprise born from familiar vegetables: Florilège

In the second half, Chef Hiroyasu Kawate of Florilège (anthology) took the stage. With a plant-based core, he aims to create memorable dishes by using familiar vegetables that everyone knows. Chef Kawate's plant-based philosophy is not about not eating meat or fish, but about focusing on vegetables. He arrived at this through his extensive experience working abroad. 

“Nowadays, if you order Wagyu or Japanese tuna in NYC, it arrives the next day. The distribution network is that developed,” Chef Kawate says. “The only thing I struggled with in that situation was vegetables. There are good vegetables in every country, but the flavor is slightly different from the dishes I want to make. I began to think that perhaps the cuisine that can only be expressed in Tokyo is plant-based.” 

From that idea, “Kabu (Turnip)” was born. Finely cut turnips are steamed into a purée, layered with salt-crusted turnip, and steamed again. Because it is a familiar vegetable, the professional skill and effort are visible, making it a memorable “Innovation” dish. 

Next, “Hakusai (Chinese Cabbage)” features fermentation. Centered on cabbage fermented in a jar for about a week, it is rolled with green apple, shiso (a type of edible leaf used in cooking), sayori (Japanese halfbeak), pine nuts, and nori (dried seaweed). Fromage blanc (fresh white cheese) is layered many times, and finally, it is sprinkled with denbu (sweetened fish flakes) made from fish. Instead of creating depth through reduction like a fond de veau (veal stock), he creates complexity by mixing various ingredients and supplementing missing umami with fermentation. This is another memorable “Innovation” dish that can’t be had at home.

An expert connecting “cooking nerds” and “vegetable nerds”

Supporting Chef Kawate’s challenge is Takeshi Okumura, representative of Midori Shop, a food wholesaler in Taito Ward. He gathers vegetables from 20 to 30 farmers skilled in growing delicious produce and delivers them to chefs himself. 

Mr. Okumura describes his job as “connecting cooking nerds and vegetable nerds.” He believes a translator is necessary between restaurants and farmers. He says he wears the face of a farmer when delivering to chefs, and the face of a chef when visiting farmers. This is because direct communication can easily lead to misunderstandings, and when poor products arrive, it’s unclear where the problem lies. 

Therefore, Mr. Okumura guarantees the distribution, including temperature control, with responsibility and proudly delivers the best vegetables to the chefs. Meanwhile, he translates the chefs' requests (size, harvest timing) into language the farmers can understand. 

“There are still producers who put in the effort and know the secrets to making vegetables delicious,” says Mr. Okumura. “I tell them, ‘Please work hard for that, I will buy them at a fair, high price,’ and have serious chefs use them. When I give feedback that it became a delicious dish, the producers’ motivation goes up.” 

In this way, behind innovation was a serious contest among professionals to connect deliciousness to the future. Proposals to turn unmarketable fish into value and challenges to push everyday vegetables into a leading role cannot be established by the chef’s ideas alone. Innovation only becomes sustainable when producers, wholesalers, distribution, temperature control, and information sharing mesh at a high level. 

Tokyo is a city where both market distribution and face-to-face transactions function. Because there is a mechanism cared for down to the fine details, things that do not end as a passing trend are born. Innovation is not eccentric; it is a design philosophy to sustain deliciousness. That update continues throughout Tokyo today. 

Tasting the collaboration of professionals in Tokyo

Through these three days, it became clear that Tokyo's deliciousness is born from the collaboration of professionals in each genre. At the center is the chef's cooking; for that skill to be exercised to the fullest, it is crucial to have experts who judge ingredients, correct distribution, circulating information, and a shortened distance between producers and chefs. The act of eating in Tokyo is, without one realizing it, tasting the results of that series of connections. 

To give a practical tip for travelers: Tokyo is a city where you go to find your own famous shop and, at the same time, a city where you can adventure with peace of mind. 

For sushi, I recommend experiencing both the classic Edomae and evolved forms like “Tokyo-mae.” For tempura, try shops that have evolved the aroma and way of eating, not just the orthodox dipping sauce. For gastronomy, experience deliciousness that includes the background and story, such as how sustainable the dish is, rather than just the taste. 

When you walk and eat with such a new perspective, you will see that Tokyo is a city of food and, simultaneously, a city of distribution and expert discernment. 

The reputation that everything is delicious no matter where or what you eat is not just a saying. It is born from the accumulation of techniques since the Edo period, the diversity of the city and its people, and the high-precision distribution network that supports them. That tradition becomes the foundation, evolution accelerates under urban receptivity, and innovation leading to the future is born. Tokyo’s deliciousness is quietly being updated again today.