Tokyo’s Unagi Culture: A Tradition Born in Edo

When you take a bite of unagi (eel) carefully grilled over charcoal, the first thing that hits you is the deeply roasted aroma of the seared surface, followed by flesh that is tender and fluffy within. The sweet-savory sauce balances with the unagi’s natural fat, creating a deep and harmonious flavor. Unagi is a uniquely Japanese dining experience shaped by artisan skill and a long history

This article explores what unagi is, how it developed a distinctive style in Tokyo, and why experiencing authentic unagi in the city is so meaningful. We look at why unagi has long been loved in Japan, the techniques passed down through generations of craftsmen, and the ways Tokyo restaurants are thinking about conservation of wild eel today—offering a deeper look into the richness of Tokyo’s unagi culture.

Unagi’s Appeal: A Nutritious Dish Defined by Its Flavor, Tradition, and Artisan Skill

A craftsman carefully grilling unagi over charcoal to achieve the perfect texture.

Unagi has long been valued in Japan as a source of energy. It is rich in vitamin A, B vitamins, protein and high-quality fats. In the hot summer months, people traditionally ate unagi to regain stamina—a custom that continues today, with many enjoying it during the height of summer.

The heart of traditional unagi cuisine is kabayaki: unagi grilled with a sweet-savory soy-based sauce known as unagi sauce. During the Edo period, the roughly 260-year era beginning in 1603, kabayaki was sold  from food stalls.

Today’s kabayaki  has evolved into a more refined cooking style. Craftsmen carefully butterfly the unagi, skewer it, and grill it over binchotan, a type of charcoal commonly used in Japanese cuisine. Originating in Wakayama Prefecture, binchotan is a high-quality charcoal known for its strong, steady heat and minimal smoke, allowing the unagi to cook without losing its natural flavor. Using a hand fan, the cook adjusts the heat while grilling with great care to avoid burning the surface.

The sauce is a closely guarded secret at each shop. Its basic ingredients—soy sauce, sugar and mirin—follow a traditional Japanese seasoning method, but the proportions vary from place to place. Many long-established restaurants use a “master sauce” that has been continuously added to over generations. This sauce blends seamlessly with the unagi’s natural fat, creating a deep and balanced flavor.

Unagi restaurants typically offer several classic dishes.

Unajū

This is the most common way to enjoy unagi. Unajū  consists of rice dressed with unagi sauce and kabayaki  unagi, served in a lacquered box. It is typically offered in about three portion sizes. The sauce soaks into the rice, creating a unified flavor with the unagi. Although unagi was originally eaten simply as kabayaki, the style of serving it over rice is said to have originated in Tokyo.

Kabayaki

You can, of course, order kabayaki  on its own. If you want a full meal for lunch or dinner, unajū is a solid choice, while kabayaki  is ideal when you want to focus solely on the unagi itself.

Shirayaki

Shirayaki  is a simple unagi dish grilled without the kabayaki  sauce. It is typically eaten with wasabi and soy sauce. Because it highlights the natural sweetness and UMAMI of the unagi, it is a dish that is usually offered by places confident in the quality of their ingredients. UMAMI, the fifth basic taste discovered in Japan, defines the distinctive flavor of dashi.

Kimosui

Kimosui  is a clear soup made with unagi liver. The liver is added to a broth that draws out UMAMI from kombu (edible seaweed) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes). The result is a refined, delicate flavor.

Uzaku

Uzaku  is a vinegared dish made with unagi and cucumber. It is characterized by a gentle acidity enhanced by dashi. Unagi is a food with very little waste. In addition to the dishes introduced above, some places fry the bones into crisp snacks or grill the head for serving. This spirit of “using everything” is a core idea in Japanese cuisine and continues to support the sustainability of food culture in Japan today.

Butterflying, Steaming, and a Bold Sauce: Tokyo’s Edomae Unagi

In Tokyo’s unagi restaurants, the sauce is often bold and soy-forward, reflecting the tastes of native Tokyoites.

Unagi is enjoyed throughout Japan, but Tokyo has developed a style of its own known as Edomae unagi. The term Edomae  refers to the waters of Tokyo Bay that lay “in front of Edo,” the former name of Tokyo. In the past, dishes made with fresh unagi caught in the rivers that flowed into Tokyo Bay were called Edomae unagi. Edo’s landscape—surrounded by rivers and the sea—created an environment where wild unagi was naturally abundant.

Tokyo’s unagi dishes also developed a distinct cooking style, different from those found in the Kansai region, which includes cities such as Osaka and Kyoto. First, the way unagi is cut differs. In Tokyo, craftsmen butterfly the unagi from the back, a method known as se-biraki. In Kansai, by contrast, it is typically opened from the belly, called hara-biraki. Edo was a city of samurai, and cutting open the belly recalled seppuku—a ritual act associated with taking responsibility through self-disembowelment—making the gesture culturally inappropriate for everyday cooking. For this reason, cooks in Edo adopted the back-opening method.

An even more important difference is whether the unagi is steamed. In Tokyo, the cook first grills the unagi, then steams it. This step removes excess fat and gives the flesh a soft, tender texture. After steaming, the unagi is brushed with sauce and grilled again. This “grill → steam → grill” process defines the Tokyo style. In Kansai, the unagi is not steamed; it is grilled directly after being cut, resulting in a crisp, aromatic kabayaki. In recent years, techniques from Tokyo and Kansai have begun to merge, and some specialists now offer a combination of both approaches, creating a new style of unagi that blends the strengths of East and West.

Learning How to Enjoy Unagi in Tokyo, with Insights from “Kiyokawa”

Fifth-generation owner Masahiro Watanabe of Kiyokawa, a long-established unagi restaurant.

Experiencing unagi in Tokyo offers a valuable opportunity to connect with the history of Japanese food culture. Here, we introduce insights from Masahiro Watanabe, the fifth-generation owner of Kiyokawa—an unagi restaurant founded in 1874 with a history of more than 150 years—on how to appreciate unagi in Tokyo.

“We have devoted ourselves to kabayaki  unagi since 1874. The traditions built by previous generations are something we hope to carry forward for decades to come,” Watanabe says.
The restaurant carefully preserves its traditional wooden building, constructed more than a century ago. “In Tokyo, the number of unagi restaurants housed in old wooden structures has been declining. That is why we feel a responsibility to maintain this building,” he explains.

Rebuilt after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, the building has been preserved and maintained through repeated repairs ever since.

Watanabe also shared his thoughts on how to enjoy unagi. “First, I recommend taking a bite before adding sansho pepper. Sansho has a strong aroma, so it’s best to start with a small amount.” He also notes that unagi can contain fine bones, so diners should eat with care.

Watanabe speaks passionately about sustainability as well. “Wild unagi stocks have declined, and in 2014 they were designated as an endangered species. For this reason, we use only farmed unagi. We do not serve wild-caught unagi.” Farmed unagi offers certain advantages. It allows people to enjoy unagi at a consistent quality and price throughout the year.

Across the unagi industry, work is underway to develop full-cycle aquaculture, a technology that would allow unagi to be bred entirely in captivity. “Experts predict that this could become practical within the next five to ten years. If that happens, we’ll be able to enjoy unagi in a truly sustainable way,” Watanabe says with optimism.

Finally, we asked him about the appeal of eating unagi in Tokyo. “The greatest charm of Tokyo’s unagi is being able to experience flavors that craftsmen have preserved over many generations in restaurants with long histories. If you’re visiting Tokyo, it’s something we’d really encourage you to taste,” he says.

The aroma of unagi grilled over charcoal, the atmosphere of historic buildings, and the signature sauces passed down through each establishment—all of these elements make eating unagi in Tokyo a sensory journey into the depth of Japan’s food culture.