The eel skin is grilled until crisp, the flesh stays thick and tender, brushed with a delicate kabayaki glaze, with edges kissed with char where smokiness and fat intertwine. Served with tamagoyaki (sweet egg omelet) and two petite rice balls — one with pickled shiba greens, the other with fresh sansho berries that provide citrusy, peppery contrast.
Tips from diners
Summer signature dish. The sansho berries are crucial — they're not decoration, they change the entire taste profile of the eel. Eat them together.
Autumn specialty. A delicate broth made from the essence of matsutake mushrooms, capped with a silky fish and shrimp ball, topped with thin myouga (Japanese ginger) slices. The ginger provides sharp contrast to the creaminess of the ball and the subtle smokiness of the broth.
Tips from diners
Matsutake is expensive and seasonal. The soup captures the mushroom's essence without overwhelming it. This is restraint done right.
Spring specialty. Razor clams are notoriously difficult to source at their peak, and Chef Okuda has secured a specific producer. Prepared with minimal intervention — perhaps light salting, brief cooking, or raw — the clams' natural briny sweetness becomes the centerpiece.
A condensed version of the dinner course, 6-8 dishes instead of 10+, still following the seasonal philosophy. Same ingredients and technique, just fewer courses and a midday pacing.
A paced tasting menu of 8-10 courses that change with the season. Spring features razor clams and wild mountain vegetables; summer brings Tenryu River sweetfish and Lake Biwa eels; autumn showcases matsutake mushrooms; winter offers crab and yellowtail shabu-shabu. Chef Okuda selects each ingredient at peak season from specific producers he has built relationships with. The courses are intentionally paced to allow digestion between dishes.
Tips from diners
Two Michelin stars since 2008. The philosophy is restraint — the ingredients speak. No showiness, just precision and seasonal authenticity.
Reservations required, book well in advance. The omakase changes seasonally, so ask what's featured when you book.
Summer signature. Sweetfish from the Tenryu River in Shizuoka, grilled over charcoal with just salt. The whole fish is edible (including the head and organs), and the grilling brings out natural oils.
Chef Toru Okuda moved Ginza Kojyu to its current Ginza location in 2012 and has held two Michelin stars consistently since 2008. The philosophy is clear: select the finest seasonal ingredients and arrange them in a paced omakase with minimal technique — letting the raw material shine. Spring means razor clams, summer brings Lake Biwa eels and Tenryu River sweetfish, autumn is matsutake mushrooms, winter offers crab and yellowtail. Everything is from specific producers Okuda has built relationships with.
Reservations are absolutely required — this is not a walk-in restaurant. Book weeks or months in advance, especially for dinner service.
The menu changes entirely with the season. Spring (spring vegetables, fish), Summer (eels, sweetfish), Autumn (matsutake), Winter (crab, yellowtail). Ask what's featured when you reserve.
Two Michelin stars held consistently since 2008. This is elite-level kaiseki where Chef Okuda's relationships with specific producers matter as much as his technique.
Located on Namiki Dori in Ginza 5-Chome, on the 4th floor of the Ginza Carioca Building. Easy to find but easy to miss if you're not looking.
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