A special yakitori shop is found in an old town in Tokyo.

I have three reasons for often coming to Torimasu(鳥増)…

First is charcoal grilled yakitori (skewered chicken) made by the owner Takeshi Masuda.

The chef moved his hands silently while preparing yakitori.

His perfectly grilled fresh-chicken is the best.

Furthermore, the price per skewer starts from 110 yen and the most expensive one is Tenasaki (chicken wing) for 210 yen. Very reasonable.

Beautifully-grilled crispy chicken skin is very popular among them.




Others are unique crunchy texture of Nankotsu(cartilage), juicy Bonjiri (tail meat) that provides a pleasant aftertaste,

and creamy and tender Segimo (back giblets) that is very unique part of chicken and you want to eat it again once you’ve tried it.

Second is that the shop offers a wide range of alcohol.

There are over 65 types of sake and over 80 types of shochu (distilled spirits made from grains and vegetables), which is the number I’ve roughly counted, at the shop.

Jikon, Taka, Aramasa, Manzen, Tsurunashigenji…

The paper slips written on the name of each alcohol put up on the wall closely one another will call me, saying “please drink me, please drink me”.




When I was wondering which one I should try by reading through the letters written with red or green markers, I suddenly noticed that these slips looked charming.

The owner Takeshi-san happily told me “These letters were written by a part-time staff Okinaka-san. Don’t you think they have a nice square-shaped?”

Many drunk customers at the shop are somehow charming too.

I thought about that reason while enjoying shochu.

Delicious, reasonable price, and relaxing atmosphere.

Such a generous shop is a miracle in Higashi Mukojima.

Customers also understand this miracle well and support the shop as if they and the shop were united.

Nice customers can attract a nice shop.

Well, this is definitely the third reason.

Shop details
Torimasu
Address: 2-39-8 Higashi Mukojima, Sumida-ku, Tokyo

Access: a five-minute walk from Higashi Mukojima Station(東向島駅) on the Tobu-isesaki Line
Tel: +81-3-3611-883
Opening hours: 17: 00-23:00(L.O.)
Closed on Sundays
Price range: 2,000 yen to 4,000 yen (Credit cards not accepted)
Seats: 80 seats (counter 10, table 40, and Japanese-style seat 30)