Kiyokawa Store

Kiyokawa Shop: A Timeless Eel Restaurant in the Heart of Nihonbashi

Tucked away on a quiet back street in Nihonbashi Koamicho, surrounded by towering office buildings and the bustle of Tokyo's financial district, stands a remarkable wooden structure that seems to belong to another era entirely. This is the Kiyokawa Shop (喜代川店舗), the home of Unagi Kiyokawa, one of Tokyo's most venerable eel restaurants. Founded in 1874 during the early Meiji period, the restaurant has been serving exquisite Edo-style grilled eel for over 150 years. The current building, a graceful two-story wooden structure built in 1927 following the Great Kanto Earthquake, was registered as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2018, recognized as an exceptionally rare example of traditional sukiya-style architecture surviving in central Tokyo.

Historical Background

The story of Kiyokawa begins in 1874 (Meiji 7), when the restaurant first opened its doors in the Nihonbashi Koamicho neighborhood. This area, nestled along the Nihonbashi River, had long been a vital commercial district since the Edo period, known for its rice merchants, salt traders, and wholesale dealers who thrived on the river's waterborne trade routes. By the time of Kiyokawa's founding, it was already a thriving center of commerce.

The restaurant quickly earned a sterling reputation. By 1884, just ten years after its establishment, Kiyokawa was ranked in the East Maegashira 4th position in a famous ranking chart of notable eel restaurants published at the time, an impressive achievement for such a young establishment among 241 listed restaurants.

The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 devastated the Koamicho neighborhood, burning most of the area to the ground. In the aftermath, the current building was constructed in 1927 (Showa 2) as part of the post-earthquake reconstruction. Unlike many neighboring structures that adopted Western-style kanban (signboard) architecture with fireproof materials like copper plate, mortar, and tile, Kiyokawa chose to rebuild in the refined sukiya style, incorporating elements of traditional tea ceremony aesthetics into its design.

Remarkably, while the Great Tokyo Air Raid of March 10, 1945, destroyed much of Tokyo, the Koamicho area was among the sections that survived the firebombing relatively intact, allowing Kiyokawa's building to endure through yet another catastrophe. This combination of surviving both the earthquake reconstruction era and wartime destruction makes the building a truly precious historical artifact.

Why It Was Designated a Cultural Property

The Kiyokawa Shop was registered as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) on May 10, 2018. The designation recognizes several exceptional qualities of the building.

In the rapidly developing urban center of Chuo Ward, where large-scale commercial redevelopment continues to transform the landscape, traditional wooden buildings have become increasingly rare. While the Nihonbashi Koamicho area still retains some Showa-era kanban architecture and traditional machiya townhouses along its back streets, a sukiya-style combined shop and residence like Kiyokawa is extremely uncommon. The building is valued as a precious surviving example of post-earthquake reconstruction architecture.

The official registration notes the building's significance as a high-quality traditional wooden structure that preserves its original character amid an area of remarkable urban development. The structure demonstrates the continuation of refined Japanese architectural craftsmanship from the early Showa period, serving as a rare link to the neighborhood's historical streetscape.

Architectural Highlights

The Kiyokawa building is a two-story wooden structure with a combined hip-and-gable roof covered in copper plate and partially in tile, encompassing a building area of approximately 107 square meters. The main entrance faces east onto the alley, with a distinctive gabled porch at the southern end of the facade and a projecting wing at the rear.

The exterior walls showcase the careful craftsmanship characteristic of sukiya architecture. On the first floor, the lower wall panels use vertical boarding with deliberate gaps between planks (mesukashi technique), topped by traditional earthen plaster walls. The second floor features horizontal weatherboarding secured with thin pressing strips (oshibuchi shitami-ita-bari), with the upper portion finished in white lime plaster (shikkui).

Inside, the building reveals even greater artistry. The first floor houses the kitchen, dining area with table seating, and living quarters, while the second floor contains five tatami rooms used as private dining rooms for course meals. Each guest room has been finished with distinctly different designs for its tokonoma alcove, staggered shelves (chigai-dana), and ceiling materials, demonstrating extraordinarily meticulous craftsmanship. These subtle variations between rooms create unique atmospheres, reflecting the sukiya tradition of creating individualized, contemplative spaces.

In 2014, the building underwent careful preservation work that included structural repairs to address deterioration as well as seismic reinforcement, all while maintaining the historic character and allowing continued commercial use as a restaurant.

A Culinary Legacy: Edo-Style Eel

Beyond its architectural significance, Kiyokawa continues to serve as a living cultural institution through its culinary traditions. The restaurant specializes in Edo-style eel preparation, in which the eel is first thoroughly steamed before being grilled over premium binchotan charcoal. This method produces an exceptionally tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture that distinguishes the Kanto style from the crispier Kansai approach.

The restaurant's secret sauce (tare) has been continuously replenished and refined since its founding, maintaining a slightly bold, clean flavor that the restaurant describes as authentically traditional Edo-style. This living culinary heritage, passed down through five generations of the Watanabe family, complements the architectural heritage of the building itself.

The restaurant has long attracted literary figures and cultural luminaries. The celebrated novelist Tanizaki Junichiro (1886–1965), who was born in the nearby Nihonbashi Kakigara-cho neighborhood, was a known patron. The popular author Watanabe Junichi (1933–2014) also frequented the restaurant, and the establishment appears in several literary works.

Visitor Information

Kiyokawa offers two distinct dining experiences. The first-floor table seating provides a more casual setting where guests can enjoy signature dishes such as unaju (eel served over rice in a lacquered box). The second-floor tatami rooms, accessible by reservation, offer a full course meal experience in the elegant private rooms, ideal for special occasions, business entertaining, or anyone wishing to fully appreciate both the cuisine and the historic architecture.

As the eel is prepared fresh to order using traditional methods, guests should expect a waiting time of approximately 30 to 40 minutes. This patience is well rewarded with the exceptional quality of the finished dish. The restaurant also offers takeout and delivery options for those in the surrounding area.

When visiting, take a moment to observe the building's exterior details, including the copper-plated roof, the contrasting wall textures, and the traditional stone lantern near the entrance to the second-floor rooms. The two separate entrances—one for the casual first-floor dining and another for the formal upstairs tatami rooms—reflect the building's dual function as both a neighborhood eatery and a refined dining destination.

Surrounding Attractions

Kiyokawa's location in Nihonbashi Koamicho places it within easy walking distance of several notable attractions. Koami Shrine (小網神社), located just a few minutes away on the same street, is one of Tokyo's most popular power spots, renowned for bestowing good fortune and financial luck. Its exquisite pre-war shrine building, carved with ascending and descending dragons, is itself designated as a Chuo Ward Tangible Cultural Property.

The nearby Ningyocho district, accessible within a five-minute walk, retains much of its traditional downtown charm with its famous Amazake Yokocho (Sweet Sake Alley) lined with long-established shops and eateries. Suitengu Shrine (水天宮), revered for safe childbirth and child-rearing, is also within walking distance.

For those interested in the broader Nihonbashi heritage, landmarks such as the Nihonbashi Bridge (a National Important Cultural Property), the Mitsukoshi Department Store main building, and the Bank of Japan headquarters are all accessible on foot, making for a rewarding half-day walking tour of Tokyo's historic commercial heart.