Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Yakitori is Tokyo's grilled chicken skewer over binchotan charcoal: every part of the bird (thigh, breast, liver, gizzard, tail, skin) seasoned with salt or tare sauce.
Yakitori began as Edo-period street food and became a postwar yokocho staple. Toshihiro Wada's Bird Land moved to Ginza in 2002 and helped kick off the high-end overhaul with shamo free-range chicken from Ibaraki and binchotan grilling. Today the form runs the full price spectrum, from 200-yen sticks in Omoide Yokocho to 30,000-yen omakase courses in Ginza basements.
3 editor picks for Yakitori in Tokyo, ranked by editorial score. All Tokyo signature dishes · Yakitori across every city.
Toshihiro Wada's Bird Land in Tokyo Ginza grills Ibaraki shamo over binchotan, the basement that invented elevated yakitori. One Michelin star.
OrderThe omakase course closing with the oyakodon rice and silken liver pate as the opener.
TipClosed Sundays, Mondays and public holidays. Reservation by phone only, six weeks out.
Omoide Yokocho in Tokyo's Shinjuku is the post-war yakitori alley north of the west exit. 70 stalls of grilled chicken, offal skewers, ramen and highballs.
OrderYakitori, motsuyaki offal, ramen
TipBring cash. Most stalls seat six to eight; arrive by 17:30 for the best counter seats before the after-work rush.
Harmonica Yokocho in Tokyo's Kichijoji is the post-war alley behind the JR north exit. 100-plus tiny stalls of yakitori, oden, standing sushi and craft beer.
OrderYakitori, oden, standing sushi, motsu nikomi
TipIseya yakitori main shop is around the corner; the alley itself is the better stand-up dinner crawl after 19:00.
Yakitori makes more sense with someone from Tokyo explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Guided tour · 3.5 hours
2-time TripAdvisor #1 out of 10,000+ experiences. Golden Gai, Omoide Yokocho & Kabukicho, all-you-can-drink included. Japan's original bar-hop tour. The perfect first ...
Entry ticket · 3 hours
Cook and enjoy 8 Japanese dishes in this fun class! Make miso soup, sweets, and tender Wagyu beef. Great for beginners and food lovers looking to experience a new Japa...
Private tour · 2 hours
Step inside a members-only restaurant in Ebisu for a private Ozaki Wagyu dining experience. Enjoy a creative Japanese course by a chef trained in Kyoto’s Gion, with En...
