Behind the Counter at a Secret Japanese Wholesale Market Restaurant

Mar 08, 2025 | News On Japan

Mar 08, 2025 (Paolo fromTOKYO) - Today I’m going behind the counter and deep into the kitchen of Iseya Shokudo, a local family owned Japanese restaurant, tucked away inside of this relatively unknown wholesale produce market, about a 6 minute walk from Tokyo’s JR Okubo station.

When entering Yodobashi market, through the southern entrance, you have to carefully navigate past the delivery trucks and bustling workers, to find this Tokyo hidden gem. Serving typical Japanese set meal dishes made with the market’s freshest vegetables and other carefully selected ingredients. This shop has been a favorite among market workers and locals since 1951. It’s truly a well-kept secret-even among locals. Since the market is open 24 hours a day, this shop opens it’s doors every morning at 5AM, to serve market workers looking for a meal after a long all-night shift. But in order to keep these hours, Tanaka san’s dedication has him starting his prep around midnight. And he decides what to serve on the day based on the ingredients available at the market, writing down day’s special on the shop’s menu board before opening

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