Old School Tokyo Hot Pot Joints

Discover traditional hot pot restaurants in the Shitamachi side of Tokyo, each specializing in a unique ingredient such as tuna belly, Asari clam, wild boar, or fighting cock hot pot. Watch YouTube videos to see what they're like and find the real deal for authentic hot pot experiences.

When Tadashi and I were writing our hot pot book, one of our researchers dug up this gem of a website, a listing of traditional hot pot restaurants in the Shitamachi side of Tokyo, each one specializing in a particular ingredient. (Thanks, Kate!) So next time you've got a hankering for, oh, tuna belly, Asari clam, wild boar, or fighting cock hot pot you'll know where to go. The website's in Japanese but there's a YouTube video for the twenty places listed, so you can see what they're like. Tadashi and I checked out two of the places, Miyako (Fukagawa clam) and Yoshi Ume (tuna belly) last November. Both the real deal.