Yakitori: the complete guide to Japanese chicken skewers

Yakitori (焼き鳥, literally “grilled bird”) is grilled chicken on a skewer. That is all it is, and at the same time it is much more than that. Yakitori is how Japan took the most overlooked cuts of a chicken, the ones that would go unused elsewhere, and turned them into dishes that deserve a restaurant of their own.

In Japan there are places that specialise in nothing but yakitori. Under the arches of elevated rail tracks, in smoky alleys, at counter bars that seat eight people. They have been in the same spot for decades and have not changed anything because there is nothing to change.

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The cut is what matters

What separates yakitori from any other chicken skewer is that the whole bird is used, and each part has its own name, its own texture and its own reason to exist.

Momo (もも): the thigh. The most common cut and the safest place to start. Juicy, with well-balanced fat.

Negima (ねぎま): thigh alternated with spring onion (negi). The most classic yakitori combination. The negi caramelises on the grill and adds a sweet contrast to the chicken.

Tsukune (つくね): minced chicken meatball, grilled on a skewer. Usually served with a raw egg yolk for dipping. It is the cut that varies most from one restaurant to another: some make it soft, others firm, some mix in shiso or wasabi.

Kawa (皮): the skin. It needs patience on the grill to become properly crispy without burning. When done right it is addictive.

Tebasaki (手羽先): whole wings. More meat than they appear to have. Very popular in Nagoya, where they have their own version with pepper and soy sauce.

Rebā (レバー): liver. Strong flavour, soft texture. With tare sauce it tastes very different than with salt. For the uninitiated it is the riskiest, but also the most surprising if done well.

Hatsu (ハツ): heart. Firmer than liver, with a cleaner flavour. One of the favourites among regulars.

Sunagimo / Zuri (砂肝): gizzard. Entirely crunchy texture, mild flavour. With salt it is one of the best things in yakitori.

Nankotsu (なんこつ): cartilage. Completely crunchy. Not for everyone, but it has a loyal following.

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Tare or shio: the only question you will be asked

In many yakitori restaurants, when you order you will be asked: tare (タレ) or shio (塩). It is the only decision you need to make.

Tare is a sweet soy sauce with mirin and sugar, reduced until it is glossy and thick. It is applied several times during cooking. It gives strong flavour, umami, caramelisation.

Shio is salt. Just salt, sometimes with a squeeze of lemon or yuzu at the end. It lets you taste the chicken without interference.

As a general rule: fatty cuts like skin (kawa) or thigh (momo) work well either way. More delicate cuts like heart (hatsu) or liver (rebā) usually benefit from shio. Tsukune is one of the few cuts that is almost always eaten with tare and a dipping egg yolk.

If the restaurant does not ask, they will most likely serve everything with tare by default. You can specify when ordering: “shio de onegaishimasu”. Pointing at the menu works too: see our guide to eating in Japan without speaking Japanese for more on getting by at counter restaurants.

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Yakitori-ya or izakaya

Yakitori can be eaten in two very different settings.

A yakitori-ya (焼き鳥屋) is a specialist restaurant. The menu may be long or very short. There is a counter where you can see the grill. The cook makes only yakitori and has been doing so for years. The charcoal is usually binchotan (備長炭), a white Japanese oak charcoal that burns at very high temperature without flame, which gives yakitori a flavour unlike any other grill.

At an izakaya, yakitori is one dish among many. Quality varies, but it is a good entry point if you are not sure whether you will like the format. If it is beef rather than chicken you are after, our guide to yakiniku covers the grilled beef equivalent.

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How to eat yakitori

You eat directly from the skewer, sliding the meat off with your teeth or with chopsticks. In more casual places there is no protocol: you eat however works.

At counter restaurants, you order two skewers at a time, or one at a time. Do not order everything at once: yakitori arrives hot from the grill and is meant to be eaten immediately. If you order ten skewers at once, the last ones will arrive cold or overcooked.

Cold draft beer (nama biru) or shochu with hot water (oyu-wari) are the most common accompaniments. Barley tea (mugicha) for those who do not drink alcohol.

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How much it costs

The price per skewer varies by restaurant and city, but typical ranges are:

At regular restaurants: ¥150–300 per skewer. A couple of beers and six or seven skewers comes to ¥1,500–2,500 per person.

At mid-to-high-end yakitori-ya: ¥300–600 per skewer, with better ingredients, more precise cooking control and binchotan charcoal.

The most expensive cuts are usually stuffed breast (sasami) or elaborate tsukune. The most affordable are gizzard and heart.

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Where to eat yakitori in Japan

The most famous area in Tokyo is Yurakucho (有楽町), under the arches of the elevated rail line between Yurakucho and Hibiya stations. They have been there for decades, they are noisy, they smell of charcoal and they work exactly as a yakitori place should work.

In Osaka, the Shinsekai district has kushikatsu restaurants (a breaded skewer variant), which is not exactly the same but shares the same skewer philosophy. For pure yakitori, the Namba and Shinsaibashi area has several specialist places.

In any medium-sized Japanese city there is a yakitori-ya that has been in the same spot for years and has no need to advertise itself. Following the smell works as well as any app.

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Yakitori is one of the few dishes in Japan that tends to be better the more unpretentious the restaurant looks.