Yakitori

Yakitori is chicken grilled on bamboo skewers over charcoal, seasoned either with just salt (shio) or a sweet soy glaze (tare). 'Chicken' covers every part — thigh, skin, liver, heart, cartilage, tail — plus non-chicken skewers of leek, mushroom, quail egg, and pork belly. It is izakaya food, ordered a few skewers at a time alongside beer, in casual and often smoky places.

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IZAKAYA SNACKS

Yakitori thumbnail
Yakitori¥100〜¥250
CommonIZAKAYA SNACKS

ABOUT

Yakitori is chicken grilled on bamboo skewers over charcoal, seasoned either with just salt (shio) or a sweet soy glaze (tare). 'Chicken' covers every part — thigh, skin, liver, heart, cartilage, tail — plus non-chicken skewers of leek, mushroom, quail egg, and pork belly. It is izakaya food, ordered a few skewers at a time alongside beer, in casual and often smoky places.

DIETARY NOTES

VegetarianVEGETARIAN
Not vegetarianGrilled chicken and offal skewers. The tare glaze contains soy, mirin and sake; "shio" (salt) skewers are simpler but still chicken.
PorkPORK
No pork in the standard version.
AlcoholALCOHOL
Cooked with mirin and/or sake. Most of the alcohol cooks off, but not all of it.
AllergensCOMMON ALLERGENS
SoyWheat / gluten

General guidance for the standard version of this dish. Recipes vary by shop and region — always confirm with the restaurant if you have an allergy or a religious dietary requirement.

COOKING CLASSES & EXPERIENCES

Hands-on classes and food tours featuring Yakitori, booked through GetYourGuide (free cancellation up to 24h before on most).

DETAILS

OriginORIGIN
Grilled-bird stalls existed in the Edo period, but cheap chicken made yakitori a working-class staple only in the 20th century, cemented by postwar street stalls.
How to EatHOW TO EAT
Eat straight off the skewer; do not pull the pieces off with your chopsticks. Choose shio or tare when ordering. Shichimi pepper is on the table, and used skewers go in the cup provided.
FrequencyFREQUENCY
Common — Found everywhere
PricePRICE
¥100〜¥250