A new charcoal-grilled yakitori restaurant, Yakitori Torimaru Ishiyama, opens on January 23, 2026, in the Ishiyama area of Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. The restaurant has been created by renovating a traditional Japanese house (kominka), preserving local architectural heritage rather than demolishing it. This initiative aims to connect the area's landscape and memories to the future.
Traditional House Renovation Meets Yakitori: Preserving Ishiyama's Architectural Memory
Yakitori Torimaru Ishiyama has been created by renovating a traditional house in the Ishiyama area of Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. The building has been preserved rather than demolished, with existing pillars, beams, and verandas remaining intact. This approach inherits the time and regional memories accumulated in this place as part of the space itself.
While maintaining the spaciousness and tranquility characteristic of traditional houses, the restaurant has been designed to naturally blend into daily life in the Ishiyama neighborhood.
Charcoal-Grilled Yakitori: Hand-Skewered Preparation
The yakitori offered focuses on charcoal grilling. Each skewer is hand-prepared and carefully grilled while monitoring the charcoal condition and heat level.
Rather than grilling quickly over high heat, each skewer is finished while checking the color, aroma, and heat penetration balance, bringing out the natural flavors of the ingredients.
There are no flashy presentations or excessive creative elements. The restaurant values the process from preparation through grilling to finishing, delivering yakitori born from this accumulated care.
Beyond Yakitori: Hot Pot, Seasonal Dishes, and Chicken Sashimi
In addition to charcoal-grilled yakitori, Yakitori Torimaru Ishiyama offers a menu composition that can be enjoyed according to the season and occasion, including hot pot dishes, seasonal specialties, and chicken sashimi.
During cold seasons, hot pot dishes allow guests to slowly gather around the fire. Seasonal dishes change with the seasons, prepared with awareness of Shiga and Otsu's food culture and seasonal ingredients.
Additionally, chicken sashimi, prepared with careful attention to ingredients and technique, offers a different aspect from yakitori.
The restaurant values "culinary diversity" beyond yakitori, making it suitable for both everyday meals and slightly special evenings.
61 Seats with Terrace: Accommodating Solo Diners to Family Groups
Yakitori Torimaru Ishiyama has 61 seats total, including counter seating, spacious dining areas, garden-view seating, and terrace seating, offering various ways to enjoy your visit.
Private Rooms Available: Flexible Dining for Various Occasions
The restaurant features private room spaces that can also be used exclusively for hot pot dining.
With a self-service drink system, staff entry is minimized, creating an environment where guests can focus on their meal and conversation. These rooms allow diners to enjoy their time without concern for others, suitable for family use or quiet dining occasions.
Rather than specializing in large banquets, these spaces are designed for days when you want a quiet meal or time to relax in small groups.
For those looking for a yakitori restaurant, izakaya, or dinner option with private rooms in the Otsu-Ishiyama area, this restaurant meets those needs.
An "Everyday Yakitori" Restaurant: Beyond Banquet Specialization
Yakitori Torimaru Ishiyama aims to be not just a special-occasion yakitori restaurant, but an "everyday yakitori" establishment chosen for regular dining.
Rather than focusing on large banquets or course meals, the restaurant welcomes solo diners stopping by after work, families gathering for dinner, and friends enjoying quiet conversations.
The restaurant values being naturally present as an extension of daily life.
Yakitori Torimaru Ishiyama is designed as an "everyday yakitori" restaurant rather than specializing in banquet demand, accommodating everything from solo dining to family and group meals.
For after-work visits or regular dinners, when you think "let's have yakitori today," this is a place you can choose naturally without hesitation.
This is what this restaurant and the Nadeshico Group aim to achieve.
From Shiga to the World: Yakitori Culture Loved Globally
Yakitori is no longer just Japanese cuisine. The word YAKITORI, like SUSHI and RAMEN, has spread worldwide as a Japanese food culture that transcends countries and languages.
While it's a simple cooking method, YAKITORI's taste is determined by heat control, aroma, timing, and understanding of ingredients. It has generated unique interpretations in various countries, yet the essential concept of "enjoying charcoal-grilled skewers" has been consistently passed down.
What Yakitori Torimaru Ishiyama values is not trends or excessive presentation, but the approach to yakitori as something naturally eaten as everyday food.
While rooted in the daily life of the Ishiyama area in Shiga, by overlapping with the global context of YAKITORI, the restaurant aims to convey yakitori not just as "cuisine" but as a culture within daily life.
Torimaru combines Japanese charcoal-grilling food culture with the spatial value of traditional houses, aiming to convey yakitori not just as cuisine but as culture.
Through the accumulation of each individual restaurant rooted in the local community, this will eventually connect to the world. Yakitori Torimaru Ishiyama is positioned as one important base for this vision.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. Can I make reservations?
A. Yes, reservations are available. Yakitori Torimaru Ishiyama, as a yakitori izakaya in the Ishiyama area of Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, accepts advance reservations to accommodate everyone from solo diners to families and groups. Reservation methods will include the official website, official LINE (to be announced), and phone.
Q. Can I visit alone?
A. Yes, solo diners are welcome. Counter seating is available, making it easy for solo drinking or dining after work. The restaurant aims to be an "everyday" yakitori establishment within Ishiyama's dining scene, suitable for casual visits when you simply want charcoal-grilled yakitori.
Q. Is it non-smoking? Is there a smoking area?
A. All indoor seating is non-smoking. A smoking area is provided outside, ensuring a comfortable experience for those who prioritize their dining time and space. Recommended for those seeking a non-smoking yakitori restaurant.
Q. Can I visit with children?
A. Yes, families with children are welcome. With table seating and a spacious layout, the restaurant accommodates family dining and dinner use. Suitable for those looking for a family-friendly yakitori restaurant in the Otsu-Ishiyama area.
Q. Is there terrace seating?
A. Yes, terrace seating is available. Guests can enjoy meals while experiencing the seasons and atmosphere in the garden space characteristic of traditional houses. The ambiance created by this renovated traditional house is one of its attractions.
Q. What are the business hours and regular holidays?
A. Business hours are 5:00 PM to 12:00 AM (midnight). As a yakitori izakaya with late-night hours, it accommodates after-work dining and late meals. The restaurant operates year-round with no regular holidays.
Restaurant Information
Restaurant Name: Yakitori Torimaru Ishiyama
Address: 6-12 Awazu-cho, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture 520-0832
Phone: 077-533-7711
Opening Date: January 23, 2026
Cuisine Type: Yakitori (YAKITORI)
Smoking: Non-smoking (outdoor smoking area available)
Cooking Method: Charcoal-grilled / Hand-skewered
Seating: 61 seats (including terrace seating, 6 counter seats)
Business Hours: 5:00 PM to 12:00 AM (Last order: 11:00 PM)
Regular Holidays: None
Related Links
Nadeshico Co., Ltd. Official Website (Shiga Restaurant Management & Regional Revitalization)
https://nadeshico1000.jp
Yakitori Torimaru Ishiyama Official Website (Menu & Reservations)
https://brand.nadeshico1000.jp/torimaruishiyama/
Restaurant Official LINE
To be announced
Yakitori Torimaru Ishiyama Instagram (New Menu & Seating Information)
https://www.instagram.com/torimaruishiyama/?hl=ja
