Local Guide
6 recommended restaurants in Aizuwakamatsu where you can enjoy horse sashimi and sake

Along with Nagano and Kumamoto, the horse meat culture has long been rooted in the Aizu region. There are many restaurants in Aizu Wakamatsu that specialize in horse meat dishes, and horse sashimi can be enjoyed at most izakaya (Japanese style pubs). There are also more than 30 sake breweries scattered throughout Aizu, and each brewery has its own unique selection of local sake. Here are some of the best restaurants serving horse sashimi and local sake that you should definitely try when you visit Aizu.

*Please note that due to the prevention of the spread of the new coronavirus, the hours of operation may change and the cafe may be closed. Please check in advance before visiting.

Enjoy horse sashimi and sake made with the skill of a former sushi chef

From the front:
From the front: "Sakura Sashimi" 880 yen, "Sakura Katsu-age" 770 yen

Founded in 1970 as a sushi restaurant, it was redesigned three years later as a restaurant specializing in sakura meat. The menu includes horse meat sashimi, sushi, and other dishes that make use of the skills of a former sushi chef, as well as the popular "sakura katsu-age" (fried horse cutlet), which is made by pounding horse meat with a knife to create a menchi-style dish. Sake is carefully selected from Aizu Wakamatsu's sake breweries. The menu features a variety of sake with a refreshing taste that goes well with horse meat, such as "Gekkyu," a pure rice sake, and "Hanaharu Daiginjo," a limited-edition sake. In addition to the lean horse meat, if you are lucky, you can taste "mane-gami" and "marbling," which are rare parts of horse meat.

A full menu of horse dishes from one dish to set menus

The atmosphere is comfortable for everyone from single customers to groups.
The atmosphere is comfortable for everyone from single customers to groups.

The restaurant is spacious, with counter seating, a remnant from the sushi restaurant days, as well as table seating and tatami rooms. The restaurant is family-owned and operated, with the first and second generations working side by side in the kitchen. During weekday lunch hours, popular set menus using horse meat, such as "Sashimi Set Meal" and "Sakura Sauce Cutlet Set Meal," are offered at a service price. From October to April, the restaurant offers "sakura nabe" (cherry blossom hot pot), a dish of horse meat cooked in the style of sukiyaki. This specialty, made with horse meat seasoned in the style of sukiyaki, is a perfect accompaniment to sake.

Sakura-nabe Yoshida
  • Address 5-14 Toei-cho, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 6 minutes drive from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station
  • Bus Direction Take a bus from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station, get off at "Aizuwakamatsu Shiyakusho-mae" and walk about 2 minutes.
  • Business hours 11:00-13:30 (L.O.), 17:00-21:30 (L.O.)
  • Closed Sunday (open on 3 consecutive holidays)
  • TEL 0242-28-5533
  • Parking Free of charge

Aizu brand horse meat served in a variety of ways

The famous
The famous "Aizu Sakura Nabe W-Karubi Set" (1,870 yen)

Aizu brand-certified horse meat is delivered every morning from a horse farm in Aizu Wakamatsu. The signature "Aizu Sakura-nabe W-Karubi-zen" is an original nabe dish in which fresh horse meat, which can also be eaten as sashimi, is quickly dipped in sukiyaki-style sauce and dipped in a meringue-like beaten egg. Two types of horse meat are available: top grade ribs called futaeko and top grade ribs, which have an exceptional flavor of fat. To pair with sake, we also recommend the "Sakura Hachinzari Sashimi". You can compare eight different types of rare parts of horse, such as the finest red meat, top tongue, and sekizui, which have different tastes and textures.

A wide selection of local sake from the Aizu region of Fukushima that enhances the flavor of horse meat

Six private rooms and a spacious tatami room are available in a Japanese-style space.
Six private rooms and a spacious tatami room are available in a Japanese-style space.

Tsuruga" has 6 restaurants mainly in Fukushima and 2 in Aizuwakamatsu. The "Aizu Honten" is located on "Aizu Wakamatsu City Hall Street" where many restaurants are lined up, and can be used casually both during the day and at night. The Aizu Honten has a wide selection of local sake, and for those who want to enjoy a wide variety of sake, we recommend the "Ochoko (cup) Drinking Comparison Set," which allows you to taste 13 different types of local sake. The hard-to-find "Hiroki" sake is also available on a regular basis.
Higashiyama Sohonzan is located at the entrance to Higashiyama hot spring and has a luxurious atmosphere with reservations required. It offers mainly course meals and is ideal for special occasions and anniversaries.

Tsuruga Aizu Honten
  • Address 4-21 Toei-cho, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 6 minutes drive from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station
  • Bus Direction Take a bus from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station, get off at "Aizuwakamatsu Shiyakusho-mae" and walk about 1 minute.
  • Business hours 11:30-14:00 (13:30L.O.), 17:00-22:00 (21:30L.O.)
  • Closed Closed on weekends and holidays
  • TEL 0242-29-4829
  • Parking Free of charge

Impressed by the freshness of horse meat selected by a professional meat chef

From the front,
From the front, "Sakura Sashimi" 900 yen, "Sakura Toro Kalbi" 900 yen

Aizuwakamatsu's famous yakiniku restaurant has been in Aizuwakamatsu for over 60 years. Originally started as a butcher store, the restaurant has an established reputation for its meat selection, offering a wide range of meat from Aizu's specialty horse meat to beef, pork, and chicken. Many people come here for the horse meat, and the freshness of the horse sashimi is particularly exceptional. The meat is tender and melts in your mouth because it is fresh and never frozen. The signature dish is the "Sakura Toro Karubi. It is a rare part of the meat, equivalent to the halami of horse meat, and is addictively delicious when quickly seared and eaten rare.

A sacred place for yakiniku that attracts fans from all over Japan

The restaurant is mainly tatami rooms. Table seating is also available.
The restaurant is mainly tatami rooms. Table seating is also available.

The restaurant is located in a residential area slightly outside the center of Aizu Wakamatsu. Although it is located far from the nearest station and bus stop, the restaurant, which seats about 50 people, is always full. Reservations are therefore essential, and it is recommended to make reservations for popular dishes such as "Sakura Toro Karubi. In addition to horse meat, the restaurant is also proud of its special A5-rank beef from Oku-Aizu, which goes well with Aizu sake, a local alcoholic beverage with a refreshing taste. In particular, the horse sashimi has an exceptional three-flavor combination of sake, horse meat, and a special garlic miso paste.

Yakiniku Maruchu
  • Address 1-34 Nishiki-cho, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 13 min. walk from JR Nishi-Wakamatsu Stn.
  • Bus Direction Approx. 6 min. walk from Yugawa-machi bus stop after taking the bus from JR Aizu-Wakamatsu Sta.
  • Business hours 17:00-22:00 (21:30L.O., Sun. Holidays 21:00L.O.)
  • Closed Wednesday
  • TEL 0242-28-4191
  • Parking Free of charge

Enjoy local cuisine and local sake to your heart's content at a well-known restaurant loved by locals

From the front,
From the front, "Sakura Sashimi" (cherry blossom sashimi) 1,100 yen, "Kozuyu" 500 yen

This izakaya is a representative of Aizu Wakamatsu with many fans who come from outside the prefecture. The cuisine uses many local ingredients, and the izakaya has an excellent reputation for its local dishes. Among them, "kozuyu," which is taro, carrots, kikurage mushrooms, etc. simmered in scallop soup stock, has a homey and comforting taste. Other must-try dishes include "ketobashi" (horse sashimi) and "nishin no sansho zuke" (pickled herring with Japanese pepper). The owner carefully selects the best local sake, and the original daiginjo-nama sake "Kagota" produced by Suehiro Shuzo, a brewery in Aizu Wakamatsu, is also popular.

A cozy space in a renovated ryotei (traditional Japanese-style restaurant)

Counter seating in a separate space. Many customers come alone.
Counter seating in a separate space. Many customers come alone.

Kagota" is the name of a teahouse that existed in Aizu-Wakamatsu from the Edo period to the early Showa period, and was named in honor of its prosperity. The restaurant, which was renovated from a former ryotei (Japanese-style restaurant), has a relaxed atmosphere and offers counter seats, box seats, tatami rooms, and private rooms. Shoes are removed at the entrance, so you can relax and enjoy your meal as if you were at home. If you want to know more about sake, go to the counter seats. The refrigerator in the kitchen has a selection of sake that is not on the menu, so it is recommended to consult with the Staff/staff member before ordering.

Kagota
  • Address 8-49 Sakae-cho, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 6 minutes drive from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station
  • Bus Direction Take a bus from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station, get off at "Aizuwakamatsu Shiyakusho-mae" and walk 5 minutes.
  • Business hours 17:00-22:00
  • Closed Closed on Sundays
  • TEL 0242-32-5380
  • Parking Not available (60-minute free parking ticket at Himawari Parking when using food and drink)

A izakaya full of local love with an established reputation for its selection of locally brewed sake

From the front:
From the front: "Horse Sashimi" 1,320 yen, "Aizu Chicken Kushiyaki Assortment" 1,320 yen

As the name suggests, this izakaya focuses on Aizu ingredients and local sake. We especially focus on "Aizu Jidori" (Aizu Chicken), which we serve in a variety of styles, from grilled skewers to fried chicken, sukiyaki, and omelette. In addition, you can also enjoy Aizu's local cuisine such as "horse sashimi" and "whale soup. The local sake lineup includes products from most of the breweries in Aizu, and one of the rarer ones is "Gihei" from the smallest brewery in Aizu Wakamatsu, Kaishuichi Sake Brewery. If you order the "Kizukizake Set" first, you will be able to choose three brands of Aizu's best sake to suit your tastes and get to know the sake you prefer.

A warm wooden space where you can relax and enjoy your meal

The interior has a modern atmosphere. In addition to counter seats, there are also tatami rooms.
The interior has a modern atmosphere. In addition to counter seats, there are also tatami rooms.

Located on Otemon Street, one of Aizu Wakamatsu's most popular streets lined with izakaya (Japanese-style pubs), visitors enter the restaurant through a narrow passageway on the side of the building. Once inside, you will find a Japanese-style space with gentle indirect lighting that emphasizes a comfortable atmosphere; the first floor has counter seats and a sunken kotatsu-style tatami room, while the second floor has a large tatami room and a private room, making it convenient for different purposes and numbers of people. In addition to the standard menu, the restaurant also offers the recommended dishes of the day, so you can enjoy seasonal ingredients to the fullest. We recommend the "Aizu Jidori Tamago Bukkake Meshi (rice topped with Aizu chicken eggs and bukkake)" or "Aizu Jidori Tamago Ice Cream" for a perfect end to a long day of drinking.

Saishoku Saishu Aizukko
  • Address 4-49 Sakae-cho, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 6 minutes drive from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station
  • Bus Direction Take a bus from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station, get off at "Aizuwakamatsu Shiyakusho-mae" and walk 4 minutes.
  • Business hours 17:00-23:00 (22:30L.O.)
  • Closed Sunday
  • TEL 0242-32-6232
  • Parking No charge (60-minute free parking ticket at "Angel Parking" for customers who spend more than 3,000 yen)

A sake information center where you can enjoy sake from most of the breweries in Aizu

Clockwise from the front:
Clockwise from the front: "Horse Sashimi" 1,280 yen, "Kozuyu" 580 yen, "Aizu Jidori Toriwasa" 680 yen

A sake bar where you can enjoy Aizu's local sake and cuisine. It opened in 2014 with the idea of "creating a place where the efforts of local breweries and their flavors can be conveyed. The owner, who is also a sake connoisseur, runs the bar by herself. She offers suggestions on how to enjoy sake, and while listening to the charms and stories of Aizu's sake, you can taste almost all of the sake available in Aizu. The dishes are also handmade by the owner, and include dishes typical of Aizu such as "horse sashimi" and "kozuyu," as well as dishes that go well with sake, ranging from Japanese to Italian cuisine.

Conversation with the owner, who is also a sake taster, is one of the best parts of the experience.

The restaurant has only 15 seats at the counter. Sake lovers gather from all over Japan.
The restaurant has only 15 seats at the counter. Sake lovers gather from all over Japan.

This restaurant is also famous as a "gateway to success" and has been a gateway to success for generations of Aizu Wakamatsu's leading izakayas such as "Kagota" ("kotai" radical (radical 9)). True to its jinx, "Aizu Kuratake" has also gained local fans through word of mouth and is now a popular restaurant with many repeat customers from outside the prefecture. Since the store has only a counter, visitors can enjoy talking with the owner. The owner is happy to give you information about the brewery, introduce you to stores where you can buy local sake, and even recommend izakaya (Japanese-style pubs) if you are interested.

Aizu Kurabu
  • Address 8-44 Sakae-cho, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 7 minutes drive from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station
  • Bus Direction Take a bus from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station, get off at "Aizuwakamatsu Shiyakusho-mae" and walk 4 minutes.
  • Business hours 17:00-22:00 (L.O.)
  • Closed Sundays and Mondays (open on consecutive holidays)
  • TEL 0242-85-6039
  • Parking None
The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.