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Hitsumabushi at a long-established restaurant in Nagoya

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Nagoya Hitsumabushi

ひつまぶし Hitsumabushi · Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture

Photo: Bariston · CC BY-SA 3.0

Chopped kabayaki eel served in a wooden tub: the first bowl plain, the second with condiments, the third with tea poured over.

Know before you go

  • Do not pour all the broth into the wooden tub right away
  • do not dig through the shared tub for eel with your own chopsticks
  • do not save places for many people when queuing at popular restaurants

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

Hitsumabushi is a local dish of grilled kabayaki eel cut into thin strips and laid over rice in a wooden tub (ohitsu); it is best known in Nagoya. Japanese Wikipedia states that its origins are disputed and unclear. Atsuta Horaiken in Atsuta, Nagoya, claims it originated in the Meiji period: the porcelain bowls used for deliveries kept breaking, so they switched to a large, unbreakable wooden tub holding several servings to be shared. Ibasho in Nishiki 3-chome claims it originated in the Taisho period. There is also a claim for Tsu in Mie Prefecture. In the written record, 'hitsumabushi' already appears in the 'Nagoya Taste Map' published in 1964. Today the standard way to eat it is to divide the rice into four portions and finish them in three different ways.

Local customs

  • Use the rice paddle to divide the rice in the wooden tub into four portions: eat the first bowl as it is to taste the eel itself
  • add condiments such as green onion, nori and wasabi to the second
  • pour dashi or tea over the third to make ochazuke
  • and eat the last portion the way you liked best.

Religion & beliefs

  • Hitsumabushi has nothing to do with religion
  • the old shops in Nagoya's Atsuta area are close to Atsuta Shrine, and many people go for eel after visiting the shrine, so you can plan both for the same day. Atsuta Shrine enshrines the Kusanagi sword
  • do not eat or drink within the shrine grounds when visiting, and have your meal at restaurants nearby.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · Japan

No photography and no eating or drinking in the permanent gallery of the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum

Do

  • Put away your camera, food and drinks before entering the permanent gallery
  • For the special exhibition gallery and the children's gallery, check the notices of the day to see whether photography is allowed
  • If you need to eat or drink, go to the areas designated by the museum, such as the outdoor colonnade

Don’t

  • Do not take photos or videos in the permanent gallery
  • Do not eat or drink in the permanent gallery, and do not have meals in other areas of the museum either
  • Do not extend the permanent gallery's photo ban into a photo ban across the entire park

The museum's 2026 visitor guide explicitly prohibits photography, eating and drinking in the permanent gallery and asks visitors to check the restrictions for other galleries separately; follow the museum's instructions on site.

Not yet verifiedSource: Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum: FY2026 visitor guide, page 6

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Japan: At fireworks festivals, don't tape off spots in advance, and never fly drones

Do

  • Spread your sheet where there is actual space when you arrive, leaving room for neighbours
  • Follow police and staff directions and move with the crowd
  • Bring plenty of water and cooling gear to prevent heatstroke
  • Riverbanks have lots of insects, so bring repellent
  • Festivals usually go ahead in light rain, so bring a raincoat
  • Take your rubbish home

Don’t

  • Don't mark spots in advance with tape or spray paint on roads or in parks
  • Don't fly drones
  • Don't use selfie sticks in crowds; the Sumida River festival bans them
  • Don't stop in the middle of the path to watch and block the flow

Spots marked in advance are cleared by the organisers, and flying drones is prohibited by law. City-centre festivals run one-way crowd flows, and going against the flow or stopping can cause dangerous crushes.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Excite News: Sumida River Fireworks, access and viewing guide

Essential restrictionsHot springsCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Mixed, open-air and private baths: read the signs, don't stare, never take photos

Do

  • Check the signs before entering; mixed baths are clearly marked, and joining is entirely your choice
  • Most mixed baths are nude only, with no swimwear; some allow or lend special bathing wraps or towels, so follow the bath's rules
  • If you prefer not to bathe mixed, use the separate men's and women's baths or a private bath
  • Outdoor baths are slippery and the temperature changes sharply; hold the handrails when moving
  • Use a private bath only within your booked slot and leave on time
  • Tohoku and other regions still have many therapeutic hot springs with mixed bathing; for long therapeutic stays, follow the ryokan's and your doctor's advice

Don’t

  • Don't stare at other bathers, strike up conversations, or linger to watch
  • Don't take photos or videos in the bath area
  • Don't overstay a private bath; the next group is waiting

Mixed bathing works only because bathers keep their eyes to themselves; staring or taking photos will get you asked to leave, and filming others in a bath may break local law.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Wikipedia (Japanese): Konyoku

Essential restrictionsPhotos & dronesCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Stay off private land, and ask before photographing children or people

Do

  • Ask parents' permission before photographing their children
  • Ask geiko, maiko, and other working people before photographing them
  • Check for 撮影禁止 (no photography) signs, and ask staff if there are none
  • Photograph trains and stations themselves without disrupting operations

Don’t

  • Do not enter private homes or land for a shot
  • Do not photograph the inside of homes
  • Do not aim your camera at individual passengers on trains or buses
  • Do not step into rice paddies, flower beds, or along railway tracks for photos
  • Do not use selfie sticks or tripods in crowds or dangerous spots
  • Do not chase or stop geiko or maiko

Trespassing on private land is illegal and can get you told to leave or to delete your photos. Shooting in no-photo areas will be stopped, and photographing children is seen as an invasion of privacy.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Aichi Now: Sightseeing Manners

Essential restrictionsHot springsCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Bathe nude in the onsen and keep your towel out of the water

Do

  • Bathe fully nude, without swimwear or underwear
  • Rest your small towel on your head or the edge of the bath
  • Tie up long hair so it stays out of the water
  • Enter the bath slowly and keep quiet
  • Leave your phone in the locker
  • Keep your first soak short, and dry off before returning to the changing room

Don’t

  • Do not dip your towel into the bath
  • Do not swim, dive, or talk loudly in the bath
  • Do not take photos anywhere in the bathing area
  • Do not wrap your yukata right side over left; that is how the deceased are dressed

Most of these are written bathhouse rules. Breaking them gets you a reminder from staff, and in serious cases you may be asked to leave. Soaking too long can also make you dizzy.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Authentic Local Japan: Onsen Etiquette

Don’t DON'T

  • Do not pour all the broth into the wooden tub right away
  • do not dig through the shared tub for eel with your own chopsticks
  • do not save places for many people when queuing at popular restaurants
  • do not treat the wooden tub as a container to take away
  • do not pour all the condiments into the tub at once.

Locals appreciate DO

  • The restaurant appreciates guests who eat in the order of 'first bowl plain, second bowl with condiments, third bowl with tea poured over'
  • praising the fragrant grilled eel after the meal is the best response to the chef. Asking the staff how to eat the fourth bowl often brings advice like 'have it again in your favorite way', which makes for pleasant conversation
  • neatly arranging the wooden tub and bowls after eating also pleases the restaurant.

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • There are unagi restaurants around Atsuta Shrine, Sakae and Nagoya Station, and a meal takes about an hour
  • queues at popular long-established restaurants often exceed an hour, and some take reservations or hand out numbered tickets. You can combine it with Atsuta Shrine and Nagoya Castle. Eel stocks in Japan are under pressure, so prices are high and also vary with origin and season. Dining tips: the kabayaki sauce contains soy sauce (soy, wheat) and sugar
  • eel has fine bones, so take care with children
  • eel is a freshwater fish and risky to eat raw, but kabayaki is thoroughly cooked. Restaurants also usually offer unaju (eel rice box), which is a good choice if you do not want to eat it in three ways. Prices and opening hours are as set by each restaurant
  • popular long-established restaurants often have queues, so going outside regular mealtimes is more relaxed.
Sources & verification notes

English Wikipedia: Hitsumabushi

Japanese Wikipedia: Hitsumabushi

Atsuta Horaiken official website

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