You’ll find Numazuko Kaisho in the street just behind the prominent Marui department store, a 5-minute walk away from Ueno Station. The rustic exterior perfectly fits the lively, down-to-earth atmosphere of the neighborhood, inviting you to enjoy an unpretentious seafood lunch.

The shop opens at 11:30 a.m. and while it seems fairly unknown among sightseers, the locals are deeply in love with Numazuko Kaisho and tend to queue up 30 minutes before it opens. But don’t be discouraged by that – there’s plenty of seats and guests come and go pleasantly quickly, making any waiting time surprisingly short. Once inside, you’re greeted by a simple and clean interior that evokes the atmosphere of a lively port town.

The secret to Numazuko Kaisho’s popularity isn’t just the unbelievably cheap prices. Its most important feature is the fresh taste of the fish that directly comes from a proper fishing port. The shopkeeper’s dad runs a fish shop in the port town of Numazu (notice something?) in Shizuoka Prefecture, delivering the freshest catch right to the restaurant every morning. Here, Tokyoites get to enjoy the day’s catch at the same time as at the actual port!

Here are just two of the dishes that are part of Numazuko Kaisho’s all-you-can-eat offer. One is negitoro, high-quality minced tuna with chopped Welsh onion and seasoning. It’s a great place to start for sushi beginners and goes great with rice. Right next to it is kaisen chirashi, various kinds of seafood mixed with Japanese-style egg that boasts a subtle sweetness. This complements the taste of the fresh fish just right.

Yellowfin tuna sashimi is pleasantly soft and has a gentle hint of sweetness. Not too fatty and with a refreshing taste, it’s a favorite of quite a lot of people. On the left side of the image is katsuo tataki, a traditional specialty of lightly grilled bonito.

The entire fish is briefly grilled at high temperatures, making the outside crisp and flavorful while leaving the inside raw. The red meat is then enhanced with soy sauce to deepen the taste. It’s an amazing combination of flavors!

Sashimi is quite a rare way to prepare sunfish, so this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! It has a nice elasticity to it and is moderately fatty, leaving a pleasant aftertaste lingering on your tongue.

Next to it is classic tuna, nicely chopped into large, colorful blocks. Rich in flavor, the first bite will already surprise you with just how fresh it tastes!

Mackerel and salmon are beloved in many parts of the world. At Numazuko Kaisho, the mackerel is pickled in salt with a bit of vinegar to balance the flavors, giving a bit of a punch to the fresh fish.

The salmon is firm to the bite and boasts its typical fattiness, practically melting right on your tongue and incredibly flavorful.

Next to sashimi specialties, Numazuko Kaisho will also tickle your taste buds with a variety of side dishes, such as shrimp or Chinese-style jellyfish. It’s the perfect opportunity to go on a culinary adventure and explore beyond tuna and salmon!

Even scallops and octopus are included in the all-you-can-eat offer, surprising not only with their freshness but also with their size! Looking at this selection, it’s hard to believe that everything is available for as little as 1,200 yen.

That’s not all, however – there’s even a decent choice for people who aren’t fans of raw fish. Deep-fried delicacies such as the classic menchikatsu (a deep-fried minced meatball) are ready to be picked up for crunchy, juicy goodness! Deep-fried white fish or deep-fried horse mackerel called ajifurai also shouldn’t be ignored. Once you’ve had enough of sashimi, head over to this corner!

We tried to make ourselves a nice seafood bowl and this is the result. The thickly-sliced seafood topped with the boiled scallops really was amazingly delicious and so incredibly fresh! The restaurant’s all-you-can-eat buffet allows seafood lovers to explore and indulge in all kinds of tastes without having to bother with a complex menu order.

Numazuko Kaisho even features an all-you-can-drink offer! Not just beer is on the menu but also a variety of beverages and spirits, allowing yourself to mix a unique cocktail to your liking.

The selection of Japanese sake is huge as well!
If you want a nice drink alongside your sashimi, we recommend the all-you-can-drink offer for 1,850 yen. It includes a great selection of Japanese sake and shochu. The drinks aren’t ordered but poured yourself, meaning that you can keep it straight or mix with water as desired. We urge you to keep an eye out for the local sake varieties from Shizuoka, as they’re usually rather hard to come by.

With not only a large selection of seafood but also alcoholic drinks, Numazuko Kaisho’s all-you-can-eat-and-drink seems almost too good to be true!

Numazuko Kaisho’s all-you-can-eat offer is only available on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., with the last order at 1:30 p.m. and a limit of 45 minutes. Everything that doesn’t have a separate price tag or is inside the glass display is part of the deal, including rice and miso soup.

Simply enter the store and order the all-you-can-eat offer. After you paid at the cash register, your 45 minutes start to indulge in as many seafood specialties as you like! Try your way through everything that piques your interest after being seated.

All-you-can-eat lunch offer prices:
・ Seafood (buffet only)
Adults: 1,200 yen / elementary school children: 600 yen / 3 years to elementary school age: 300 yen / infants under 3: free
・ Seafood + softdrinks (all-you-can-drink): 1,300 yen
・ Seafood + alcoholic drinks (all-you-can-drink): 1,875 yen

If you choose to order for the alcoholic drink offer, take note that after your 45 minutes are over, you’ll have to pay an extra 75 yen for every five minutes that follow. That happens automatically, meaning no one is going to come notify you about your time limit, so keep an eye on the clock!

This goes without saying, but make sure to only put as much food on your plate as you’re capable of eating and drink one cup after another. If you end up with too many leftovers onyour plate, you might be billed an extra 500 yen. Just take your time and go for small servings to not overeat yourself before you’ve had everything you want to try!

Numazuko Kaisho doesn’t only boast convenient access from Ueno Station but its biggest draw undoubtedly is the amazingly fresh seafood for the small price of 1,200 yen! About 80% of the restaurant’s guests are Japanese, so this really is somewhat of a hidden gem that’s incredibly popular with the locals. Make sure to stop by and indulge in all your seafood cravings the next time you’re in the area!

※The seafood offered changes by season. The menu depends on the catch of the day.
※All prices include tax.
※The information stated in the article is as of March 2018.