Located in Fushimi, a town lined with sake breweries, Torisei Honten is a popular restaurant with tourists and local families alike, and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in January 2026. We explored the reasons and history behind why Yamamoto Honke, a sake brewery, decided to open a restaurant specializing in chicken dishes.

1. Torisei's specialty is unpasteurized sake poured straight from the tank

This chicken specialty restaurant, housed in a renovated historic sake brewery and main building, offers a lineup of approximately 20 varieties of Yamamoto Honke sake, including the famous Shinsei. The spacious 250-seat restaurant is always bustling with customers enjoying drinks, even in the daytime. The "brewery-dashi nama genshu" (unpasteurized sake) poured from a tank located in the center of the restaurant is especially recommended. Additionally, during the new sake season from December to the end of April, freshly pressed "tareguchi" sake is also available, making it an irresistible season for sake lovers. The secret ingredient in their signature yakitori sauce is sake, which is another reason it pairs so well with alcohol. Aside from yakitori, most of the other dishes are chicken-based. Chicken's mild flavor can be light or rich, depending on the dish, and it pairs well with a variety of sakes. The sake menu includes examples of dishes that pair well with the sake, so you can refer to them for reference.

2. A pioneer of sake brewery-run restaurants for half a century

Mr. Koji Yamamoto, Managing Director of Yamamoto Honke Co., Ltd., talks about the history and circumstances from the company's founding to the present day

For Yamamoto Honke, sake is "something that complements the food." This idea was the basis for the establishment of Torisei 50 years ago in 1976. The previous owner of the family was inspired by a restaurant serving freshly brewed beer and sausages next to a brewery while visiting Germany on an inspection tour. If we opened a restaurant like that, wouldn't people be more likely to enjoy drinking sake? The innovative idea of ​​serving our own sake alongside food is sure to be beneficial to the sake industry. This idea led to the launch of a restaurant directly operated by a sake brewery, which was unprecedented in Japan. Restaurants attached to sake breweries are now popular throughout the country, and Torisei can be said to be a pioneer in this field.
Originally, Torisei Main Branch was opened with the cooperation of Torisei, which operates in Shijo Kiyamachi. The group now has 19 stores, allowing sake fans from all over the country, not only in Kyoto but also in Osaka, Ibaraki, Fukushima, Hokkaido, and Kanagawa, to enjoy chicken dishes and the fine sake Shinsei. Furthermore, a 20th store is planned to open at Toei Kyoto Studio Park in March 2026.

3. Plump and fragrant grilled chicken skewers

The chicken skewers are grilled on a specially made grill by Torisei, until the outside is fragrant and the inside is soft and fluffy. The lightly sweet sauce is perfect with sake.
鶏串焼きは手前左から2本ずつ、ミンチ（つくね）200円（1串の価格／以下同じ）、とりねぎ200円、手羽先190円、奥左からきも190円、やきとり（上身）280円、心ぞう190円。とり釜めし（味噌汁、小鉢、漬物付き）1300円、つくね月見（オニオンソース掛け）720円。
A glass of unpasteurized sake from the brewery costs 520 yen, and is a rich, full-bodied drink that can only be enjoyed here. From the left: Shinsei Super Dry Special Junmai Genshu Glass 600 yen, Junmai Ginjo Celebration Glass 600 yen, Junmai Daiginjo Kyo no Kagayaki Bottle 3900 yen

4. Celebrating its 50th anniversary as a beloved local in Fushimi

The only time Torisei Honten faced a crisis in its 50-year history was during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even when most restaurants were closed, they chose to continue operating without serving sake, even though it was in the red. This was because they wanted to serve as a dining venue for the local Fushimi residents, providing a source of enjoyment when they couldn't go out, a sort of lifeline. While Kyoto is said to be dominated by inbound tourists, Torisei Honten is supported by mostly Japanese customers, many of whom are repeat locals. The fact that there are many regulars who visit with their families, spanning three generations and even grandchildren, is perhaps a testament to the restaurant's long-standing popularity as a symbol of our town, Fushimi.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary on January 23, 2026, Torisei Main Branch is planning a variety of events, including the re-release of nostalgic menu items. Be sure to visit while you're strolling around Fushimi, the town of sake breweries.

Writer/Sake Master Eriko Fujita
Expand your world to a sake specialty store in Osaka and encounter a variety of sake and sake breweries. Favorite sakes are Akishika, Ohgi, and others.
Other than drinking, my hobbies include collecting minerals and raising swallowtail butterflies.