On a pleasant sunny day in autumn, I visited Ozu. My first stop in the morning was the castle. In the room at the top of the keep, I chatted with the gentleman who is there to explain things to visitors, and since it was nearly lunchtime, I asked him where I should eat. Without hesitation, he recommended a place called Shun, which means ‘in season’. He said that other restaurants around served general sorts of food, but at Shun, they would give me something local. It certainly sounded good, so I followed his directions.
Unfortunately, on the way to Shun, I stopped at this and that interesting spot in Ozu, and when I was nearly faint with hunger, I found Aburaya. This is a gleaming white building across the street from the old red brick bank, another must-see spot in Ozu. Aburaya is the large storehouse of a ryokan dating from the Edo period. With the addition of a gateway, portico, gardens, and a huge glass wall, the storehouse has been converted into an attractive restaurant.
Directly across from the Akarengakan, there used to be an inn founded at the end of the Edo period named Aburaya. A reconstruction and expansion of its former storehouse is where current Aburaya (the restaurant), specializing in robatayaki grilled meals, operates. A robatayaki restaurant (grilled dishes) housed in an expanded storehouse of a former inn. The owner bakes the ingredients in front of you, and the savory aroma stimulates your appetite. In a space that combines history and newness, enjoy the high quality taste of Ozu. The Aburaya in the town of Asamoya is popular among both tourists and locals.
The meal cost 1,100 yen, and I was well satisfied. The menu of curries is extensive, and I’m keen to go back and try the other types available. Aburaya also serves cakes, coffee, and beer.
Later on, I passed Shun, and it looked very good too. Ozu publishes a useful tourist guide (in Japanese only) listing a wide range of restaurants and their prices. Both Aburaya and Shun appear in the guide.
