Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan

Imahan

Name: Imahan
Address: Japan, 〒103-6199 Tokyo, Chuo City, Nihonbashi, 2 Chome−5−1 髙島屋S.C. 新館６階, Tokyo, JP
Telephone: +81 3-5542-1192

230Pearl Points

Reliable sukiyaki, easy to book, worth it.

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About Imahan

Imahan in Nihonbashi is Tokyo's most accessible entry point for serious sukiyaki, with OAD recognition three years running and easy booking relative to the city's competitive dining market. The sukiyaki format delivers a genuine flavour progression at the table, and the Takashimaya S.C. location keeps logistics simple. A strong choice for a first-timer who wants credibility without the booking difficulty of Tokyo's harder reservations.

Verdict

If you want a grounding introduction to sukiyaki in Tokyo, Imahan at Nihonbashi Takashimaya S.C. is the right call. It has earned consecutive recognition from Opinionated About Dining — Highly Recommended in 2023, ranked #205 in 2024, and #254 in 2025 across all Japan — which puts it in a credible tier without the booking anxiety of Tokyo's most difficult reservations. For a first-timer coming to sukiyaki specifically, the department store setting, accessible booking, and established format make this a lower-friction entry point than many comparable Tokyo dining rooms. Book it.

What to Expect

Imahan's dining room sits on the sixth floor of the Nihonbashi Takashimaya S.C. new wing in Chuo City, one of central Tokyo's more composed commercial neighbourhoods. The setting matters: department store dining in Japan operates to a different standard than it does elsewhere. In Nihonbashi, you are walking into a building where food has been taken seriously for generations, and Imahan fits that register.

Sukiyaki as a format has a clear arc. The meal proceeds in stages: thin-sliced beef is seared in a cast-iron pan at the table, seasoned with a sweet soy-based warishita sauce, then finished in broth alongside tofu, chrysanthemum greens, shirataki noodles, and other ingredients that absorb the cooking liquid as the meal progresses. Each piece is dipped in raw beaten egg before eating. The sequence builds , early in the meal the flavours are clean and direct; by the midpoint, the broth has deepened, the vegetables have absorbed the beef's character, and the dish becomes something richer and more layered. This is not a tasting menu in the kaiseki sense, but there is a genuine progression to sukiyaki that rewards patience. A first-timer should resist the urge to rush the pace. Let the pan do its work.

The aroma is part of that progression. As the warishita sauce hits the hot pan, the smell of caramelising soy, mirin, and beef fat is immediate and specific to the format. It is one of the more distinctive sensory signatures in Tokyo dining, and at Imahan you encounter it in a room designed for exactly this purpose.

Imahan is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11am to 10pm, and on Monday from 11am to 10pm. It is closed on Wednesdays. The lunch window is worth noting: sukiyaki at lunch tends to be quieter and marginally easier to book than weekend evenings, and the format translates well to a midday meal.

Booking & Timing

Booking here is classified as easy relative to Tokyo's competitive dining market. You are not facing the multi-month waits of counter-only omakase restaurants. That said, weekend evenings at a recognised OAD-ranked restaurant fill up, so booking one to two weeks ahead for a Friday or Saturday dinner is sensible. For lunch on a weekday, you likely have more flexibility, but confirming ahead is still advisable. The department store location means you can arrive, dine, and continue into Nihonbashi without logistical friction.

Ratings & Recognition

Opinionated About Dining , Leading Restaurants in Japan, ranked #254 (2025)
Opinionated About Dining , Leading Restaurants in Japan, ranked #205 (2024)
Opinionated About Dining , Highly Recommended (2023)
Google rating: 4.7 from 162 reviews

Practical Details

Detail	Imahan (Nihonbashi)	Typical peer benchmark
Cuisine	Sukiyaki	Sukiyaki / Shabu-shabu
Location	6F, Takashimaya S.C. New Wing, Nihonbashi	Standalone or hotel dining
Hours	Mon, Thu–Sun 11am–10pm; closed Wed	Typically dinner-only at peers
Booking difficulty	Easy	Moderate to hard at comparable OAD-ranked venues
Price range	Not confirmed	Mid-to-high for sukiyaki specialists
Awards	OAD Top 254 Japan (2025)	Varies

How It Compares

See the full comparison section below.

Tokyo Sukiyaki Alternatives

If Imahan is unavailable or you want to compare before committing, Hiyama and Imafuku are the two names most worth considering in the same sukiyaki category in Tokyo. For a dedicated sukiyaki counter with a sharper focus, SUKIYAKI ASAI is a newer reference point. Outside Tokyo, Wadakin in Mie is the benchmark for sukiyaki built around a single regional beef source.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can Imahan accommodate groups?

Imahan's position inside Nihonbashi Takashimaya S.C. suggests table configurations suited to groups rather than an intimate counter-only format. Bookings for parties of four or more are manageable here relative to Tokyo's tighter counter-format restaurants. check the venue's official channels to confirm private or semi-private room availability for larger gatherings.

What should I wear to Imahan?

A department store sukiyaki specialist at this recognition level — ranked #254 on OAD's Top Restaurants in Japan 2025 — calls for neat, presentable clothing rather than formal attire. Business casual is a safe call. There is no evidence of a strict dress code, but arriving in beachwear or very casual sportswear would be out of step with the setting.

What are alternatives to Imahan in Tokyo?

Hiyama and Imafuku are the two closest comparisons in the Tokyo sukiyaki category and worth checking if Imahan is unavailable. For a different format entirely, RyuGin and Florilège operate at a higher difficulty and price tier but answer a different question about Japanese fine dining.

How far ahead should I book Imahan?

Booking difficulty here is low relative to Tokyo's competitive dining market — you are not up against multi-month omakase queues. A week's notice is typically sufficient, though weekend lunch slots at a Takashimaya location can fill faster. Closed Wednesdays, so factor that into your planning.

Is Imahan good for a special occasion?

Yes, with the right expectations. Imahan has earned consecutive OAD recognition — Highly Recommended in 2023, #205 in 2024, #254 in 2025 — which gives it credibility as a special occasion choice without the stress of a hard-to-book counter reservation. It works well for birthdays or business dinners where you want a distinctive Tokyo dining format without logistical difficulty.

Is lunch or dinner better at Imahan?

Both services run 11am–10pm on open days, so the kitchen is the same. Lunch tends to offer a quieter atmosphere and sometimes lower price entry points at Japanese sukiyaki specialists of this type. If a relaxed pace matters to you, a weekday lunch slot is the practical choice.

Location

Japan, 〒103-6199 Tokyo, Chuo City, Nihonbashi, 2 Chome−5−1 髙島屋S.C. 新館６階

Tokyo, Japan

Compare Imahan

Booking Options Near Imahan

Venue	Cuisine	Price	Booking Difficulty
Imahan	Sukiyaki		Easy
Harutaka	Sushi	¥¥¥¥	Unknown
RyuGin	Kaiseki, Japanese	¥¥¥¥	Unknown
L'Effervescence	French	¥¥¥¥	Unknown
HOMMAGE	Innovtive French, French	¥¥¥¥	Unknown
Florilège	French	¥¥¥	Unknown

Key differences to consider before you reserve.

Also Consider

Harutaka, Sushi, ¥¥¥¥
RyuGin, Kaiseki, Japanese, ¥¥¥¥
L'Effervescence, French, ¥¥¥¥
HOMMAGE, Innovtive French, French, ¥¥¥¥
Florilège, French, ¥¥¥

Imahan sits in a different category from most of the restaurants it is frequently grouped with in Tokyo dining conversations. Harutaka and RyuGin are operating at a higher level of complexity and international profile, RyuGin in particular demands more planning (book 4–6 weeks out minimum) and a higher spend per head for its kaiseki progression. If your priority is breadth of technique across a long tasting sequence, RyuGin is the stronger argument. If you want focused, format-specific dining where the ritual of the meal is the point, Imahan delivers that in a more contained and repeatable way.

L'Effervescence and HOMMAGE are both ¥¥¥¥ French dining rooms that reward a particular kind of diner, one who wants a Western tasting menu structure executed in Tokyo. Florilège at ¥¥¥ offers the most accessible price point in that French group and is often the smarter booking for a visitor who wants one high-end meal without the full ¥¥¥¥ commitment. None of these are comparable to Imahan in format, they serve fundamentally different purposes on a Tokyo itinerary.

Within the sukiyaki category specifically, Imahan's OAD standing and easy booking make it the practical default for a first visit. If you have already been and want to push into more specialist territory, Hiyama and Imafuku are the next comparisons worth making. For value, L'Effervescence and Harutaka are better arguments if cuisine type is flexible, but if sukiyaki is the format you want, Imahan is the easiest credible booking in the city.