Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan
Weeknight-only yakitori, three years on OAD.
Yakitori Imai in Shibuya has earned three consecutive years on the Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Japan list, making it one of Tokyo's more credentialled yakitori counters. Open weeknights only (5:30–10:30 pm), it works well as a focused, conversation-friendly dinner with a later arrival window. Easy to book relative to Tokyo's top sushi and kaiseki counters.
Three consecutive years on the Opinionated About Dining Leading Restaurants in Japan list — rising from Recommended in 2023 to #368 in 2024 and #467 in 2025 — tells you that Yakitori Imai in Shibuya's Jingumae neighbourhood is a serious yakitori counter worth planning around. With a Google rating of 4.4 across 273 reviews, this is not a sleeper hit waiting to be discovered; it is a consistently well-regarded specialist that earns its reputation through the quality of its skewers rather than its profile. If yakitori is on your Tokyo agenda, Imai belongs on the shortlist.
Yakitori Imai operates Monday through Friday, 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm, and is closed on weekends. That schedule matters. If you are planning a Saturday or Sunday dinner, look instead at BIRD LAND or Asagaya BIRD LAND as alternatives. For weeknight visits, the 10:30 pm last order means Imai functions well as a later dinner option , you can finish a kaiseki meal or a museum visit and still arrive comfortably after 8 pm without feeling rushed to the door.
First-timers should understand the format before sitting down. Yakitori is a counter-focused, skewer-by-skewer experience , closer to omakase in pacing than to a casual grill. Chef Takashi Imai leads the kitchen, and the experience here is shaped by his approach to each cut of chicken. Do not expect an extensive menu of small plates or a wine list designed to compete with western fine dining. This is a focused operation. Arrive with the intention of committing to the format, and it delivers. Arrive expecting something more freewheeling and you will find it feels narrow.
The atmosphere at Imai runs on the quieter, more concentrated side for yakitori , the energy is attentive rather than boisterous. This makes it a practical choice for a conversation-driven dinner earlier in the evening, and a comfortable wind-down option if you arrive later. Compare that to louder, more animated yakitori counters in the city, and Imai reads as the more composed pick for guests who want to pay attention to what is on the skewer.
The optimal window is a weeknight arrival between 7:30 and 8:30 pm. Early enough that the counter is in full rhythm, late enough that the initial rush has settled. Because Imai is closed on weekends, weeknight demand is concentrated , booking ahead is advisable, though the overall booking difficulty is rated Easy, meaning you are unlikely to face the weeks-long waits that apply to Tokyo's leading sushi or kaiseki counters. If you are building a broader Tokyo dining itinerary, Imai slots cleanly into a weeknight where heavier or more expensive dinners occupy your weekend slots. For more ideas across the city, see our full Tokyo restaurants guide.
For context on how yakitori compares across Japan, Torisaki in Kyoto and Torisho Ishii in Osaka are worth knowing if your trip extends beyond Tokyo. Closer to Imai's neighbourhood, Yakitori Omino and 124. KAGURAZAKA round out the serious yakitori options in the city. Aramaki is another name worth checking if your dates do not align with Imai's schedule.
Address: 102 3 Chome-42-11 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001. Hours: Monday to Friday, 5:30–10:30 pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday. Booking difficulty: Easy. Price range is not confirmed in available data , treat this as a mid-to-upper tier yakitori counter given its OAD standing, and budget accordingly. No dress code information is available; smart casual is a reasonable baseline for a counter at this level. For hotels nearby, see our full Tokyo hotels guide. For bars to pair with an evening around Shibuya, see our full Tokyo bars guide. If you are travelling further in Japan, HAJIME in Osaka, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, and akordu in Nara are all worth the trip. See also Goh in Fukuoka, 1000 in Yokohama, and 6 in Okinawa for destinations further afield. For experiences beyond dining, our full Tokyo experiences guide and our full Tokyo wineries guide cover the wider picture.
Quick reference: Weeknight only (Mon–Fri), 5:30–10:30 pm; Jingumae, Shibuya; Easy to book; OAD-listed three consecutive years.
Group bookings depend on seat count, which is not confirmed in available data for Imai. Given that serious yakitori counters in Tokyo typically run between 8 and 20 seats, large groups of 6 or more may find the counter format limiting. For smaller groups of 2 to 4, a counter-style yakitori dinner works well. If you are planning a larger group night out in Tokyo, it is worth contacting the venue directly to confirm availability before building your evening around it. For group-friendly alternatives in the city, BIRD LAND is another well-regarded yakitori option worth checking.
Dinner only , Yakitori Imai does not serve lunch. Hours run from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm, Monday through Friday, with no daytime service. This makes it a dinner-exclusive option, which is typical for focused yakitori counters at this level in Tokyo. The later service window (last order at 10:30 pm) makes it a practical choice if you want to eat after other evening activities. If your schedule only allows for a lunch sitting, you will need to look elsewhere; our full Tokyo restaurants guide covers venues across all meal periods.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakitori Imai | Yakitori | Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Japan Ranked #467 (2025); Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Japan Ranked #368 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Japan Recommended (2023) | Easy | — |
| Harutaka | Sushi | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| RyuGin | Kaiseki, Japanese | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| L'Effervescence | French | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| HOMMAGE | Innovtive French, French | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Florilège | French | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how Yakitori Imai measures up.
Small groups of 2–4 are the practical format here. Yakitori counter dining in Tokyo is built around individual portions served in sequence, and Imai's Jingumae address is a compact space by the conventions of the format. Larger parties should confirm capacity directly before assuming a table is possible, and booking well in advance is essential regardless of group size. For larger group dining in Tokyo, RyuGin has a private dining setup better suited to 6+ guests.
Dinner is your only option. Yakitori Imai operates exclusively Monday to Friday from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm, with no lunch service. If your Tokyo itinerary is weekend-heavy, this is a real constraint — plan a weeknight specifically around it or you will miss it entirely. The 7:30–8:30 pm window, once the counter is in full rhythm, is the most practical target time.
Yakitori Imai is primarily known for Yakitori in Tokyo.
Yakitori Imai is located in Tokyo, at 102 3 Chome-42-11 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan.
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