Yakitori Day (Yakitori no Hi)

What Is Yakitori Day?

Every August 10th is "Yakitori Day" (Yakitori no Hi). It was established by Funachu Co., Ltd., founded by Nemoto Tadao (1913-1988), known as the "father of yakitori" for popularizing grilled chicken skewers among ordinary people, and was registered with the Japan Anniversary Association in 2007. The date comes from the wordplay "ya (8) - kito (10) - ri," read as "yakitori," and from the idea that midsummer is the most delicious time to enjoy yakitori with its best friend, beer. The aim is to further promote yakitori, a part of Japanese food culture loved by children and adults alike. Separately, the National Yakitori Liaison Council also marks this day as Yakitori Day.

The "Father of Yakitori" and Funachu

The history of Funachu overlaps with the spread of yakitori after World War II.

• Starting as a river fish restaurant: Funachu opened in 1946 in Senzoku, Asakusa, Tokyo, as a restaurant serving river fish. At first it mainly sold grilled skewers of crucian carp, loach, and eel.
• A winter idea becomes a hit: To get through the winter, when river fish could not be caught, the restaurant began selling chicken on skewers. They became popular, and yakitori became its signature dish.
• The "father of yakitori": The company went on to produce and wholesale chicken and expand as a chain, and founder Nemoto Tadao came to be called the "father of yakitori."

A Short History of Yakitori

Grilling birds on skewers is an old practice -- in the Edo period, people are said to have grilled wild birds such as pheasants and sparrows. Chicken yakitori is said to have become an everyday food after the war, when it could be eaten cheaply at food stalls and casual bars.

Yakitori Trivia

• Names of the cuts: Negima (chicken and leek), kawa (skin), tsukune (meatballs), rebā (liver), hatsu (heart), sunagimo (gizzard), bonjiri (tail), seseri (neck meat), and more -- each cut or ingredient has its own name.
• "Shio" or "tare": Yakitori is mainly seasoned either with salt or with a sweet-savory sauce. Some regions and shops add shichimi pepper, sanshō, or wasabi, or use a miso sauce.
• Pork "yakitori": In Muroran, Hokkaido, pork and onions are skewered and eaten with Western mustard, and in Higashimatsuyama, Saitama, pork cheek meat is eaten with miso sauce -- some regions call skewers of meat other than chicken "yakitori."
• Japan's "Seven Great Yakitori": The National Yakitori Liaison Council is said to name Bibai, Muroran, Fukushima, Higashimatsuyama, Imabari, Nagato, and Kurume as the home of Japan's "Seven Great Yakitori."
• "Three years to skewer, a lifetime to grill": This saying among yakitori chefs shows how much skill goes into skewering and grilling.

How to Spend Yakitori Day

• Stop by a yakitori shop after work and compare salt and sauce
• Try a cut you don't usually order, such as seseri or bonjiri
• Look into regional yakitori, such as Muroran or Higashimatsuyama
• Chat with family or coworkers about your favorite yakitori cut

Postwar Ingenuity and a Craftsman's Skill on a Single Skewer

Funachu's story -- a signature dish born from an idea to get through the winter -- is the very history of how yakitori spread as an everyday food. August 10th is a day to enjoy freshly grilled yakitori with a cold beer or tea.