Restaurant Details

In the Edo period, before modern refrigeration techniques, fatty cuts of tuna quickly spoiled, rendering them unfit for public sale. In the spirit of mottainai (waste-not), hungry fishermen used the offcuts to develop a dish that would come to encompass the lives of Edo’s working men: negima-nabe. As the tuna meat simmered in the soy sauce broth, sweet onion and local greens would be imbued with its rich, fatty goodness, making it a hearty, comforting meal for laborers and longshoremen.

Long seen as a base food confined to the home, negima-nabe has been lost among the menus of today. But a single female chef upholds the tradition in an 8-seat basement counter, even naming her restaurant after the dish out of respect. From her tidy kimono to the ultra-traditional dishes and sake served the old-fashioned way, Negima’s chef recreates the table of 20th-century Japan.

In keeping with the domestic feel of negima-nabe, the chef curates simple course menus with nostalgic dishes that encompass the heart of Japanese family cooking. The intimacy and simple expertise on display at Negima earned the venue a Michelin Bib Gourmand recommendation — and a spike in interest in a key part of Tokyo’s culinary heritage that was once considered lost to time.

Michelin Guide:

2021 - Bib Gourmand

Negima Access Info

• Negima is located a 4-minute walk from either Otsuka Station on the JR Yamanote Line, or Sugamoshinden Station on the Tokyo Metro Subway Lines.

Negima Phone Number

Negima Business Days

Negima Address

B1, 2-chome-31-19 Kitaotsuka, Toshima City, Tokyo, 170-0004

Negima Cancellation Policy

Cancel your reservation at least 48 hours before the dining start time to receive a full refund.