Sushi Yukinari

※ Sushi Yukinari will be moving to new premises at the end of April. As such, the restaurant will be closed temporarily for a few months. Please check back for updates on its opening status and the address of its new location. ——— Just southeast of the famous Scramble Crossing and Hachiko statue, Shibuya’s Namikibashi area is known for striking that perfect balance of the characteristic Shibuya bustle and quiet neighborhood vibes. There, where the chatter of thousands of people has faded away to a dull hum, one of the city’s finest sushi restaurants — Sushi Hajime — has established itself as one of Namikibashi’s star attractions. But few know that this restaurant hides a restaurant within itself: the clandestine Sushi Yukinari, the pride and joy of Sushi Hajime’s chef Baba Kosei. Even by high-end sushi standards, Yukinari has an intimate, cozy atmosphere that is difficult to top. There are just seven seats at the L-shaped counter, and Chef Baba is never further than an arm’s length from each guest. This affords each guest an unobstructed view of him working his magic, as he expertly combines seasonal seafood from Toyosu Market, the finest-quality Aizu Koshihikari rice from his home prefecture of Fukushima, and additive-free red vinegar from Ehime Prefecture, into flawless nigiri creations. Particularly popular are the abalone in liver sauce, which is stewed for half a day in sake and pure water for an unimaginably soft texture, as well as the tuna, procured fresh from famed tuna wholesaler Yamawa, then aged in-house to bring out the umami. All the while, Chef Baba’s easy banter and winning smile keep his guests easily entertained, with no glass ever running dry. Hospitality is in his blood, after all. Hailing from a family that ran a traditional guesthouse, he moved to Tokyo to deepen his knowledge of Japanese cuisine at the legendary Shimotakaido Asahi Sohonten, only to fall irreversibly in love with sushi. He then devoted all his attentions to sushi, first studying under the head chef of renowned sushi restaurant Sushi Ginza Onodera, before becoming a chef at Sushi Tokyo 81 and Sushi Hajime in January and August 2020 respectively. In 2023, his efforts culminated in the creation of Sushi Yukinari, his pride and joy.