Tokiwa

Exuding both traditional and modern characteristics, the sushi restaurant Tokiwa, which has been open since 1954, has recently renovated to switch out tatami seating for city-style counters — a unique feature in a city like Shibata, where most restaurants are still old-school and traditional. The Tokiwa Inari is a popular specialty of this restaurant that has not changed a single bit since its opening. This dish is a rolled piece of sushi — a style used famously in Niigata Prefecture — consisting of boiled chestnuts and walnuts wrapped in vinegar-seasoned rice and deep-fried tofu. Other types of sushi that are recommended include seasonal ones like Japanese blue crab, and all-year-round ones like the shiromi and nodoguro. From the koshihikari sushi rice to the wide selection of sake, Tokiwa delivers the most seamless blend of old and new sushi.