Unagi Oigawa

Tucked into a quiet residential pocket of Katayama in Niiza City, Unagi Oigawa serves classic kabayaki alongside specialty eel preparations unique to the kitchen. The anchor of the menu is unaju, prepared in the traditional manner: gently steamed until tender, then thoroughly grilled over the flames while basted in savory-sweet tare sauce. Diners can select portions according to appetite, choosing from full-eel options like the Kiwami and Tokujo down to the more modest half-portion Kiwamihan.

“Unane”: An Original Scallion-Capped Specialty

Sharing the spotlight with traditional unaju is the restaurant’s original creation, "unane." Here, plain grilled unagi (shirayaki) is covered with a generous mound of sliced Japanese green onions and simmered briefly in tare sauce. The rich, sweet-savory glaze and the fresh bite of scallion work together to heighten the natural richness of the eel. For those who cannot decide between the two styles, the combination box featuring both kabayaki and unane side by side is an ideal choice.

From Casual Snacks to Donburi Bowls

While waiting for eel to grill, or to accompany a drink, the kitchen offers unadorned shirayaki—served clean with wasabi-soy sauce or salt—as well as small plates including unagi tempura, uzaku (eel and cucumber sunomono), and sweet-simmered unagi tsukudani. The menu also extends beyond unagi to include satisfying rice bowls such as tenju (tempura over rice), katsudon (pork cutlet bowl), and gyudon (beef bowl), making the dining room approachable for everything from quick lunches to relaxed evening dinners. Takeout is available, and guests visiting by car can use the 2 dedicated free parking spaces located diagonally across from the restaurant.