Kasumigaura Unagi: Where to Eat & Prices (Ibaraki)

Along the shores of vast Lake Kasumigaura, eel cuisine has long been cherished. Carefully dressed and skewered, then glazed with a sweet and savory sauce and grilled until fragrant, the eel offers plump flesh and toasty skin in perfect balance. You can savor a rich flavor raised by the bounty of the lake.

Lake Kasumigaura is the second largest lake in Japan by area after Lake Biwa, and besides eel it yields sweetfish, carp, crucian carp, and mullet, long known as a rich waterside region for freshwater fish cuisine. In the lakeside towns a cooking culture that makes use of such fish has taken root, and glazed eel is cherished as its representative dish.

Highlights

The fragrant smoke rising over charcoal and the sweet aroma of the caramelizing sauce whet the appetite on their own. At long standing specialty shops, sauce and grilling skills handed down for generations are concentrated in a single fillet of eel. From summer to autumn, sightseeing sail fishing boats ply the lake, and you can savor eel along with the atmosphere of the waterside region.

Enjoying the Seasons

On the midsummer day of the ox, crowds seek out eel to build up their strength. On the other hand, eel in the cold season, when it is rich with fat, is also exceptional, offering different flavors with each season.

Access and Basic Information

It can be enjoyed at specialty shops around Tsuchiura and Kasumigaura. Many restaurants let you savor it along with lakeside scenery. Popular shops crowd especially around the midsummer day of the ox, so it is recommended to visit with time to spare.

Practical Travel Notes

• Origin: Lake Kasumigaura is the second largest lake in Japan by area and is known as a waterside region for freshwater fish cuisine including eel. Specialty shops cluster around Tsuchiura and Kasumigaura.
• How to enjoy: The classic is glazed eel over rice in a bowl or lacquered box. A sprinkle of sansho pepper brings out the aroma.
• Timing: It is especially busy around the midsummer day of the ox. Eel in the cold season, rich with fat, is also considered exceptional.
• Nearby spots: On Lake Kasumigaura, sightseeing sail fishing boats run from summer to autumn, letting you dine with lakeside scenery. A reservation is reassuring at busy times.

A Quick Tip

The classic way is to enjoy the glazed eel over rice in a bowl. A sprinkle of sansho pepper brings out the aroma.

Souvenir and Takeaway Tips

Kasumigaura eel is a regional delicacy long enjoyed around Lake Kasumigaura, one of Japan's largest lakes, and the specialty is kabayaki, eel grilled until fragrant. Freshly grilled kabayaki is best of all, but vacuum-packed kabayaki and eel-rice seasoning kits are available at souvenir shops and by mail order, and the processed items that keep well make good souvenirs. Fresh and chilled products call for a cooler. Enjoy a plump, fragrant unaju at a restaurant on the shore of Lake Kasumigaura.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Main area where it is served: With a surface area of 220.0 square kilometers, Lake Kasumigaura is Japan's second-largest lake after Lake Biwa. Restaurants specializing in river fish are concentrated around the lakeside city of Tsuchiura.
• Where to try it: Miura-yanagi, an eel and river fish restaurant (2-311 Takita, Tsuchiura City). Open 11:30-19:30 (last order 19:30), closed on Mondays (open when Monday is a public holiday, taking the following Tuesday off instead). About 7 minutes by car from Tsuchiura Station on the JR Joban Line. The restaurant, which has private rooms throughout, is also featured by the Tsuchiura City Tourism Association.
• Takeaway: Komatsuya Shokuhin (5-3 Yamato-cho, Tsuchiura City) sells kabayaki grilled eel and shirayaki plain-grilled eel, as well as tsukudani simmered specialties of Lake Kasumigaura such as sweet-simmered pond smelt.
• Points to note: Eel stocks in Lake Kasumigaura and Lake Kitaura continue to decline, and the prefecture is promoting efforts to increase the resource, such as releasing juvenile eels.

Note: Opening hours and prices at individual shops vary from shop to shop.

(Sources: Ibaraki Prefecture official website, "Overview of the Fisheries Industry of Lake Kasumigaura and Lake Kitaura" and "Project for Measures to Increase Eel Stocks in Lake Kasumigaura and Lake Kitaura"; Tsuchiura City Tourism Association official website; Miura-yanagi official website; Komatsuya Shokuhin official website)

Information Sources

This article is compiled from Ibaraki Prefecture tourism guidance and information published by each shop. Prices and menus differ by shop and are subject to change, so please check the official information of each shop for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Budget guide: Unaju (grilled eel over rice in a box) starts in the 2,000-yen range; processed products are a little more affordable
• Where to eat it: Eel restaurants around Tsuchiura and Lake Kasumigaura
• Recommended time of day: Mainly at lunchtime; the Day of the Ox in midsummer is especially popular
• Avoiding the crowds: It gets busy on the Day of the Ox and at weekends, so make a reservation or shift your timing
• Enjoy it together with: The sail-fishing boats of Lake Kasumigaura, a walk around Tsuchiura, and lotus root dishes