Kanemasu, a standing-only izakaya, is just across the bridge from Tsukiji, in the opposite direction from Ginza. Japan has plenty of places with lines, but I do not think I have ever seen one this extreme. The official opening time is 4 pm, but if you arrive a little after 4, they have already closed for the day. I got there at 3, and not only were they already open, the line ahead of me was ridiculously long. And the turnover was so slow.. Thanks to a friend who arrived 30 minutes earlier, I was lucky enough to get inside after about an hour of waiting, but the people lined up behind me never got in at all before they closed. I get that a place serving drinks turns over slowly, but when you just want to enjoy a drink, I am not sure waiting like that is really right. So I went, but I cannot recommend it to anyone else.

The sign

Simple, right? With this many people around, there is no way you would walk past it.

Highball

High level, as you would expect from a famous place.

They were grilling anago inside.. and the size is enormous.

Wagyu uni maki

This is what I came here to try.

One more shot

Amazing. The beef and the uni just melt in your mouth. There is no fishiness at all, and this kind of balance would be hard to pull off with anything but wagyu. Someone who had been here before told me the pieces have gotten a bit smaller. I just enjoyed it anyway. It was so good that I forgot all the hassle and made a promise with my friend to come back again.

Anago

This anago is memorable enough to be one for the ages. The ultimate thing to eat with a drink. Once you have had this, you cannot eat anything else..

They had Dassai among the sake, so I ordered it.

The best food deserves the best sake, of course.

Nikomi (simmered beef stew)

Basically, the ingredients at this place are just insanely good. There is no way it could not taste good.

Negitoro to finish, for some carbs

Just right. There were plenty of other items on the menu I was curious about, but for two people this was about the limit. I think three or four people would be the ideal number. Or you just keep coming back.

Honestly, the long wait plus the standing-only concept was a bit much, but after eating all this it came to about 4,000 yen per person, and as a dining experience it was close to the very top level, so I am willing to come back. I would rather avoid the weekend and come on a weekday. And a word of warning: if you are a tourist, you are probably better off skipping it. Standing and drinking after an hour in line is tougher than you would think, and since you have no choice but to drink in the daytime, your whole day’s schedule goes out the window.

한국어로 읽기日本語で読む