Raising with care
Spare no efforts
Create cuisine
Hirakojidori Chicken
Famous Nagoya Cochin chicken raised in Miyazaki prefecture. We prepare the poultry meat before the chicken gets feathers and starts laying eggs. As a result, the meat quality is excellent, and the meat fat is so exquisite that it basically melts at room temperature.
Yamato chicken
A special produce from Nara prefecture. The meat is moderately chewy and firm. In 2007, it was registered as a regional collective trademark and became a branded chicken.
Poulet Noir
Finely textured meat and low in calories. A chicken breed that has been officially approved with the label rouge (red label) that guarantees excellent quality certified in France.
Omishamo chicken
A fine chicken breed with moderate elasticity, a good meat texture, a rich flavour, a genuine skin thickness and an appropriate oiliness.
We have set up a chicken coop exclusively for YAMATO, and here we maintain an environment for raising chickens and designate the number of days for growing them.
In the chicken house of T Farm that is overlooking the Nara Bassin, we have built a poultry house, especially for YAMATO. Here, the Yamato Meat- and Poulet Noir chickens are raised. Since the chicken are raised for more than the usual 150 days, we have been able to achieve the ideal fineness of fat and splendour of the chicken meat.
On the banks of the Ado River, which overlooks Lake Biwa blessed with abundant water and greenery, ‘YAMATO's exclusive Omishamo chickens’ are raised in a clean and open one-floor poultry house with good sunlight and ventilation. A rich meat quality is created through abundant feeding of corn that is produced domestically without being genetically modified with the least of rice flour that is possible.
A method for picking feathers that has been handed down by Kashiwa craftsmen from a long time ago, and which is no longer practised. After being butchered, the meat rests for 10 days that further brings out the taste of the chicken and the feathers are picked dry without using water (dry-picking).
*Processing differs for each item of the course menu.
When yakitori YAMATO chickens are butchered, we cut only the veins and exsanguinate without damaging the arteries. This reduces the stress of the chicken and it becomes delicious meat that does not consume ATP (a component that is used when exercising). The meat is then sterilized with Saraya’s acidic electrolyzed water. Some foods are very close to being raw, but they can be enjoyed safely.
*Processing differs for each item of the course menu.
When removing feathers from chickens, usually they are soaked in hot water, but at that time, water gets into the pores of the feathers. When the water gets bad, it reduces the taste of the meat. At YAMATO, after feather removal, the meat is aged in a constant temperature and high humidity chamber for 3 to 5 days to remove excess water and to condense the taste. At YAMATO we apply this ageing manner (faisandage) for all chicken meat served in our restaurants.
For our grilled food, we divide the grilling technique depending on the ingredients into four steps, such as far from the fire, close to the fire or steaming in ash. Similar to sushi, we prepare our dishes being conscious of the unravelling feeling of the meat and the mouth temperature. Please enjoy the unique technique of the last Kashiwa craftsman.
We source various types of Japanese sake from all over Japan, matching the seasons. We serve the beverage to our guests after optimal ageing in the appropriate temperature range that suits each type of sake quality. We have devised ways to bring out the true taste of the sake by letting it soothe at minus two degrees for half a year or letting it age at room temperature for many years.
We serve our food on tableware created by contemporary artists as well as Imari ware from the Edo period. We are always reflecting tableware that best matches our food and the highest quality of chicken. Since the taste of sake changes depending on the shape of the cup, we have a variety of sake sets, so that guests can enjoy the sake with their preferred cups.
OwnerShin Kawaguchi
Born in Mie prefecture.
At the age of 20,
a legendary poultry master taught him ancient methods and
he became the last poultry master.
2001 Tajima Chicken restaurant Kawaguchi
2004 Tajima Chicken restaurant Kawaguchi Annex
- Started own business –
2010 Yakitori YAMATO Kitashinchi
2012 YAMATO Villa
2014 YAMATO Annex
2017 YONEZAWA tori NIKUTEN Tsuruhashi
2017 Chicken nabe YAMATO
2018 YAMATO specialized poultry house in Tenri
2022 Yakitori YAMATO Hong Kong
Bring happiness to those working with chicken
Preserve ancient methods for the future
Introduce Japanese chicken to the world
Devote oneself day after day