With winter in control and showing little sign of abating, it's time to search out warmth and sustenance of the kind that only nabemono can provide. And no heartier form of the genre exists than chanko, the hotpot that has nourished generations of sumo wrestlers.
So gather up a posse of stalwart henchmen and head across the Sumida River to Ryogoku. Here, in sumo heartland, you will find chanko restaurants on virtually every corner. For aficionados, though, there is only one place that truly matters: Kawasaki is not just the oldest and proudest such establishment, many rate its nabe as the best in the neighborhood.
The very sight of Kawasaki's handsome wooden facade is enough to inspire confidence. Established in 1937 (but rebuilt after the war, in 1949), this is one of the few low-rise buildings surviving in Ryogoku, a classic example of traditional shitamachi architecture. Its charm derives not from refinement, but its simple, lived-in homeliness. This is also true of the provender prepared by veteran owner Tadashi Kawasaki (the son of the founder, former wrestler Yokoteyama), who welcomes you from his open kitchen.