Throughout Tokyo and the rest of the country, eel restaurants are gearing up for the annual "Unagi Day" feeding frenzy. The exact dates are determined according to the old almanac on the midsummer Day (or Days) of the Ox, which this year falls on July 26. And the longest lines will be outside some of the city's most illustrious eateries.
History counts for plenty in the pecking order of Tokyo's top unagi specialists. The best known — such as Kandagawa Honten, Nodaiwa in Minami-Azabu, Chikuyotei in Ginza or the wonderful Obana out in Minami-Senju — trace their histories back for a century or more. But there are scores of smaller neighborhood restaurants where tradition and flavor are every bit as important.
Compared to the big names, Matsuyoshi is a relative newcomer, founded a mere 60 years ago. But in terms of appearance, it's an unassuming shitamachi (low city) classic. Hidden away on a small side street in Nihonbashi, close to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, its humble low-rise wooden architecture has remained unchanged inside and out from the day it opened for business. And so has the way the eel is cooked and served by Enomoto-san, the genial second-generation owner-chef.