Akasaka Fukinuki

If you’re shopping in Shinsaibashi and feel like taking a break to treat yourself to an indulgent lunch or dinner of unagi, head on up to Akasaka Fukinuki on the top floor of the Daimaru building for a lavish eel meal that is sure to satisfy.

The Akasaka Fukinuki entrance on the tenth floor of Daimaru Shinsaibashi © Angelino Donnachaidh

Founded in 1923 in Tokyo’s Akasaka district, the main location of unagi specialty restaurant Akasaka Fukinuki recently celebrated its 100-year anniversary. With its simple and focused menu, that staying power alone in an industry that is notoriously brutal to survive should tell you something about its commitment to quality eel dishes.

If it doesn’t, just one meal at the restaurant will. Fukinuki’s eel is excellent quality and prepared with obvious love for the dish, browned to perfectly bring out the gentle smokey flavors and soft texture of its moist but flakey flesh. The restaurant’s amadare sauce hits just right for the perfect caramelized salty-sweet accent without overwhelming the intrinsic flavor of the eel. Its pickles, rice, miso soup, and sides like kamaboko fish cake, nigori jellied braised eel, or umaki eel-stuffed rolled egg are also all exquisite.

A thorough English menu covers every detail the international visitor could want to know, including a very helpful guide to the three ways to enjoy the hitsumabushi eel donburi set – which even as someone already familiar with the dish I appreciate because it’s an insurance policy for when I bring friends or family visiting from abroad that saves me the embarrassment of a clumsy or slightly misremembered explanation. Draught beer, bottled beer, sake, shochu, cocktails, umeshu plum wine, whiskey, and wine are also all on the menu.

Lunchtime deals are reasonably priced for this admittedly luxury dish, though their great value means the restaurant can get quite busy especially during the 11:00am-1:30pm period. If you want to take advantage of lunch pricing but beat the crowd, my best advice is to sneak in at the tail end during the 2:00pm-3:00pm window. Dinner gets significantly pricier.

Akasaka Fukinuki’s entrance features visual samples of each dish, which are great for understanding portion size © Angelino Donnachaidh

About Angelino Donnachaidh
Angelino Donnachaidh is a Mexican-American father, author, Japanese-English translator, and longtime resident of Osaka, Japan. His works include the middle grade (pre-)historical fiction novel Tamiu: A Cat’s Tale (Winner of the North Street Prize and CWA Muse Medallion), the YA post-cyberpunk heist adventure screenplay Brother (Winner of the HollywoodGenre 2025 Scifi Screenplay Competition), and the upcoming samurai scifi-fantasy action-thriller novel The Mayhem Protocols.

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Akasaka Fukinuki Information

Name in English:
Akasaka Fukinuki Daimaru Shinsaibashi

Name in Japanese:
赤坂ふきぬき大丸心斎橋店

English address:
〒542-8501 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Shinsaibashisuji, 1 Chome−7−1 Daimaru Shinsaibashi 10th Floor

Japanese address:
〒542-8501 大阪府大阪市中央区心斎橋筋１丁目７−１ 大丸心斎橋本館 10F

Opening hours:
11:00am-10:00pm every day

Non-smoking area: Yes

Price:
¥2000-¥10,000 per person (lunch)
¥3000-¥10,000 per person (dinner)

Nearest transport:
3-minute walk from Shinsaibashi Station on the Osaka Metro (Subway) Midosuji and Nagahori Tsurumi Ryokuchi lines (Exit 8)
10-minute walk from Shinsaibashi Station on the Osaka Metro (Subway) Sakaisuji Line (Exit 7)

Website: Official website (English)

Customer Reviews:
:: Read customer reviews of Kitarou Sushi on TripAdvisor.

Near To Here:
Akasaka Fukinuki is located in Osaka’s Minami district. See our complete list of things to do in the Minami district, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

Best Osaka Restaurants
See our list of the best Osaka restaurants for even more ideas about great places to eat in Osaka and our other recommended unagi in Osaka.

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