Eel Fuki

[The store Kotoshogiku visited when he returned home]

Upon entering the store, you’ll see a vibrant collection lining the walls and shelves.
There were also many photos of sumo wrestler Kotoshogiku, who was born in Yanagawa. There were also photos of him visiting the restaurant. When I asked the restaurant staff, they told me that Kotoshogiku “used to stop by our restaurant and eat there when he came back home even before he became an ozeki.”
In addition to visiting the store, they also ordered lots of “unamusubi,” rice balls steamed in a bamboo steamer, to take home as souvenirs.

*Only frozen unamusu is available for takeout.

Since opening in 1992, the store has seen many familiar faces.
The “Unamusubi” that Kotoshogiku also ate is registered as a “Yanagawa Brand Certified Product 2020” and is a very popular product for mail order. You can order any number of pieces, from 5 to 20. The most popular item at the restaurant is the “Jyo Seiro Steamed”. The domestically produced eel grilled over charcoal has a perfect balance of savory and sweet flavors.

There was a photo of Ozeki praying with his hands towards the heavens.
“When he came to Yanagawa to celebrate his promotion, the weather forecast said it would rain. But it turned out to be sunny. Kotoshogiku must have been very happy. He put his hands together in thanks to the heavens.” That moment was captured on camera and is on display in the store. I felt like I got a glimpse of the kindness that loves Yanagawa.