There is no single answer to how you book a famous unagi house in Japan. Each house sets its own method, and there are three main ones. Most take an ordinary table booking. A smaller group takes no bookings and seats only the people present at the door. A few ask you to reserve the eel rather than the seat. On 31 October 2026, of the 28 eel houses in our booking calendar, 18 took seat bookings by phone or online, six seated only on the day, three served regulars only, and one, Tomoei in Odawara, had you phone ahead for the eel and queue for the table. Before you plan anything, find out which method your house uses.
The 28 houses, sorted by how they let you in
We sorted every house in our calendar tagged as an eel specialist by what its record says about getting a seat. The count was made on 31 October 2026 and covers our calendar only, not every eel house in Japan.
| How the house takes guests | Houses | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Phone booking, no fixed release day | 9 | Ishibashi, Nodaiwa, Hashimoto |
| Online booking | 8 | Uomasa, Unafuji, Kabuto |
| No seat bookings: queue, list or ticket | 6 | Obana, Musashino, Horaiken |
| Regulars or introduction only | 3 | Shun, Uran |
| Phone on a fixed monthly day | 1 | Tsugumian |
| Reserve the eel, queue for the seat | 1 | Tomoei |
Only one of the 28 has the monthly release day that sushi diners plan around. For most eel houses, what decides your chances is the method, not the date.
Tomoei: holding the eel, not the table
Unagitei Tomoei in Kazamatsuri, Odawara, takes no seat reservations. Our record, verified in September 2026, says you phone in Japanese up to two months ahead to hold your una‑ju, shirayaki or fresh liver. The fresh liver sells out and goes to a waiting list. On the day, the whole party registers on arrival and is seated in turn, usually after a 40 to 90 minute wait. The house’s official site asks that everyone be present before you register. The line is answered from 10:00 to 16:00, and the house is closed on Thursdays and Fridays. A separate eel‑and‑turtle course for four to six guests is sold on OMAKASE on a few days only. Our collection profile covers the room and the menu.
Why the eel and not the seat? Our records give part of the reason without overreaching. Tomoei’s official site says its eel comes in limited numbers. Izutsuya in Kobuchizawa says on its TableCheck notice that eel is cooked to the reservation time, so a guest more than 30 minutes late without calling is treated as a cancellation. At Ichiunagi in Ito, a nine‑seat counter run by one cook, each eel is boned to order, and you should say when you book if you want the salt‑grilled eel as well as the unadon.
Ordering at the moment you book
Booking the eel and booking the seat often happen together.At Edogawa Ishibashi in Edogawabashi, the house’s official FAQ (read September 2026) says your order is taken during the booking call, and dishes are served until sold out.Our desk confirmed by phone in October 2026 that the top course costs ¥22,000 including the starter, with drinks extra and 10% consumption tax added at the bill.Cancellation is charged at 50% the day before and 100% on the day.Tatami rooms go first, sometimes ten days out while tables are still free.
In the same neighbourhood, Unagi Hashimoto, founded in 1835, takes phone bookings in Japanese or request bookings on Ikyu, confirmed within 72 hours. Book one to two weeks ahead, and far earlier for the July eel‑day weeks. Godaime Nodaiwa Azabu Iikura Honten books by phone only, from two guests (pairs sit at tables in the annex). It says it refuses agency and proxy bookings, so we request it only in the name of the guest who will attend, and tell you if the house declines.
The houses that will not hold a seat
Six houses in our calendar take no seat reservations, and each runs its queue differently.
- Obana, Minami‑Senju: queue only. Openings are 11:30 and 16:00, your grilled‑eel order is taken outside before opening, and it closes when the eel runs out. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
- Unagi Musashino, Urawa: the official site says it has taken no reservations since January 2021. Lunch only, from 11:00 until the eel sells out, usually around 13:00. The whole party must be present to be seated, though one person may hold the place in line.
- Atsuta Horaiken, Nagoya: staff take your name and party size at the door on the day and give you a time slot. The morning list opens around 10:00. The house gives out no numbered tickets. Only the private‑room kaiseki course, for four or more, is booked by phone, three days ahead.
- Ogakiku, Kawagoe: an official notice dated 30 August 2026 says the house has stopped taking seat bookings. Take a numbered ticket from the machine at 10:00 for lunch or 16:00 for dinner. The only booking is an evening course for two or more, phoned in two days ahead.
- Kawatoyo Honten, Narita: seated in order of arrival, with numbered tickets when full. Open 10:00 to 17:00 (18:00 in July and August) with no closing days, ten minutes from Narita Airport.
- Unagi no Matsuka, Matsumoto: queue only. Lunch only, from about 11:00 until the day’s eel sells out, which at weekends can be before opening. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Online, and on a schedule
The online houses are easier to plan around. Unagi Uomasa in Yotsugi opens each date 30 days ahead on its official booking page and closes it at 16:30 the day before, or two days before for courses. Its phone is only for private hire. Sumiyaki Unafuji Honten in Nagoya takes online bookings for two or more through its official booking page. Solo diners queue with the walk‑ins, and arriving ten minutes late cancels the table. Kabuto in Ikebukuro is the strict one: it books on OMAKASE only, with a card, on the first Thursday of every even month at 12:00 JST, and allows one booking per half‑year. By our calendar’s count, the next release is 3 December 2026, covering January and February 2027.
What to do before your eel day
| If your house... | Do this |
|---|---|
| Takes eel holds (Tomoei) | Phone in Japanese between 10:00 and 16:00, up to two months ahead. Bring the whole party, and expect to wait an hour after you register. |
| Takes your order at booking (Ishibashi, Ichiunagi) | Choose dishes before you call, including any shirayaki or salt‑grilled eel. |
| Takes no seat bookings | Check the closed days in its record, and arrive before the list, machine or door opens. |
| Books online on a rolling window | Note the 30-day or one‑month mark for your date and book the day it opens. |
| Releases on a fixed day (Kabuto, Tsugumian) | Put the exact time in JST in your calendar, and register and add a card the day before if the platform needs one. |
| Is regulars only | Look elsewhere. We list these houses for reference, not as targets. |
Whatever the method, avoid the midsummer Day of the Ox. Several houses in our calendar close or stop taking bookings around it, and our Day of the Ox guide explains the date and the eel styles. For phone‑booked houses that accept a request made on a guest’s behalf, our reservation desk calls in Japanese. Houses that seat only the queue have to be met in person.
