Behind the Counter at a local Japanese style Chinese Restaurant

Asahi is a Japanese-style Chinese restaurant with a rich history spanning over 100 years.

Originally from the Nihonbashi area, this Tokyo secret hidden gem food spot tragically burnt down during the war but was later rebuilt here in one of Asakusa’s hidden back streets, just behind the iconic Senso-ji Temple. And now this hidden gem is run by a father and son duo serving lines of locals each and every day. The owner, Ueki san, took over this Japanese food ship from his father when he was 29 years old making him the 4th generation owner in his family. But he actually, started his career at the age of 16, studying under his grandfather’s friend at a traditional Japanese cuisine restaurant in Shimane prefecture. After which he worked in other industries to gain more life experience before setting back down here. Japanese-style Chinese restaurants like Asahi are known in Japan as MACHI-CHUKA, directly translated Town and Chinese. It’s origin traces back to the 1600s when it arrived in Japan’s Nagasaki area during the Edo period but through time underwent a gradual evolution to suit Japanese tastes.