Our CommitmentAbout pride
At Yakiniku Hitenryu we allow no compromise—not only with our meat but with every à la carte dish—relentlessly perfecting the way each is seasoned. Here we share the DNA of that commitment.
What is Noto Beef?
Produced in very small numbers, Noto Beef is often called a “phantom brand of wagyu.” Its meat is finely textured, and the instant you bite into it an elegant fat melts and overflows in your mouth. Its greatest hallmark is oleic acid, the compound behind beef's rich umami. The higher its level, the more the meat melts on the tongue. At the National Japanese Beef Ability Exposition—known as the “Wagyu Olympics”—Noto Beef was recognized for its exceptionally high oleic acid content and awarded the honor of a “Special Prize.”
What is Noto Pork?
“Noto Pork” is raised in the rich natural surroundings of the Noto Peninsula. Since the 1980s, through continual improvements to feed and rearing environments and no end of ingenuity, it has grown into a successful brand. Its meat has a distinctive springy texture, releasing more juices the more you chew.
活[iki]
A commitment to serving Noto Beef without ever lowering its quality.
We source it direct from farms in Noto.
Our wish is to deliver a true “gochisō” (feast) to every guest.
* The meaning of “gochisō”
Originally, “chisō” simply meant “to run about.” To welcome an honored guest, people would ride their horses far and wide, gathering the finest provisions and setting out in every direction to procure them. From this image, the word “chisō” came to carry the sense of “hospitality,” and its polite form “gochisō” eventually came to mean a lavish, sumptuous meal.
意気[iki]
To draw out the full flavor of the meat, we hand-massage it with our finest secret sauce. Sparing no effort, we tend to every piece with care, even where no one can see.
The mastery of “hand-cutting”
Every cut of meat differs—in size, of course, but also in the way the sinew runs and how the fat is marbled. Because of this, the angle at which the knife enters and differences of just fractions of a millimeter in thickness create striking differences in how the meat looks and how tender it is. We are devoted to the “hand-cutting” that reads each piece with certainty.
息[iki]
For the smiles of guests who tell us how delicious the food is, we work day after day, facing the meat, striving to serve the very best yakiniku. We want to create a “breath”—one that carries our heartfelt wish to meet every guest with a smile.
The mastery of “hand-cutting”
Every cut of meat differs—in size, of course, but also in the way the sinew runs and how the fat is marbled. Because of this, the angle at which the knife enters and differences of just fractions of a millimeter in thickness create striking differences in how the meat looks and how tender it is. We are devoted to the “hand-cutting” that reads each piece with certainty.
Toshiharu Sakashita, the founder of Hitenryu, brought yakiniku culture to Kanazawa and made it take root.
Born in 1947 near Ogi Fishing Port in Noto Town, Ishikawa, he devoted himself single-mindedly to the culinary path from his teenage years.
| 1966 | Apprenticed at “Shokudoen” in Isezakicho, Yokohama. |
| 1968 | Became head chef at “Shotoen” in Ikebukuro, selling as many as 1,300 bento in a single day. |
| 1970 | Served as head chef at “Tenryu” in Gotanda, growing a shop from ¥50,000 a day into a thriving ¥200,000 a day. |
| 1973 | Served as head chef at “Tenryu” in Azabu-Juban. He remade the pickles and sauces from scratch and turned the business around; before long it became a restaurant requiring phone reservations. Ahead of other shops, he began offering a “complimentary after-meal ice cream,” and worked day and night on developing soup in his quest to “make a real gomtang.” |
| 1975 | Served as head chef at “Hitenryu” in Azabu-Juban, achieving monthly sales of ¥10 million. |
| March 1978 | Opened “Yakiniku Hitenryu” in Shinkanda, Kanazawa. Out of a spirit of hospitality, he established the custom of a “complimentary after-meal ice cream” in Kanazawa. |
| 2016 | In pursuit of even finer beef, began serving Noto Beef. |
| January 2019 | Became a “Certified Noto Beef Restaurant.” |
The flavors our stubborn father devoted himself to
will be carried on by
his three sons.
We hope you'll keep supporting
the ever-evolving “Hitenryu.”
The three brothers, who inherit the flavors of founder Toshiharu Sakashita, visit farms to learn from the very source and seek ways to evolve for the times ahead. Even amid today's challenging conditions, they join forces and press on together.
| Spring 2020 | Launched a bento takeout service. |
| September 2020 | Undertook a major renovation of the restaurant, adding sunken-kotatsu seating. |
| Spring 2021 | Launched our own official website. |
| April 2022 | Began lunch service. Registered the “Kanazawa Reimen” trademark. |
| September 2025 | Ran a food truck at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. |
| March 2026 | Celebrates its 50th anniversary. |
We, the three brothers,
look forward to
welcoming you.