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Yakitori is chicken on bamboo skewers grilled over binchōtan charcoal — the white charcoal burns at a high, consistent temperature with almost no smoke, which means the smoke you smell is the fat from the chicken itself, not the fuel. Every part of the chicken is served: tsukune (meatball), negima (thigh with leek), torikawa (crispy skin), kawa (soft skin), reba (liver), and more exotic cuts like the heart (hatsu) and soft bone cartilage (nankotsu). The tare glaze — a thick, sweet soy-mirin-sake reduction — is kept in a pot at the grill and added to each skewer during cooking; at old izakayas the tare has been topped up for years, never replaced, so it contains decades of caramelized chicken drippings. Yakitori is ordered piece by piece and eaten slowly, with cold beer or cold sake, from a high stool at the grill counter.
In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, minced garlic, and minced ginger.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and set aside.
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
Thread the chicken pieces and green onion pieces alternately onto the soaked wooden skewers.
Preheat your grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.
Lightly brush the skewers with vegetable oil.
Place the skewers on the grill and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked through and slightly charred.
During the last few minutes of grilling, brush the chicken skewers with the prepared sauce (tare) and continue to cook, turning and basting frequently, until the chicken is glazed and caramelized.
Remove the yakitori from the grill and brush with any remaining sauce.
Japanese grilled chicken skewers; every part used (thigh, skin, liver, heart, meatball); glazed with tare (soy-mirin-sake reduction) or seasoned with salt (shio). Izakaya staple, ordered piece by piece.
Japan; Edo period origins trace back centuries. Modern izakaya yakitori culture established in post-WWII cities, when grilled chicken skewers became the standard accompaniment to drinking.
Chicken (every cut: thigh, skin, liver, heart, meatball), bamboo skewers, tare (soy + mirin + sake reduction) or salt for seasoning. Charcoal: binchōtan (white charcoal) preferred for clean, consistent heat.
Binchōtan charcoal is ideal but any high-heat grill works. Keep skewers turning constantly — yakitori burns in seconds over direct heat. Don't walk away; attention is the essence.
Cold Japanese beer, shōchū, or sake. Cabbage salad with ponzu as a side. Part of a multi-skewer izakaya order (5-10 pieces minimum), not eaten as a standalone meal.