A note on the words: yakiton refers to skewers of pork offal and pork cuts grilled over high heat, often glazed in a savory tare sauce. Motsu nikomi is a classic izakaya dish of pork offal simmered until tender in a flavorful broth. The skewers I had were, I think, shiro (pork intestine), harami (skirt), reba (liver), kashira (pork cheek meat), and teppo (rectum). Mugi soda is barley shochu mixed with sparkling water, a crisp drink that pairs naturally with the rich skewered meat, while Hoppy is a retro, beer-flavored soft drink that Tokyo drinkers mix with shochu.
Motsuyaki Sakaba Tonbou on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
To all the drinkers out there, thank you for waiting! It’s time for Hangover Meshi!
Here I am again, back in Ueno! It really feels like a second hometown by now. This time I headed to Motsuyaki Sakaba Tonbou, a yakiton (grilled pork skewer) joint right beneath the elevated train tracks! On days off it gets pretty crowded, packed right down to the tables out on the street. Even though it was a weekday, quite a few people were already drinking from midday!
Well… so was I, ha.
Right, let’s head straight inside!
Now, let’s get right to it!
Starting with a beer! So good!
I feel like beer tastes best when you drink it in the middle of the day on a weekday!
Whenever it’s on the menu, I just have to have it. The perfect snack for summer. I sprinkled on a little salt and dug in. With a bit of salt, you can really taste the sweetness even in a tomato that isn’t particularly sweet, ha. Plus, this salt comes in handy for other things too, so keep some on your own plate. Worst case, you can even drink your alcohol with just salt, after all.
Well, this is an undeniable classic drinking snack!
The tenderly simmered offal releases more and more savory flavor with every chew. The broth is smooth and light in texture, but the flavor is rich and deeply seasoned — delicious!
I just ordered casually, but I think it was shiro (pork intestine), harami (skirt), reba (liver), kashira (pork cheek meat), and teppo (rectum)?
A line of gleaming, tare-glazed skewers laid out on a black plate. The savory aroma is irresistible! You have to order each kind two skewers at a time, so we just went ahead and ordered them, then took them off the skewers to share between us. The shiro is curled into little tubes; when you bite into it, it gives a plump, springy bounce before the rich fat spreads in your mouth. The grilling is spot-on, and every skewer is tender, juicy, and delicious! The richness of that tare sauce is just wonderful.
And so, having a few drinks while snacking on yakiton, we moved on to the next place! When it comes to Ueno, you really want to hit at least one yakiton joint. A rich, savory tare paired with shochu is just the ultimate combination! It’s usually crowded, so if you’re determined to get in, I recommend going on a weekday or early in the day!
Here’s hoping for more delicious finds today!
Yakiton Tonbou (Ueno) — Menu
Yakiton (grilled pork skewers)
All skewer orders from two skewers each. Here is the sign board.
Kashira (cheek) / Tan (tongue) / Reba (liver) / Nankotsu (cartilage) / Harami (skirt) / Shiro (intestine) / Hatsu (heart) / Teppo (rectum) / Abura (fat) / Ude (shoulder) / Bacon
Simmered dishes
Sashimi
Other dishes
Drinks
Asahi Super Dry
Refills: Hoppy (beer-flavored mixer) 300 yen / Shochu refill (naka) 250 yen
Lemon / Ume (plum) / ‘Ball’ (shochu highball) / Oolong tea / Green tea / Kyoho grape
1 go (180 ml) 600 yen / 2 go (360 ml) 1,000 yen
A notice requests that each person order at least one food item and one drink.
* From the storefront menu at the time of visit in August 2026. Prices include tax; items change seasonally. Please check the latest details at the store.
Motsuyaki Sakaba Tonbou (Izakaya / Keisei Ueno Station, Ueno-okachimachi Station, Ueno-hirokoji Station)
Tabelog dinner rating ★★★☆☆ 3.4
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
