Kurochaya
黒茶屋
Kichijoji & West Suburbs · restaurant
Kurochaya is a 55-year-old kominka ryotei (traditional-house restaurant) in Akiruno's Akigawa Valley — far western Tokyo, where Tokyo softens into mountains and rivers. Every seat is a private room, the cooking centers on irori (sunken hearth) grilling, and the setting overlooks a valley most Tokyoites have never visited. ¥8,800-9,900 course, bus from Musashi-Itsukaichi station.
As seen on Instagram
How to visit
- Address
- 167 Konakano, Akiruno-shi, Tokyo (東京都あきる野市小中野167)
- Hours
- Mon-Sun 11:00-21:00
- Price
- $$$$
- English (?)
- Limited
- Reservations
- Required
What makes it special
Kurochaya represents the part of ‘Tokyo’ that almost no foreign visitor sees. Akiruno-shi sits in the foothills of the Okutama mountains — fewer than 80,000 people, hot-springs, the Akigawa river, and a culinary tradition closer to mountain Japan than to central-Tokyo cosmopolitan.
The restaurant has been operating for over 55 years. Every seat is a private zashiki room (sunken-floor private dining), most overlooking the river valley below. Cooking centers on the irori (sunken hearth) and seasonal mountain vegetables. The Ajisai (hydrangea) seasonal course at ¥9,900 is the regular recommendation.
How to visit
JR Chuo line from Tokyo or Shinjuku to Tachikawa, transfer to JR Itsukaichi line and ride to its terminus, Musashi-Itsukaichi. Bus from there is roughly 7 minutes. The whole journey is about 90 minutes from Shinjuku — best treated as a day trip rather than a casual dinner.
FAQ
FAQ
Where is Akiruno?
Akiruno is in far-western Tokyo metropolitan prefecture — about 90 minutes from Shinjuku by JR Itsukaichi line. Mountains, rivers, hot-springs. Most central-Tokyo residents have never been.
What's a kominka ryotei?
A ryotei (traditional Japanese fine-dining restaurant) housed in an old wooden farmhouse-style building. Every seat is a private room (zashiki). The format is centuries old; very few survive in central Tokyo.
How do I get there?
JR Itsukaichi line to Musashi-Itsukaichi (the line's terminal). Bus 7 minutes from there, or taxi. The trip is half the experience — the train climbs into the Tama mountains.