“AKASAKA MISONO, Akasaka

“A steel-plate steak house. This is where the genre started. It is located in a tiny alleyway just opposite the entrance to the TBS television building.”

– Fodor’s Guide to Japan and East Asia, 1963

Steak House Akasaka Misono, Akasaka, Tokyo, c. 1970. Fujioka Shigeji opened the world’s first teppanyaki [鉄板焼き, lit. ‘metal plate grilled’] restaurant in bombed-out Kobe in September 1945. This Tokyo location at Akasaka would open for business in 1960. Teppanyaki-style cooking would make its US debut in 1964 when the Benihana restaurant chain first opened its doors in New York City. But Misono still remains the standard by which all other teppanyaki restaurants are measured.

See also:
“Seryna” restaurants advertising postcards, Roppongi, c. 1970.
Anne Dinken’s Kosher Deli, Roppongi, c. 1970.
Mizu shobai [“Water trade”] culture, Club Seryna, Ginza, c. 1970.

“Early fall of 1945. The city of Koba lay desolate. In the devestated Sannnomiya area, a young man placed his dream onto an iron plate and developed Teppanyaki steak.

“Misono was established in 1945 as the first teppanyaki restaurant in the world. The unique teppanyaki style became popular among dancers who had a taste for extravagance and among Occupation troops. Later, it became popular among celebrities in various fields and food connoisseurs.

“Seventy years have quickly passed since teppanyaki was started with the desire to ‘Let people taste truly delicious meat.’ Now this is called ‘Misono Style Teppanyaki’ and gourmets are proud to eat steak at ‘Misono’.”

– Misono Steak House

Steak House Akasaka Misono logo, c. 1970.