Yajima

Set along a street in the residential neighborhood of Tsurumaki, Setagaya, Sushi Yajima (すし やじま) offers a calm sushi experience where guests can watch the chef's craftsmanship directly from counter seating. Slicing and pressing each piece to order with sincere care, the master chef fosters an easygoing, comfortable atmosphere where diners can savor their meal quietly at their own pace.

At lunchtime, the shop is especially popular for its colorful assortments of chirashi and rice bowls. Selections like the neatly composed Edomae chirashi and the seafood-strewn bara-chirashi deliver a satisfying balance between fresh seafood and the mellow sweetness of seasoned sushi rice. The midday menu also accommodates diverse cravings with choices like tender simmered anago bowls, seafood donburi topped with tuna, shrimp, and sea urchin, or bowls pairing salmon with salmon roe.

Nigiri sushi is another standout, featuring lunch omakase sets alongside evening courses arranged across regular, special, and premium tiers with quality cuts like sea bream, gizzard shad, Pacific bluefin tuna, and kuruma prawn served piece by piece. Thoughtful techniques—such as serving sea bream with its flavorful skin or peeling prawns individually upon each order—accentuate the natural qualities of the fish.

Evenings are well suited to sharing an assorted sashimi plate alongside glasses of beer, sake, or a shochu highball. A lineup of cooked dishes—such as deep-fried octopus, fried white shrimp, seaweed-wrapped grilled anago, and Saikyo-miso-marinated black cod—allows diners to enjoy drinks leisurely before concluding with nigiri.

The counter is approachable for solo diners, while reservations are recommended for evening visits. Payment can be settled with credit cards or mobile options including PayPay and Setagaya Pay, making this a practical sushi destination for everything from everyday lunches to special dinners.