On the mountain side of JR Sannomiya Station, there’s a brick-colored building. In the basement restaurant area, the fragrant smoke of motsu-yaki rises.
On October 1, 2025, “Horumon串 Tokishirazu” was born as a new establishment of TOKI, which operates restaurants in Kobe’s Motomachi area. In this city where “beef” is the standard for horumon, Manager Maki is taking on the challenge with “pork motsu-yaki.”
“It’s motsu-yaki, horumon skewers. The owner, Yuki-san, originally trained in Tokyo and worked at a motsu-yaki shop. And this location was a secondhand yakitori shop property.”
Charcoal-grilled horumon skewers in hand, downing a glass of hoppy. This scene that’s commonplace in the Kanto region—they want to make it Kobe’s new culture. This is the story of that challenge.
The name “Tokishirazu” carries the wish to have people who don’t yet know TOKI casually drop by for everyday use.
Secondhand of a Secondhand of a Secondhand…
“Apparently it’s a secondhand of a secondhand of a secondhand…”
Maki-san explains the property’s history with a wry smile. When they signed the contract for this secondhand yakitori shop property, it was in a terrible state.
Brown tiles on the ducts and ceiling, caked-on oil stains. All equipment except the dishwasher had been removed, and the floors and walls were pitch black. From the time of signing, they were told “this might be demolished in 2 years…”
Armed with powerful detergent and brushes, starting two weeks before opening, they scrubbed the walls, floors, and ducts relentlessly every day. Team members also rushed over, and together they sweated, slowly but surely transforming this place.
“It’s attachment, or rather, after doing that much work, the spirit came out wanting to make it successful. We cleaned everything we could clean.”
From Basketball to Food Service, the Place He Arrived At
“I’ve always loved basketball. I wasn’t an amazing player or anything, but I wanted to make basketball my career, so I was aiming to go pro.”
While belonging to a social club team, he challenged tryouts for what was then the BJ League. Working part-time while chasing his dream. The moments on the court, teamwork with friends, the tension of competition—that was everything.
But reality was harsh.
“Top players of that generation kept coming, and players who couldn’t make it into the NBA came to Japan from America. I thought it was absolutely impossible.”
He gave up on his dream. After working at a company for 3-4 years, he entered the food service industry. At first, he returned to the Western-style restaurant where he’d worked part-time during his basketball days, but something was off.
“But somehow it wasn’t what I wanted to do, not this form.”
At that time, what caught his eye was people who were enjoying food service in a cool way. He wanted to be like that—so he joined what is now TOKI.
“That’s why now, it’s the most fun. I finally feel like I’m doing what I want to do.”
Maki-san once aimed for the professional world. Now, he’s enjoying food service from the bottom of his heart with his teammates at Tokishirazu.
You Should Do It Your Own Way
About grilling motsu-yaki, Maki-san laughs, “I was an amateur.”
“Because at the Western restaurant I only did frying. I felt like it was a factory, working with 4 timers. I didn’t know anything about grilling.”
The one who extended a helping hand to such a Maki-san was Yonezawa-san from “Yakitori Yonezawa,” a famous shop in Kobe’s Ninomiya.
After seeing Tokishirazu’s Instagram, he contacted the owner saying “I’ll teach you if you need anything.” He came to the shop after his own work ended, and until 2 AM, the limit for business, taught him everything—how to use charcoal, heat application.
At first, Maki-san was extremely nervous.
“I knew Yonezawa-san was an amazing person. I thought, an incredible craftsman is coming. I’m pretty casual, so I was worried about getting the distance wrong.”
However, Yonezawa-san’s teaching method was completely different from what he’d imagined.
“He said ‘you should do it your own way.’ He said he’d teach me, but in the end, you eat it yourself, grill it yourself, and complete it yourself. It’s like fashion.”
There are no set rules. There are various craftsmen with various methods. But in the end, it’s your own style—those words resonated most deeply.
“The Concept of Liver Changes” - Tokishirazu’s Horumon Skewers
The “own style” learned from Yonezawa-san is now taking form in each dish.
The representative of this is the signature menu item, “toro-reba” (melting liver).
For those who think “liver has that slimy texture and smell…”—this is exactly what they should try first.
Arranged on the plate is liver with sharp “edges” like dice. These edges are proof of freshness.
Mix it with plenty of green onions and sesame oil and toss it in your mouth—the firm texture gives way to sweetness that melts out. There’s absolutely no liver-specific odor, and the softness and sesame oil aroma intertwine.
Before you know it, your beer is empty and you’re ordering hoppy—it’s that kind of dish.
“You don’t get tired of it. And it really goes with alcohol. More than yakitori, motsu-yaki makes you want to eat it again.”
Maki-san is now recreating in Kobe that sensation he experienced in Tokyo.
Kansai is beef. Kanto is pork. He wants to spread Tokyo’s culture called yakibuta (grilled pork) from here in Kobe.
The “style” learned from his mentor. It’s not a manual, but trusting your own senses. And never compromising to please customers.
That feeling is infused in each skewer.
Days of Trial and Error Continuing Even After Opening
“Even at opening, it still wasn’t perfect at all.”
Maki-san looks back.
But that’s exactly why every day is a challenge. Making corrections while doing it. Adjusting how to pierce the skewers. Trying out how to arrange the charcoal.
“Even now I’m doing it while thinking ‘isn’t there something better?’”
When asked if he trained anywhere else for grilling, he laughs, “I went as an apprentice!”
He actually worked at other shops, learning skewer piercing, charcoal grilling, and horumon management methods.
“But they didn’t let me do the grilling. Still, there were various things I learned by watching—skewer piercing, charcoal grilling, management methods.”
Among these, his commitment to management methods is thorough. Orders can only be placed 3 days a week. By maintaining temperature just above freezing in cooler boxes, they achieve that “sharp-edged” freshness.
Actually, the path to motsu-yaki training wasn’t easy.
There was a plan to train for 3 months at a model shop in Tokyo. After eating at about 15 motsu-yaki shops with the owner, they found a model shop. When told “Maki, go there,” he answered “I’ll totally go!”
He got permission and went to Tokyo for an interview. But he didn’t want to lie.
“I wanted to learn motsu-yaki. I absolutely didn’t want to lie, join, and quit after 3 months, so I told them honestly. I even practiced for the interview, but they said it was still impossible.”
People Gathering at Tokishirazu
“At first, if I only followed what I liked, it would become like street culture, kind of cool people drinking. But it’s not like that.”
Now coming to Tokishirazu are people of a really wide range of generations, from university students to office workers.
Not too eccentric, just the right line. That exquisite balance is attracting new customers.
“Customers who aren’t TOKI customers or TOKIPAO customers—completely new types of customers are coming. Regulars from both places come too.”
“Some people come without knowing it’s part of the TOKI group, and they’re like ‘You have affiliated stores?!’ ‘We do gyoza, Asian-ethnic with gin, and an izakaya’ ‘Oh! I’ll go!’”
As he faces a wide range of customer demographics, changes are also occurring in Maki-san’s values.
The desire to be a shop that can be enjoyed by more generations is growing stronger.
Making Motsu-yaki a New Kobe Culture
“Through Tokishirazu, I hope people can understand the goodness of motsu-yaki and the goodness of our company too.”
In Kobe, a city where horumon means beef, spreading pork motsu-yaki—it’s not an easy challenge.
But they’re moving in that direction.
“If you keep believing in something, I think it naturally becomes that way.”
Yonezawa-san taught him grilling. Staff work while laughing “it’s so fun.” Both regulars and new customers casually drop by.
“There are tough times, of course. But because everyone’s here. I get stimulation from them.”
If you keep believing, it becomes reality. Making motsu-yaki Kobe’s new culture. The fragrant smoke rising from the basement bar—Tokishirazu’s signal fire has just been lit.
Horumon串 Tokishirazu
- 📍 Green Shapo Building B1F, 5-3-5 Kotonocho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo
- 🚃
- 1 minute walk from Kobe Municipal Subway Sannomiya Station
- 2 minutes walk from JR Sannomiya Station, Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya Station
- 3 minutes walk from Hanshin Kobe-Sannomiya Station
- ⏰ Business Hours: Mon-Sat, Holidays 17:00-23:00 (L.O. 22:30)
- 🗓 Closed: Sundays (Open if Monday is a holiday)
- 📱 Instagram: @tokishirazu
Check Tokishirazu information on Tabelog
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