Hatsuneya

Restaurant Details

Among the old-style buildings in Kawagoe, Saitama, the traditional dining room at Hatsuneya, with its shoji screens, earthen walls and ikebana arrangements, has been open since 1868. Passed down through six generations, the restaurant has undergone subtle tweaks. Wood floors no longer creak, shoji screens are pristine and the kappo-style counter remains glossy. The spirit of the Meiji period is alive, even as the store relocated to a quaint building near Hon-Kawagoe Station.

This approach is intentional, a reflection of the restaurant’s creed: updates are made to preserve the original. The same philosophy applies to its kaiseki course, where traditional flavors and techniques are honored yet refined for a modern experience. Subtle touches of contemporary and Western influence don’t challenge the tradition Hatsuneya upholds but integrate these influences gracefully.

Hatsuneya’s primary focus is to blend alcohol, food and atmosphere seamlessly. Ingredients are delicately selected by hand according to the season, sake and shochu are presented from breweries across Japan, and bossa nova and jazz music sets the relaxed ambiance from the moment diners step inside the restaurant.

Here, diners leave the day’s tasting menu to the chef in an omakase format. Dashi becomes the skeleton of its kaiseki dishes, which are dressed in bright, almost angelic plates. Seasonal soups such as matsutake, chrysanthemum flower and sweet sea bream offer a delicate prelude to the multicourse journey. Top-shell clam is paired with roe kelp, mackerel sushi and ankimo (monkfish liver). Like the place it’s in — Saitama’s “Little Edo” — dining feels like a journey back in time.

Hatsuneya Remarks

• A minimum of 2 guests is required to make a reservation. Please reserve for the number of people who will be attending.

• The restaurant does not offer a kid’s menu.

• The restaurant menu primarily features fish, so guests who are not fond of fish or raw fish are kindly asked to consider alternative dining options.

• Guests with dietary restrictions and/or food allergies should inform the restaurant beforehand. The restaurant reserves the right to refuse reservations to guests who have excessive dietary restrictions, particularly those of fish or vegetables.

• The course menu content listed below is an example, and is subject to change based on seasonal availability.

• The restaurant cannot always guarantee that it can provide guests with their preferred seating options after a reservation due to availability.

• The pictures provided are for illustrative purposes.

Hatsuneya Business Days

Hatsuneya Address

Oshin No.2 Building 2F, 1-2-2 Nakaharacho, Kawagoe-shi, Saitama 350-0042

Hatsuneya Access Info

• Hatsuneya is a 2-minute walk from Hon-Kawagoe Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line or a 5-minute walk from Kawagoeshi Station on the Tobu Tojo Line.

Hatsuneya Phone Number

Hatsuneya Cancellation Policy

Cancel your reservation at least 3 days before the dining start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.