Traditions · national · JP
焼き鳥
yakitori · Yakitori
A Japanese practice of grilling skewered chicken over charcoal, using a detailed vocabulary of cuts and parts, served across settings from standing bars to sit-down restaurants.
What the sources establish
Documented in — JP
Skewers are seasoned one of two ways — shio, salt based, or tare, a sweetened sauce — and restaurants use every part of the chicken, including parts uncommon in Western cooking.
Well supported
Who documented this
Yakitori is seasoned in one of two ways — shio, salt based, or tare, a sweetened sauce — and yakitori restaurants use every part of the chicken, including negima, sasami, gizzards and hearts.
Well supported
Japan National Tourism Organization — States this directly
“There are two main marinades for yakitori: shio, salt based; or tare, a sweetened barbecue sauce.”
- A binary choice per skewer, not a single house style.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-13
Japan National Tourism Organization — States this directly
The Japan National Tourism Organization states that yakitori restaurants serve every part of the chicken, including parts not commonly eaten in the West, and names negima (white meat with scallions), sasami, sunagimo (gizzards) and hearts.
- Only four parts are named on this page. BBQHQ makes no claim about the wider vocabulary, which is considerably larger.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-13
Not universal — JP
Yakitori is served across a wide range of settings, from standing-room beer dens and food stalls to sit-down restaurants and Tokyo's yokocho alleys.
Well supported
Who documented this
Yakitori is served across a wide range of settings, from standing-room beer dens and food stalls to sit-down restaurants and Tokyo's yokocho alleys.
Well supported
Japan National Tourism Organization — States this directly
The Japan National Tourism Organization describes yakitori being served across a range of settings, from standing-room beer dens and food stalls to sit-down restaurants, including in Tokyo's yokocho alleys such as Omoide Yokocho.
- Deliberately plural. Yakitori is not one kind of place.
- Named examples in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-13
History
Uncertain
No history was retrieved. The Japan National Tourism Organization page makes no historical claims, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs feature that would most likely carry one refuses automated access. Note the shape of what is missing: BBQHQ can describe yakitori's seasonings, its parts and its settings and says nothing about the fire — neither binchōtan charcoal nor the konro grill is supported by anything retrieved, so neither is asserted.
Foods documented in this tradition
Each of these is here because a source names it, and the source is named beside it. BBQHQ does not decide what belongs to somebody else’s tradition.
Chicken thigh, bone-inDocumented in
The Japan National Tourism Organization states that yakitori restaurants serve every part of the chicken, which is the practice that distinguishes yakitori from grilling a chicken portion.
Chicken wingsDocumented in
Named within the same documented practice of serving every part of the bird.
Associated with this tradition
References, not identity. A tradition is not its equipment and not its method, and these links say “associated with” rather than “consists of”.