Sushi & Seafood · Gion

Izuu いづう

Kyotos most famous saba-zushi house, founded in 1781: thick, fatty mackerel wrapped in kombu over rice, served in a wooden Gion townhouse.

Hours11:00-22:00 (Sun and holidays to 21:00)

ClosedTuesday (check)

PriceSaba-zushi (half) eat-in: ¥3,000
Saba sugata-zushi takeaway: ¥6,000

Getting thereGion-Shijo Station (Keihan), 5 min; Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station (Hankyu), 8 min

Time needed45 min

Best timeLate lunch

Address367 Kiyomoto-cho, Yasaka-shinchi, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto

About

Izuu has been making saba sugata-zushi in Gion since 1781, and the name comes from the founder, Izumiya Uhei. Mackerel brought over the mountains on the old Saba Kaido from Wakasa Bay was salted, marinated and pressed onto rice under kombu, a festival and celebration dish for Kyoto families. Izuu still uses fatty mackerel, its own rice blend and Hokkaido kombu, and serves it in a dark-wood machiya dining room just off Hanamikoji, or wraps it to take away. The saba-zushi comes in thick slices; you peel off the kombu before eating. Lighter options include Kyoto-style hako-zushi and inari.

Highlights

Saba sugata-zushi made here since 1781
Historic Gion townhouse dining room
Kombu-wrapped, deeply flavoured mackerel
Takeaway boxes for train journeys
Steps from Hanamikoji and Yasaka Shrine

Tips

Closed Tuesdays (and some Wednesdays: check)
Order a half portion of saba-zushi plus a mixed set to try more
Peel off the kombu before eating
Open until 22:00 (21:00 Sundays), handy after an evening Gion walk

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

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Izuu いづう

About

Highlights

Tips

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