The Day of the Ox
The Day of the Ox falls within the eighteen days before the first day of autumn
in the old calendar. Eating eel on it is a custom from the Edo period.
It is the single busiest day of our year.
Dates
| Year | Day of the Ox (summer) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 26 July (Sun) | One day onlyDoyo period: 20 July – 6 Aug |
| 2027 | 21 July (Wed) — first 2 August (Mon) — second | Two days that year |
The date shifts each year with the calendar.
Our hours on the day — including any special opening when it falls on a closing day — are announced on Instagram. You may also call +81 596-28-3064.
Announcements
Opening days, unscheduled closures and the day's supply are posted on Instagram. Please check there before you set out.
Before you come
- We take no reservationsNot on this day, not on any day. Seating is first come, first served.
- It is the busiest day of the yearPeople sometimes queue before we open. Please allow plenty of time.
- We may close earlyWe grill only what we buy fresh that morning, and it can run out.
- For takeout, call aheadWith an order placed in advance, we can hand it over without a wait.
Avoiding the crowds
The Day of the Ox is a custom, not a culinary peak. Wild eel is in fact at its best from autumn into winter.
If you would rather eat at a relaxed pace, come a few days either side of the date — or, in years with two, on the second, which is always quieter. If you are combining your visit with the shrine, a weekday at 11:00 or after 14:00 is usually smoothest.
A day that avoids the crowds — read moreWhy eel?
The best-known story concerns Hiraga Gennai, an Edo-period scholar and inventor. Asked for help by an eel seller whose summer trade had collapsed, he is said to have suggested a sign reading "Today is the Day of the Ox" — and business boomed.
There is an older idea too: that on the Day of the Ox one should eat foods beginning with the sound "u". Udon, umeboshi, uri — and unagi. All of them help a body through summer.
Ise has a story of its own, the Filial Eel: a son who went to the river to catch an eel so that his sick mother might regain her strength. Care for another person, expressed through a fish. In that sense the two traditions may not be so far apart.