Aragawa (麤皮) is a legendary steakhouse in Sannomiya, Kobe. Founded in 1956, it is regarded as the originator of rogama-yaki -- beef seared slowly over charcoal inside a purpose-built furnace-kiln -- a style its founder built around virgin, Tajima-bloodline cattle. The technique helped carry the name of Kobe beef around the world, and in 2010 Aragawa became the only steakhouse anywhere to hold two Michelin stars. (It is a separate house from the Tokyo Aragawa in Shimbashi, founded 1967.)
Aragawa defined Kobe steak culture by pioneering rogama-yaki -- steak fired slowly over charcoal inside a purpose-built furnace-kiln. The furnace itself can be copied; the fire technique, handed down from the previous generation, cannot. The result is something no teppan griddle or charcoal grill matches: a crisp, aromatic exterior over a juicy interior.
Aragawa serves long-fed, virgin Tajima-bloodline beef -- the deep azuki-red Sanda beef of that line -- sourced through a lasting relationship with a breeder who raises pure female Tajima cattle out of pride rather than profit. The cooking exists only to draw out the beef's own quality, with nothing dressed up.
The founder was Jiro Yamada, who established the style the restaurant is known for: virgin Tajima-bloodline beef, fired slowly over charcoal inside the furnace-kiln. The room is small — 29 seats in total, with a private room for up to ten — and the fittings have the retro feel of a long-established coffee house rather than anything grand.
The omakase course is ¥45,980 as of August 2026: smoked beef with melon, sauteed foie gras, a salad of Akashi octopus, the sirloin steak, bread and dessert. Expect the actual bill to run higher once drinks and service are included.
Hours, prices and course content can change. Please confirm with the restaurant before visiting. Information current as of August 2026.
Aragawa is, in large part, where the idea of Kobe beef as the world's finest steak was built -- the originator of rogama-yaki, and the only steakhouse ever to hold two Michelin stars. It competes on the essence of Tajima beef alone. As our committee chair Takayuki Toriyama, who eats more than 300 wagyu and yakiniku meals a year, puts it, the signature sirloin comes out crisp outside and juicy within, and yet "for a sirloin, you feel none of the heaviness of the fat." For anyone serious about beef, it is a place to visit at least once.