Kofu Torimotsu-ni & Yakitori Alley Food Walk

The Kofu Torimotsu-ni & Yakitori Alley Food Walk is a guided evening food tour through central Kofu City, arranged through the Kofu City Tourism Association, focused on torimotsu-ni, the city's signature dish of chicken giblets slow-simmered in a thick, sweet-savory soy glaze. Over roughly three hours, the walk visits three izakaya along Chuo-dori and the narrow yakitori alley near Kofu Station's south exit, sampling different restaurants' takes on the giblet stew alongside charcoal-grilled yakitori skewers, giving participants a direct comparison of how individual kitchens season and reduce the glaze. A local guide explains the dish's origins in Kofu's postwar yakitori-stall culture, when giblets, then an inexpensive cut, were simmered slowly to stretch limited ingredients into a filling, flavorful dish that eventually became a point of civic pride. The tour is entirely savoury and evening-only, run after 6pm to align with when the featured izakaya are open, with no sweet course included. The ¥5,500 fee covers all food tastings at the three stops and the guide's narration; not included are additional drinks beyond a welcome beer or soft drink at the first stop, and transport to the starting point near Kofu Station. Groups are kept small to move easily between the narrow alley stalls, and guiding is available in Japanese with English support depending on the guide assigned; travelers should confirm language needs when booking. Dietary substitutions are difficult given the tour's focus on a single specific dish, so guests who do not eat organ meat should discuss alternatives with the tourism association in advance.