Ginza Ten-ichi

Ginza Ten-ichi (銀座天一) is a Japanese tempura restaurant brand operated by Ten-ichi Co., Ltd. (株式会社天一), headquartered in Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo. The company traces its origins to October 1930, when founder Isao Yabuki opened a small tempura shop in Ningyocho, Nihonbashi. Two years later, in July 1932, the shop moved to Ginza Nishi-Hatchome, where it established itself as a high-end Ginza tempura restaurant. The brand styles its tempura as "Tenpura" written with the characters 天冨良, and is commonly known by the abbreviation "Ten-ichi." Ten-ichi positions itself as a keeper of orthodox Edomae tempura — tempura in the tradition of fish from Edo Bay fried in sesame oil — while also presenting itself as an innovator. Its official history credits the founder with introducing several novelties: air conditioning so the shop could operate through the summer, the blending of corn oil with sesame oil for a lighter texture, and the early adoption of vegetables alongside seafood as tempura ingredients. The company describes its guiding spirit as a "pioneering spirit" (進取の精神) inherited from Yabuki. The brand operates restaurants across Japan — the official site states there are 27 locations nationwide — including its flagship Ginza main store, the Peninsula Tokyo branch, the Nihonbashi Muromachi branch, the Yokohama Takashimaya branch, and the Osaka branch at Herbis PLAZA ENT. It also runs takeout shops. Over the decades it has expanded into new formats and locations: the Sony Building store (1966), the first suburban store in Jiyugaoka (1971), the exclusive Ten-ichizan (1985), the casual Ten-ichi deux (1989), the Nihonbashi Muromachi store (2010), the Peninsula Tokyo in-shop store (2021), a renewed Ginza main store (2022), and a Haneda Airport Terminal 3 store (2024). Beyond restaurants, the company founded the Ten-ichi Museum of Art (天一美術館) in Gunma Prefecture in 1997, displaying the founder's collection of paintings and calligraphy by cultural figures. The current president is Yuichi Yabuki (矢吹友一), and the company reported 504 employees as of July 2026. Ten-ichi presents itself not only as a tempura provider but as a "stage" where beautiful memories are made, a positioning summed up in its slogan "Tempura and, a lifetime" (天ぷらと、一生。).

Ginza Ten-ichi was founded in October 1930 (Showa 5) by Isao Yabuki as a small tempura shop in Ningyocho, Nihonbashi, Tokyo. Two years later, in July 1932, the shop moved to Ginza Nishi-Hatchome, near the current Sotobori-dori, and gradually established itself as a high-end Ginza tempura restaurant. According to the official history, the founder introduced several innovations that were unusual for tempura shops of the time: air conditioning to allow summer operation, the use of corn oil blended with sesame oil for a lighter taste, and the early adoption of vegetables as tempura ingredients alongside seafood. These changes helped the restaurant attract a steady clientele and build its reputation. Through the prewar and postwar periods, Ten-ichi was frequented by political, financial, and government figures as well as many cultural figures associated with Ginza. It also hosted numerous foreign dignitaries, becoming one of Japan's representative tempura restaurants. The name "Ten-ichi" is said to derive from the founder's poor handwriting: he combined the character for tempura (天) with the simple Chinese numeral one (一) for a shop name he would have to write for the rest of his life. Later, a rubbing of "Ten-ichizan" (天一山) by the Tang dynasty calligrapher Yan Zhenqing was used as the shop's signboard. The postwar decades saw expansion into new locations and formats. In 1966, a store opened in the Sony Building, a new Ginza landmark, serving as a base for communicating the brand to domestic and international customers. In 1971, the Jiyugaoka store opened as the first suburban location, initially styled as an American diner rather than a counter tempura restaurant. In 1985, Ten-ichizan (天一山) opened on the second floor of the main store as an exclusive restaurant limited to one group per day, hosting world leaders such as UN Secretary-General de Cuéllar and French President Chirac. In 1989, Ten-ichi deux opened as a casual tempura shop offering tendon, kushiyaki, and beer, targeting office workers and women. In 1997, the Ten-ichi Museum of Art (天一美術館) opened in Gunma Prefecture, designed by architect Junzo Yoshimura, to display the founder's collection of calligraphy and paintings by cultural figures such as Saneatsu Mushanokōji and Naoya Shiga, as well as paintings by Ryusei Kishida. In 2010, the Nihonbashi Muromachi store opened in the YUITO commercial facility. In 2021, the brand opened its first in-shop store at The Peninsula Tokyo, a luxury foreign-affiliated hotel. In 2022, the flagship Ginza main store was fully renovated and reopened, blending traditional Japanese beauty with modern architecture. In 2024, a store opened at Haneda Airport Terminal 3, directly communicating Japanese tempura culture to travelers. As of the 2020s, the company operates 27 stores nationwide according to its official site, including the Ginza main store, The Peninsula Tokyo store, Nihonbashi Muromachi store, Yokohama Takashimaya store, and Osaka store at Herbis PLAZA ENT. The current president is Yuichi Yabuki, and the company reported 504 employees as of July 2026. The brand continues to present itself as a "stage" for memorable dining experiences under the slogan "Tempura and, a lifetime."

• Founded in Ningyocho, Nihonbashi, Tokyo by Isao Yabuki.

• Moved to Ginza Nishi-Hatchome, establishing itself as a high-end Ginza tempura restaurant.

• Introduced innovations such as exhaust fans, trial stainless steel pots, and corn oil blending.

• Sony Building store opened.

• Jiyugaoka store opened as the first suburban location.

• Ten-ichizan opened on the second floor of the main store, limited to one group per day.

• Ten-ichi deux opened as a casual tempura shop.

• Ten-ichi Museum of Art opened in Gunma Prefecture.

• Nihonbashi Muromachi store opened in YUITO.

• The Peninsula Tokyo store opened as the first in-shop store.

• Ginza main store fully renovated and reopened.

• Food poisoning incident at Ginza Mitsukoshi restaurant store; four-day closure ordered from September 8.

• Haneda Airport Terminal 3 store opened.

High-end, traditional Edomae tempura restaurant brand with a nearly century-long history, combining tradition and innovation.

• Edomae tempura

  Orthodox tempura in the Edomae style, fried in a blend of sesame oil and corn oil.

• Tendon

  Tempura rice bowl offered at casual format stores.

• Kushiyaki

  Skewered fried items offered at casual format stores.

• Takeout tempura

  Takeout boxes available at multiple takeout shops.

1. 1天一 | 天ぷらと、一生。tenichi.co.jp
2. 2天一のあゆみ - 天一 | 天ぷらと、一生。tenichi.co.jp
3. 3天一について - 天一 | 天ぷらと、一生。tenichi.co.jp
4. 4Ginza Ten-ichi - Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5銀座天一 - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org