After opening in 2018 to critical acclaim and then catapulting to two-star status in the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2020, restaurant Inua has announced it will stay closed for the foreseeable future.
Like many restaurants in Tokyo, Inua closed temporarily in early April due to Covid-19 coronavirus. Although Tokyo has now lifted all restrictions, the future of the restaurant industry remains uncertain. In a statement released on social media on July 3, head chef Thomas Frebel said, ‘...with the continued uncertainty being faced by our industry and community, both here in Tokyo and around the world, I wanted to share with you that we have decided that Inua will remain closed. As difficult as this decision is, with the wellbeing of our team and guests at the heart of everything we do, it is the only decision we can take.’
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Under Frebel’s guidance, Inua garnered worldwide attention and accolades for its innovative Japanese-Nordic dining experience, offering a menu informed by flavours and ingredients indigenous to Japan. Inua’s research and development team sought out hyper-seasonal and diverse ingredients like wild mountain herbs from Akita prefecture, sansho pepper flowers from Ehime and bee larva from Nagano to be crafted into beautiful, creative dishes.
Before heading up Inua, German-born Frebel spent ten years working at Noma in Copenhagen. It was during Noma’s three-month-long pop-up restaurant at Tokyo’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel in 2015 that Thomas felt the draw of Japan. After three years in the making, Inua opened its doors to the public in June 2018.
While it was brief, Inua’s impact on the Tokyo food scene has been significant, and will be missed – but we look forward to the team’s next iteration.
Read our guide on how to go out safely in Tokyo here.
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