4 big-eater challenges in Tokyo
- Four venues make meals or entry free upon finishing: Hakata Gekijo, Mallory Pork Steak Kanda, Unagi Jiro Kagurazaka and Yamahara at Toyosu Market.
- Failure costs ¥7,500 (¥8,250 with tax) at Hakata Gekijo, ¥8,990 at Yamahara and ¥9,788 at Mallory.
- Time limits are 20 minutes for Mallory's 2 kg pork steak and 60 minutes for Hakata Gekijo's 100 gyoza.
In Tokyo, 4 places run big-eater challenges where finishing the food makes it free: Yataiya Hakata Gekijo, Mallory Pork Steak Kanda, Unagi Jiro Kagurazaka and Yamahara at Toyosu Market. The portions range from 100 gyoza (about 1.5 kg) to a 2 kg pork steak and 30 to 100 unagi rice balls. Time limits run from 20 to 90 minutes, and if you cannot finish, you pay between ¥8,250 (tax included) and ¥9,788. At Unagi Jiro, the entry fee you pay first becomes free if you finish. All 4 places require a reservation or recommend one.
In short
- Most food: Unagi Jiro’s 100 unagi rice balls (over 10 kg, 90 minutes). The shortest time limit: Mallory Pork Steak’s 2 kg pork steak (20 minutes).
- If you fail, you pay ¥8,250 at Hakata Gekijo, ¥8,990 at Yamahara and ¥9,788 at Mallory. At Unagi Jiro, the entry fee you paid up front (¥12,000 to ¥40,000) is free only if you finish.
- Reservations: Hakata Gekijo, Unagi Jiro and Shinkei need one by the day before, and Mallory requires one. Yamahara recommends a reservation or enquiry because quantities are limited.
Checked with official pages on October 27, 2026 (Japan time). Prices and hours may change.
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1. Portion, time limit and cost if you fail at 4 big-eater challenges in Tokyo
| Restaurant | Portion and time limit | If you finish, if you fail | Nearest station or location | Reservation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yataiya Hakata Gekijo | 100 gyoza (about 1.5 kg), 60 minutes | The 100 gyoza are free plus an annual pass / ¥7,500 (¥8,250 with tax) | Kinshicho branch: 4 min from Kinshicho Station (26 shops in Tokyo) | By the day before, one person only |
| Mallory Pork Steak Kanda | 2 kg pork steak, 20 minutes | The meal is free / ¥9,788 for the meal | Uchikanda, Chiyoda City | Reservation required |
| Unagi Jiro Kagurazaka | 30 to 100 unagiri, 30 to 90 minutes | The entry fee is free (¥12,000 for 30) | Nishigoken-cho, Shinjuku City | Reservation by the day before |
| Toyosu Market Kaisendon Yamahara | Giant seafood rice bowl, 40 minutes | The meal is free plus a topping coupon / ¥8,990 | 4 min from Shijo-mae Station (Toyosu Market) | Limited quantity; reservation or enquiry recommended |
The “Shinkei Ikebukuro” mega challenge is in its own section, because finishing earns a 1-year free pass for fried half chicken, not a free meal.
2. Things to know about big-eater challenges in Tokyo
Hours and days differ a lot by restaurant in Tokyo, so narrowing by day and time first reduces the candidates. Yamahara at Toyosu Market is open until lunchtime, Unagi Jiro Kagurazaka until the evening, and Hakata Gekijo’s Kinshicho branch in the evening. Each restaurant’s hours are in the table at the end of its section.
Most are easy to reach by train. Hakata Gekijo has 26 official shops in Tokyo (Nakano, Akabane, Jimbocho, Marunouchi, Yurakucho, Okachimachi, Gotanda, Oimachi, Aomono-yokocho, Kinshicho, Omori, Ueno-Hirokoji, Kabukicho, Nishi-Shinjuku, Monzen-Nakacho, Toyocho, Shibuya, Shibuya Miyamasuzaka, Shimbashi (2 shops), Meguro, Ikebukuro East Exit, Kita-Senju, Takenotsuka, Chofu and Machida), so you can choose the nearest one.
The way to reserve also differs. Hakata Gekijo, Unagi Jiro and Shinkei need a reservation by the day before, and Mallory Pork Steak requires one. Yamahara recommends a reservation or enquiry because quantities are limited.
3. Yataiya Hakata Gekijo: 100 gyoza in 60 minutes
If you finish 100 Hakata-style iron-pan gyoza (about 1.5 kg in total) within 60 minutes, the 100 gyoza are free and you receive an annual gyoza pass. If you fail, you pay ¥7,500 (¥8,250 with tax). The official notice says the annual pass is worth up to about ¥350,000.
A reservation by the day before is required, and only one person can take the challenge. You cannot add people during the challenge. When several people take it at the same time, the food is served in turn because of cooking limits. The notice dated February 1, 2026 is the Hakata Gekijo official notice “What is the 100 Gyoza Challenge?” (Japanese).
The official notice does not limit which shops run it. At the shop you want to try, check at reservation whether it runs the challenge. The table below is an example for the Kinshicho branch, and the shop list is on the official site.
| Name | Yataiya Hakata Gekijo (Kinshicho branch. 26 shops in Tokyo) |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-13-6 Koto-bashi, Sumida City, Tokyo (Miyakawa Building 1F and 2F) |
| Hours / Closed | 16:00–24:00 (Open daily. Kinshicho branch) |
| Phone | 03-6659-9400 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
4. Mallory Pork Steak Kanda: 2 kg in 20 minutes
If one person finishes the 2 kg pork steak called “Olympus” within 20 minutes, the meal is free. If you cannot finish it, you pay ¥9,788 for the meal. The challenge requires a reservation.
This is from the operator’s (57 Co., Ltd.) announcement of October 2, 2026 on the opening of the Kanda shop (Japanese). The Kanda shop opened on October 5, 2026 as the 33rd shop. The announcement does not say whether other shops run the challenge, so check with the shop.
| Name | Mallory Pork Steak Kanda |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-10-8 Uchikanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo (Y-WORKS Yamamoto, B1F) |
| Hours / Closed | Weekdays and Saturdays 11:20–15:00 (last order 14:30) / 17:00–22:00 (last order 21:30) (Closed Sundays and public holidays) |
| Phone | 03-6206-0322 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
5. Unagi Jiro Kagurazaka: Unagiri Challenge 2026
You eat “unagiri”, bite-sized unagi (eel) rice balls, in courses of 30 in 30 minutes, 50 in 40 minutes or 100 in 90 minutes, and if you finish, the entry fee is free. The entry fee is ¥12,000 for 30, ¥20,000 for 50 and ¥40,000 for 100 (all tax included). The 100-ball course weighs over 10 kg in total.
The 30 and 50 courses serve 3 kinds of unagiri, and the 100 course serves 6 kinds. Anything you cannot finish can be taken home in its individual wrapping. Reservations are required by the day before. It started in June 2026 and has no set end date.
The announcement’s subheading calls the 100 course “invitation only”. Check with the shop how to apply. The details are from the operator’s (Tokyo Unagi Jiro Co., Ltd.) announcement of June 4, 2026 on Unagiri Challenge 2026 (Japanese). The same challenge is also held at the Izumiotsu main shop in Osaka.
| Name | Unagi Jiro Kagurazaka |
|---|---|
| Address | 11-6 Nishigoken-cho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo |
| Hours / Closed | 11:00–18:00 |
| Phone | 03-6820-3194 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
6. Toyosu Market Kaisendon Yamahara: the Big Eater Challenge Bowl in 40 minutes
If one person finishes the large seafood rice bowl called the “Big Eater Challenge Bowl” within 40 minutes, the meal is free and you get a topping coupon valid for 1 year. The topping coupon cannot be used for domestic sea urchin. If you fail, you pay the regular price of ¥8,990.
Up to 4 people can share it, but then it does not qualify for the free meal. Because quantities are limited, the official page recommends a reservation or an enquiry beforehand. The official blog says taking the challenge alone is at your own risk.
The shop is on the 3rd floor of the fisheries wholesale building at Toyosu Market. The Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market says it is a 4-minute walk from Shijo-mae Station on the Yurikamome line to the market. The details are from the shop’s official blog, “The Big Eater Challenge Bowl has started!” (Japanese; posted December 2, 2025 and updated July 23).
| Name | Toyosu Market Kaisendon Yamahara |
|---|---|
| Address | 6-5-1 Toyosu, Koto City, Tokyo (Fisheries Wholesale Building 3F) |
| Hours / Closed | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat 7:00–15:00 (Lunch 11:00–15:00, last order 14:45). Closed Wednesdays, Sundays, and market holidays |
| Phone | 03-6633-3493 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
7. Shinkei Ikebukuro: finishing earns a 1-year free pass for fried half chicken
For the “Mega Mori Challenge”, if you finish a bowl weighing about 6 kg in total within 30 minutes, you receive a 1-year free pass for fried half chicken. The meal does not become free. The bowl is 2.8 kg of rice, 30 yakitori skewers, 20 pieces of fried chicken and the signature fried half chicken. The announcement values the pass at ¥500,000 in total.
A reservation by the day before is required, and on the online booking you write “Challenge request”. It started on August 24, 2026, and no end date is given. The announcement does not say what you pay if you fail, so check with the shop when you reserve. The details are from the operator’s (Alba Co., Ltd.) announcement of August 21, 2026 on the Mega Mori Challenge at Shinkei Ikebukuro (Japanese).
| Name | Shinkei Ikebukuro |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-10-7 Ikebukuro, Toshima City, Tokyo (Fujita Building 1F and B1F) |
| Hours / Closed | Mon–Thu 16:00–23:30 (last order 23:00) / Fri 16:00–4:00 next day (last order 3:30) / Sat and days before public holidays 13:00–4:00 next day (last order 3:30) / Sun and public holidays 13:00–23:30 (last order 23:00) |
| Phone | 03-5960-0888 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
Sources
11 pages we checked
Checked with official pages on October 27, 2026 (Japan time).
