70 years of History
Sungari has been serving the cuisines of Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia since 1957.
Our name comes from the Sungari; the great river that flows through Harbin, China, known in Chinese as the Songhua Jiang. In Mongolia, at its headwaters, the word carries another meaning altogether: the Milky Way. For those who made their home along its banks, the river was simply Sungari; spoken with warmth and familiarity.
For the people of Harbin, the Sungari was a beloved place of gathering. In spring and autumn, families would row out to the sandbars for picnics, barbecues, and wine. Summer brought yachts gliding across the water, young people swimming, and the laughter of open-air parties. In winter, the river froze entirely, and its surface filled with skaters.
Through every season, the Sungari wove itself into the rhythm of daily life; a place where cultures met naturally, and memories were made. It is that spirit of warmth, of gathering, and of a world rich with culture that we have carried into our restaurant, and into every dish we serve.
The Sungari Story Across Borders — Sixty-Seven Years United by Food
A Youth Spent in Harbin
Sungari's founders, Kojiro and Yoshiko Kato, came of age in Harbin, China; a city that, in the early twentieth century, had blossomed into one of Asia's most cosmopolitan centres. In the wake of the Russian Revolution, waves of Russians had made Harbin their home, and the city became a living tapestry of Eastern European culture: Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Uzbek and beyond.
Cobblestone streets lined with cafes. Theatres filled with opera and classical music. The scent of European bread and soup drifting through the air.
It was in this world, where cultures met and mingled as a matter of daily life, that the seeds of Sungari were first sown.
A Small Russian Restaurant, Born in Postwar Japan
After the war, the couple returned to Japan; carrying with them the memories of a lost youth and a longing for the flavours and culture they had known. It was this desire, to share those tastes once more, that gave rise to Sungari.
The restaurant's first head chef was Ksenia, a woman of Ukrainian Cossack heritage who had married a Japanese man near Harbin. In the years that followed, cooks who had honed their craft in the Russian restaurants of Shanghai and Harbin joined the kitchen, and Sungari's cooking took on a distinctive character all its own; a style that came to be known as Siberian-influenced.
Shinjuku, Tokyo: At the Heart of a City in Bloom
Sungari opened in Shinbashi in 1957, before moving to Kyobashi and eventually to Shinjuku in 1960. It was an era of rapid growth, and Shinjuku was alive with theatre and the performing arts. After curtain call, actors, musicians, and intellectuals gathered naturally around our tables; and what began as a restaurant became something more: a salon where culture, conversation, and cuisine met.
Kyoto Kyiv: A Story of Exchange
In 1972, we opened our sister restaurant "Kyiv" in Kyoto, named in honour of Ukraine's capital city, with which Kyoto maintained a cherished sister-city relationship. Before opening, our founder Kojiro Kato travelled to Kyiv personally, meeting with the mayor and requesting the secondment of local chefs. Over the course of six months, our team learned directly from Ukrainian cooks; an authentic cultural exchange that gave rise to the dishes we serve to this day. Borscht, Chicken Kyiv, and the slow-braised stew served in its traditional clay pot (garshok) were all born of that exchange, and have been lovingly preserved ever since.
Discovering Georgian Cuisine: A Pioneer's Vision
In the 1990s, Sungari invited four to five chefs from Georgian restaurant Suliko, introducing what was then an almost entirely unknown cuisine to Japan. The earthy depth of Georgian cooking; its masterful use of walnuts, herbs, and unhurried technique, brought a new dimension to our culinary identity.
Georgian wine has since captivated the world, and none more so than orange wine, produced using the ancient qvevri method with over 8,000 years of history. Originating in Georgia, this style is now crafted across Europe and Japan alike. Sungari was among the first to champion the pairing of Georgian wine with food, and today we remain one of Japan's rare restaurants where the cuisines of Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia can be savoured alongside an exceptional selection of orange wine.
And now to the present.
Currently, Sungari operates three stores.
- Shinjuku East Exit Main Store (Opened in 1973 / Moved from Kabukicho store)
- Shinjuku 3-chome store (opened in 2017 / relocated from the former Shinjuku West Exit Subaru Building store)
Kyoto Kyiv (opened in 1972)
The third generation to carry on this legacy is Akiko Kato, the founder's granddaughter.
While preserving the flavors and philosophy cultivated over 67 years, Sungari will continue to move forward as a place where people gather for food and culture.
Sungari Timeline
Shinbashi Store 1957-1958
Kyobashi Store 1958-1960
Kabukicho store 1960-1973
Shinjuku West Exit Subaru Building Store 1967-2017
Teatro Sungari Aoyama 1991-2006
There are currently 3 stores open for business.
• Shinjuku East Exit Main Store (Opened in 1973) / Moved from Kabukicho Store
• Shinjuku Sanchome store (Opened in 2017 / Relocated from the former Shinjuku West Exit Subaru Building store)
• Kyoto Kyiv (Opened in 1972)
