If you are ordering unagi kabayaki (eel grilled with a sweet soy glaze) online, it is easier to decide by four points: what the set contains, such as kabayaki or shirayaki (grilled plain, without sauce); the size of each fillet and how many there are; the origin labeling; and whether it arrives frozen or chilled. We have lined up kabayaki and shirayaki labeled as domestic (Japanese) using the same yardstick. If you can’t decide, start by choosing whichever of the 3 products below is closest to what you want. The candidates were chosen from 8 single-product articles published on Ochinity, and we have rearranged what the product pages say.
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The order is not a ranking. Whether a commission is paid has no effect on how candidates were chosen or ordered.
If You Can’t Decide, Start with These 3
To compare kabayaki and shirayaki, one fillet each (frozen, kabayaki + shirayaki)
夏目商店 Toyohashi Unagi Red-and-White Set
Frozen1 kabayaki + 1 shirayaki310–334g total
A set of one whole kabayaki fillet of 155–167g and one whole shirayaki fillet of 155–167g (each vacuum-packed), with small packets of sauce, sansho (Japanese pepper) and rock salt. The shop labels it as large portions for 2 people, and the Japanese eel in the ingredients is labeled as produced in Toyohashi.
Good to know: It must be kept frozen (-18℃ or below), and the unopened best-before period is stated as 6 to 12 months (with a note that it varies depending on production). The thawing method and whether heating is needed were not found on the product page and are not confirmed. The page says a gift box, noshi (gift wrapping label) and wrapping paper (kakegami) come with the set, while the gift section shows noshi support as “なし” (none), so the descriptions differ. The sauce contains wheat and soybeans. If you have an allergy, ask the seller before buying, or be sure to check the label on the product you receive.
To keep a batch in the freezer and warm up only what you want to eat (frozen, 1 kg)
うなぎの兼光 Domestic Extra-Large Kabayaki, 1 kg, 5–6 Fillets
Frozen1 kg (5–6 fillets)Produced in Aichi
Headless, back-split kabayaki in an extra-large size of 176g or more per fillet, 5–6 fillets. Individually wrapped and vacuum-packed, with 15 packets of sauce and sansho.
Good to know: The number of fillets varies between 5 and 6. It must be kept frozen (-18℃ or below), and the best-before date is shown as 1 month or more. The page says to warm it in a microwave, but the steps, such as the time, are not confirmed. There is a note to watch out for small bones. Noshi is supported, and it arrives in a simple box. The last shipping date at year-end is not confirmed. Contains wheat and soybeans (from soy sauce). If you have an allergy, ask the seller before buying, or be sure to check the label on the product you receive.
To give 3 whole kabayaki fillets as a gift with noshi (frozen, gift box)
うなぎ屋かわすい Domestic Extra-Large Whole Kabayaki Fillets, 170g × 3
Frozen170g × 3 fillets510g total
Three 170g whole kabayaki fillets of domestic unagi (510g in total), with 6 sauce packets. In an image in the product description, the shop shows “4–5 servings” as a guide.
Good to know: It must be kept frozen (-18℃ or below), and the best-before date is described as “6 months or more” (the date it counts from is not confirmed). Noshi is available only as “通常ギフト用” (regular gift), and the shop’s image lists 8 types of inscription, including “お歳暮” (oseibo, year-end gift). The region of origin, the last shipping date at year-end and the year-end and New Year holidays were not found on the product page. Contains wheat and soybeans. If you have an allergy, ask the seller before buying, or be sure to check the label on the product you receive.
If you are timing it for the year-endHow shipping is handled differs by shop. しおそう says orders placed by 12:00 ship the same day (excluding closed days), and うなぎのたなか says orders received by 15:00 are delivered the next day. For 夏目商店, the shipping period is described differently on the product page and on the shop information page. For うなぎの兼光, 浜名湖グルメマーケット and かわすい (3 whole fillets), no last shipping date for the year-end was found. Please check each shop’s listing before ordering.
Quick Comparison of 8 Products
Shaded rows are the 3 products above. Details on ingredients and noshi are in the single-product articles linked from each product name. Within each type, products are listed in the Japanese syllabary (gojūon) order of the product name. Servings are the shop’s wording.
| Product | Amount / servings | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| Kabayaki (arrives frozen) | ||
| うなぎの兼光 Domestic Extra-Large Kabayaki, 1 kg, 5–6 Fillets | 5–6 headless, back-split fillets (176g or more each), 1 kg in total. Servings not confirmed | Produced in Aichi Prefecture. Keep frozen; best-before date of 1 month or more. Instructions to warm in a microwave. Noshi supported, simple box |
| うなぎ屋かわすい Domestic Extra-Large Whole Kabayaki Fillets, 170g × 3 | 170g × 3 fillets (510g in total). The shop’s image says “4–5 servings” | Keep frozen; best-before date of “6 months or more”. Noshi for regular gift only. Gift box |
| 大五うなぎ工房 Domestic Unagi Whole Kabayaki Fillets, 2 Fillets | About 120g × 2 fillets. Servings not confirmed | Keep frozen; best-before date of about 2 months. Gift box, or gift box + furoshiki (wrapping cloth) for an extra charge. Instructions to warm in hot water and serve over rice |
| 港ダイニングしおそう Domestic Unagi Kabayaki, approx. 165g × 2 | About 165g × 2 fillets (large size). Servings not confirmed | Labeled as produced in Kagoshima and Miyazaki Prefectures. Cooked before freezing; instructions to heat before eating. Gift box. You can choose to add kimosui (eel liver soup) |
| Kabayaki (no storage temperature found) | ||
| うなぎのたなか Extra-Large Whole Kabayaki Fillets × 3, Furoshiki Wrap | 180–200g per fillet × 3 (540–600g in total). The shop says 3–5 servings | Best-before dates of 7 days refrigerated and 2 months frozen are stated. Storage temperature and delivery temperature range not confirmed. You choose the furoshiki color and a sticker; there is no noshi option |
| Sets with more than one type, such as kabayaki and shirayaki (arrive frozen) | ||
| うなぎ屋かわすい Domestic Unagi Kabayaki 3-Type Set | 1 whole fillet (choose 150g, 170g or 200g) + 2 cut kabayaki pieces (80g in total) + 75g chopped kabayaki. The shop’s image says “3–4 servings” | 3 types: whole fillet, cut pieces and chopped. Instructions to warm in hot water or a microwave. You can choose with or without sansho |
| 夏目商店 Toyohashi Unagi Red-and-White Set | 155–167g kabayaki × 1 + 155–167g shirayaki × 1 (the shop labels it large portions for 2) | Includes shirayaki. The ingredients list “豊橋産” (produced in Toyohashi). Keep frozen; best-before period of 6 to 12 months. Thawing method not confirmed |
| Arrives chilled | ||
| 浜名湖グルメマーケット Asajime Unagi Kabayaki, 3 Fillets, Chilled Delivery | About 150g × 3 fillets (about 450g in total). No servings found | Chilled (10℃ or below); best-before date of 5 days including the shipping date. Labeled as purely domestic, mainly from Lake Hamana. Noshi supported |
The information date of each single-product article is stated in that article / Checked that the single-product articles are published: November 4, 2026.
How to Choose Without Regrets
1. Choose by kabayaki or shirayaki, and by frozen or chilled
- Kabayaki only: うなぎの兼光, うなぎのたなか, かわすい (3 whole fillets), 浜名湖グルメマーケット, しおそう and 大五うなぎ工房.
- Kabayaki and shirayaki: 夏目商店 is a set of one kabayaki fillet and one shirayaki fillet.
- 3 types: whole fillet, cut kabayaki pieces and chopped: かわすい (3-type set).
- Arrives chilled: among these 8 products, only 浜名湖グルメマーケット. The others arrive frozen, but for うなぎのたなか the storage temperature and delivery temperature range are not confirmed.
The best-before dates shown differ greatly between frozen and chilled. 夏目商店 shows 6 to 12 months unopened, かわすい (3 whole fillets) and かわすい (3-type set) “6 months or more”, 大五うなぎ工房 about 2 months, and うなぎの兼光 1 month or more. 浜名湖グルメマーケット is 5 days including the shipping date. The date each period counts from differs by product, so please also check the best-before date on the label when it arrives.Source: the “Basic information”, “Storage method” and “Best-before date” rows of each single-product article
2. Read the origin labeling as it is written
- Prefecture or place name given: うなぎの兼光 is produced in Aichi Prefecture; for 夏目商店, the Japanese eel in the ingredients is labeled “豊橋産” (produced in Toyohashi); しおそう is labeled as produced in Kagoshima and Miyazaki Prefectures (country of origin: Japan); and 浜名湖グルメマーケット is labeled as all-domestic, mainly from Lake Hamana (the breakdown, such as prefecture names, is not confirmed).
- Only “domestic”: かわすい (3 whole fillets) and かわすい (3-type set) are Japanese eel (domestic), and the region of origin is not confirmed. 大五うなぎ工房 is also domestic Japanese eel, and the detailed origin, such as the prefecture, is not confirmed.
- Product name and ingredients field differ: for うなぎのたなか, the product name includes “静岡産” (produced in Shizuoka), but the ingredients field says “国産” (domestic), and the breakdown is not confirmed.
For all 8 products, the ingredients or origin field states domestic production or a place of origin in Japan. How detailed the origin is differs by product, so if you are choosing by place name, check what the ingredients field on the product page says.Source: the “Origin of ingredients” row of each single-product article
3. Check the fillet size, the number of fillets and the total amount
- Fillet size stated: うなぎの兼光 176g or more (5–6 fillets), うなぎのたなか 180–200g per fillet (3 fillets), かわすい (3 whole fillets) 170g (3 fillets), しおそう about 165g (2 fillets), 浜名湖グルメマーケット about 150g (3 fillets), 大五うなぎ工房 about 120g (2 fillets), and 夏目商店 155–167g for both the kabayaki and the shirayaki (1 each).
- Size can be chosen: for かわすい (3-type set), you choose the whole fillet from 150g, 170g or 200g.
- Servings stated: うなぎのたなか 3–5 servings, かわすい (3 whole fillets) 4–5 servings, かわすい (3-type set) 3–4 servings (all in the shop’s wording), and 夏目商店 large portions for 2. The others are not confirmed.
In total amount, うなぎの兼光 is 1 kg, うなぎのたなか 540–600g, かわすい (3 whole fillets) 510g, 浜名湖グルメマーケット about 450g, しおそう about 330g, 夏目商店 310–334g, かわすい (3-type set) 280–330g, and 大五うなぎ工房 about 240g. Each shop uses a different basis for servings, and the same number of “servings” can mean different amounts, so it helps to look at the total amount too.Source: the “Contents” row of each single-product article (the approx. 240g for 大五うなぎ工房 is our own calculation from approx. 120g × 2 fillets)
4. Check how to warm it and how noshi is handled
- Warming instructions given: うなぎの兼光 says to warm it in a microwave (time not confirmed); かわすい (3 whole fillets) and かわすい (3-type set) say to warm it in hot water or a microwave; and 大五うなぎ工房 says to warm it in hot water and serve it over rice. しおそう is cooked before freezing, and the page says to heat it before eating.
- Warming method not confirmed: for 夏目商店, うなぎのたなか and 浜名湖グルメマーケット, no guidance on how to eat it was found on the product page.
- Noshi supported: うなぎの兼光 lets you choose inscriptions such as “御歳暮” (oseibo), and かわすい (3 whole fillets) supports regular gift only. かわすい (3-type set) offers a plain white box and regular gift only, and 浜名湖グルメマーケット and しおそう say noshi is supported, but the types of inscription are not confirmed.
- Noshi descriptions differ: for 夏目商店, the product description and the gift section show different information. 大五うなぎ工房 mentions support in the shop’s guide image, but nothing is shown in the gift field of the product page. うなぎのたなか has no noshi option in the purchase field; instead you choose a sticker.
Please check whether noshi is available and which inscriptions are offered in the purchase field of the product page before buying. We do not list the last shipping date at year-end here; please check each shop’s listing.Source: the “Thawing method”, “State / how to eat” and “Noshi / gifts” rows of each single-product article
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long can frozen unagi kabayaki be kept?
- It differs by product. The shops say 夏目商店 keeps 6 to 12 months unopened, かわすい (3 whole fillets) and かわすい (3-type set) “6 months or more”, 大五うなぎ工房 about 2 months, and うなぎの兼光 1 month or more. For しおそう, the best-before date is printed on the bottom of the outer box, and the number of days was not found on the product page. The date each period counts from differs, so please check the best-before date on the label when it arrives.
- Is there a set that also includes shirayaki?
- Among the 8 products in this article, 夏目商店 is a set of one kabayaki fillet and one shirayaki fillet. かわすい (3-type set) is a 3-type set with a whole fillet, cut kabayaki pieces and chopped unagi kabayaki.
- Are thawing and warming instructions given?
- It differs by product. うなぎの兼光 gives instructions for a microwave, かわすい (3 whole fillets) and かわすい (3-type set) for hot water or a microwave, and 大五うなぎ工房 for warming in hot water and serving over rice. For 夏目商店, うなぎのたなか and 浜名湖グルメマーケット, none were found on the product page. Please check the guidance that comes with the product or the seller’s listing.
- Will it arrive before the end of the year?
- This article cannot say for certain. しおそう says orders placed by 12:00 ship the same day (excluding closed days), and うなぎのたなか says orders received by 15:00 are delivered the next day. For うなぎの兼光, shipping from its own warehouse is shown as within 2–3 business days. For うなぎの兼光, 浜名湖グルメマーケット and かわすい (3 whole fillets), no last shipping date for the year-end was found on the product page. Before ordering, please check each shop’s listing for the shipping date and delivery date.
Summary: Which One Fits You?

To compare kabayaki and shirayaki, one fillet each
夏目商店 Toyohashi Unagi Red-and-White Set
View This Product
A 1 kg batch to keep in the freezer
うなぎの兼光 Domestic Extra-Large Kabayaki, 1 kg, 5–6 Fillets
View This ProductView on Rakuten Ichiba Amazon: availability not confirmed Yahoo! Shopping: availability not confirmed
To give 3 whole fillets as a gift with noshi
うなぎ屋かわすい Domestic Extra-Large Whole Kabayaki Fillets, 170g × 3
View This Product
Chilled rather than frozen, to finish within 5 days
浜名湖グルメマーケット Asajime Unagi Kabayaki, 3 Fillets, Chilled Delivery
View This ProductView on Rakuten Ichiba Amazon: availability not confirmed Yahoo! Shopping: availability not confirmed
To enjoy whole fillet, cut pieces and chopped in different ways
うなぎ屋かわすい Domestic Unagi Kabayaki 3-Type Set
View This ProductView on Rakuten Ichiba Amazon: availability not confirmed Yahoo! Shopping: availability not confirmed
Prices and stock change. Please check the latest price at each button’s link.
What We Checked and What We Could Not Confirm
- What we checked: we confirmed on November 4, 2026 that single-product articles for all 8 products are published. The table is transcribed from the descriptions in each single-product article (information dates October–November 2026).
- What we could not confirm: the last shipping date and delivery date at year-end have not been checked on each product page. Numerical details of the thawing and warming steps, and the types of noshi inscription, are not confirmed for many products.
- Prices, stock, shipping fees and noshi options change, so please check each shop before buying.
This article organizes information published on various retail sites and the contents of the single-product articles published on Ochinity. Product details such as contents, storage method, ingredients, and shipping fees are subject to change. Please check the seller’s listing for the latest information.
The order does not indicate any ranking. This article contains affiliate links (advertising). Our approach to writing articles is described in our Editorial Policy.
Information as of: stated in each single-product article (October–November 2026) / Publication status of the single-product articles checked: November 4, 2026 / Sources: 8 single-product articles on Ochinity, Rakuten Ichiba product pages

