In 1899, on the outskirts of Edo Castle in the Nihonbashi Fish Market of Chuoku, Tokyo, Eikichi Matsuda opened the doors of the first Yoshinoya restaurant. Named for his birthplace of Yoshino-Cho, Osaka, Mr. Matsuda’s restaurant featured delicious, affordable and fast meals. It was an entirely new concept in Japanese culture, and both the hard-working fisherman and market visitors embraced it. Yoshinoya was an instant hit.