PIZZERIA TRATTORIA MAGAZZINO

The story

Pizzeria Trattoria Magazzino – Neapolitan Pizza in Kashiba, Nara

Neapolitan Pizza in the Land of No Sea

Pizzeria Trattoria Magazzino sits at the foot of Mount Nijō in Kashiba, Nara – a landscape that Pizzaiolo Yota Noda sees as a local echo of Mount Vesuvius. Here, in a land without sea, he has spent years perfecting what the restaurant calls “the Neapolitan pizza that cannot be eaten in Naples itself.” The restaurant is an official member of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, and its dedication has earned it a Michelin Bib Gourmand in the 2026 Nara guide – a recognition of good quality, good value cooking that it has held consistently since the 2017 special edition.

From a Chance Encounter to a Bronze Medal

Noda’s path to pizza was not a straight line. Before opening Magazzino in 2001, he had no clear direction. A television program led him to the legendary “Sakuragumi” in Ako, where he tasted his first true Neapolitan pizza. The experience was a shock. He trained there, and his career as a pizzaiolo began. That dedication paid off at the first Napoli Pizza Olympics, where he took third place – a bronze medal – in the classic division.

What Makes the Pizza Different

Magazzino’s pizza is defined by four deliberate choices. The first is the dough: live and light, fermented at precise temperatures that change with the weather. The goal is a pizza so airy that you can eat multiple slices without feeling heavy. The second is the ingredients. The restaurant grows its own vegetables in a nearby field – the “Mamma” tends the garden daily – and sources buffalo mozzarella and ricotta shipped weekly from Italy. The third is the oven: a custom-built Gianni Acunto wood-fired oven from Naples that reaches 450°C. Finally, because the dough and ingredients are so carefully balanced, the pizza stays delicious even when cold – a fact that makes their takeout service especially worthwhile. The menu also features antipasti, pasta, and dolci like tiramisu and homemade gelato, all made from scratch.

A Place That Grows

Magazzino started in a spot surrounded by rice fields, where customers would say they had no idea a restaurant was there. Twenty years later, it has become a destination for pizza lovers across the region. The restaurant continues to evolve, with an active blog documenting the growth of their vegetable garden and seasonal changes. For those visiting, lunch and dinner seatings are by reservation, with a casual, welcoming atmosphere that reflects the warmth of the Noda family.