An irori is a square hearth sunk into the floor of an old farmhouse, where families once cooked and kept warm around a charcoal fire. Sit around one and watch skewers of river fish and dengaku, tofu or vegetables spread with sweet miso, slowly grill in the glow as the smell of smoke fills the room. Both places are in the mountains far from the big cities, so plan them as part of a longer trip.
At this hotel in the Ichirino highlands below Mount Hakusan, meals are served in a farmhouse about a century old, at seats around charcoal hearths. Iwana, a mountain trout, wild boar and seasonal vegetables grill in front of you, and the house specialty is kotsuzake, hot sake poured over a whole grilled fish. Meals must be reserved, the restaurant is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and it is about an hour by car from Kanazawa.
Takamori dengaku is the local dish of Takamori, a town on the south side of Mount Aso in Kumamoto: skewers of tofu, konnyaku (a firm jelly made from a root vegetable) and yamame trout, spread with miso and stood in the ashes around the hearth. The staff tend the fire and grill everything for you, so you simply sit at the irori and wait. It is easiest to reach by car, and it may close for part of the winter, so check before you go.