30 editor picks across Japan.
30 japanese sushi restaurants worth the trip across Japan, editor-ranked. All cuisines in Japan.
Sapporo's only three-star Michelin sushi room. Chef Masaaki Miyakawa works Hokkaido seafood across two seatings at a seven-seat Maruyama counter.
OrderThe full omakase course; chef chooses the season's best Hokkaido catch.
TipReservations open the first day of each month for the month two months out; book through Tableall or call 011-215-0120. Closed Wednesdays.
Three Michelin stars in the 2017 Hokkaido guide, the only sushi at that tier in Hokkaido. Seven seats, two seatings (17:00 and 19:30), omakase only.
OrderThe omakase: aged tuna progression and Hokkaido uni nigiri are the season-defining courses.
TipReservations open through Tableall the first day of each month for the month two months out; closed Wednesdays.
Daigo Sakai runs the most-decorated edomae sushi counter in Fukuoka. Three Michelin stars in the 2019 Kyushu special edition, after holding one star in 2014.
OrderWhatever Sakai-san shapes on the night, with the aged tuna midway through.
TipReserve through Pocket Concierge two to three months ahead. Cancellations are charged.
Daigo Sakai's edomae sushi counter in Nishi-Nakasu. Three Michelin stars in the 2019 Kyushu special edition, after holding one star in 2014.
TipPocket Concierge bookings open exactly two months ahead at 00:00 JST.
Sushi Harasho holds two Michelin stars; the chef seasons only with wasabi and nikiri at a 12-seat unmarked counter in a Nakanoshima back street.
Sukiyabashi Jiro Honten in Tokyo's Ginza is the 10-seat counter made famous by Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Yoshikazu Ono runs it; concierge bookings only.
TipThe Ginza main shop no longer takes public bookings; the Roppongi branch (Takashi Ono) is the accessible relative, two stars in the 2026 guide.
Edomae sushi inside the Four Seasons Kyoto, in Higashiyama. Eight counter seats and a ten-course omakase from the team that opened the original Sushi Wakon.
OrderEdomae sushi omakase
A Michelin-starred Kitashinchi omakase counter; Chef Sato sources Seto Inland Sea fish direct from fishermen to a 14-seat pale-wood counter.
OrderOmakase course
Chef Akira Saito's Ezomae-style sushi counter at the south edge of Susukino, working only Hokkaido catch into Kiwami and Miyabi omakase courses since 2000.
OrderThe Kiwami evening omakase, 8 to 9 plates plus nigiri progression.
TipCounter only; reservations essential. The Miyabi course is the slightly shorter option for first-time visitors.
Sushi Saito in Tokyo's Roppongi is Takashi Saito's eight-seat edomae sushi counter in Ark Hills South. Three Michelin stars 2009-2019, concierge-only.
TipTop hotel concierges and a few private members handle bookings; cold-call requests are not accepted.
Shiro's Yakuin counter runs edomae sushi with a la carte alongside the omakase. Eight seats, intimate, chef sets the tempo across a small a la carte board.
OrderOmakase nigiri course; ask for the chef's a-la-carte add-ons at the close.
TipReserve two weeks ahead through Pocket Concierge. Counter and one table.
Sushi Minazuki in Kitashinchi holds one Michelin star for its artistically sequenced omakase at five counter seats, with chef Takayuki Saki showcasing Inland.
Ezomae omakase counter since 2000 at the south edge of Susukino. Two course menus, Kiwami and Miyabi, both lean on Hokkaido seafood with light aging.
OrderKiwami evening omakase with the aged tuna progression and uni-on-rice.
TipBook direct through the operator site; counter only, no private rooms.
An eight-seat Edomae sushi counter just off Hanamikoji in Gion, Kyoto, run by chef Iwa with Tsukiji-trained habits. 20-piece omakase, no menu.
OrderChef's omakase, 20 pieces over 90 minutes
TipLunch is half the dinner price and easier to book; weekday seats open up two weeks ahead.
A mid-range Edomae sushi counter in Higashiyama, Kyoto. The chef trained in Tsukiji; lunch sets sit around 3,500 yen, and the saba-zushi is exemplary.
OrderTokujo nigiri lunch with side of saba bo-zushi
TipLunch is best value; book a counter seat to watch the rice-vinegar pressing.
Two-Michelin-starred omakase sushi in Tennoji; Chef Harasho sources the morning auction at Osaka's Honmachi fish market for a 12-seat counter.
OrderOmakase nigiri course
Chef Hidetaka trained at Sapporo's Michelin-starred Sushi Zen before opening this eight-seat cypress counter. Located in Susukino. Priced at ¥¥¥¥.
OrderOmakase; the dry-aged tuna progression is the house signature.
TipCounter only; reservations open six weeks ahead. Cash-or-card and bring time to talk.
Chef Hidetaka trained at the Michelin-starred Sushi Zen before opening this eight-seat cypress counter in Susukino. Led by chef Hidetaka Yamada.
OrderAged tuna nigiri progression; the room runs two-week, three-week and five-week-aged cuts.
TipCounter only; reservations open six weeks ahead. Cash or card accepted.
Chef Yasutomo Tanaka opened this Susukino counter in 2017 at age 30 and switched to all-nigiri omakase on the fourth anniversary. Priced at ¥¥¥¥.
OrderOmakase nigiri progression; the chef builds the run from the morning's catch.
TipReservations via Tableall; counter only.
Ippongi Ishibashi combines kaiseki with edomae sushi across a single course. Held a Michelin star in the 2019 Kyushu special edition. Counter only.
TipReserve through omakase.je. The course alternates kaiseki plates with nigiri.
The Daimaru branch of Sushi Zen, the Sapporo sushi house founded 1971 whose Maruyama honten earned a Michelin star in the 2017 Hokkaido edition.
OrderHokkaido seasonal omakase, 10 to 14 pieces with soup and dessert.
TipLunch sets are the steepest discount on the omakase progression. The honten in Kita 1-jo Nishi 27 is the Michelin counter.
A Susukino omakase counter opened 2012, ten seats, using nearly all-Hokkaido seafood. A short walk from Hosui Susukino subway; quiet room, omakase only.
OrderSushi-only omakase.
TipCounter only; book through Tableall; reservations open about six weeks ahead.
A Susukino omakase counter opened 2012 using nearly all-Hokkaido seafood. Ten seats at a single cypress slab, a short walk from Hosui Susukino subway.
OrderSushi-only omakase, no small dishes between, the way Saiko prefers it.
TipBook through Tableall; reservations open four weeks before the date.
The Daimaru branch of Sushi Zen, the Sapporo house founded 1971 whose Maruyama honten earned one Michelin star in 2017. Located in Sapporo Station.
OrderHokkaido-only omakase with Otaru bafun uni, Esashi mackerel and Hidaka kombu rice.
TipLunch sets are the most accessible price point on the omakase progression.
Chef Akira Tanaka's Maruyama-area sushi counter, opened 2003, with a nine-seat single-plank hinoki bar from 500-year-old Kiso cypress. Priced at ¥¥¥¥.
OrderOmakase nigiri progression with the small-rice signature; uni and aged tuna lead.
TipCounter only; reservations only through the restaurant's official website.
Sushi no Midori Umegaoka in Tokyo is the original branch of the value-sushi chain. Big-piece nigiri, queue-based seating, lunch sets under 2,000 yen.
OrderThe jo-nigiri set; an extra plate of anago and chu-toro brings it home.
TipClosed Wednesdays. Queue ticket machine outside; 60-90 minute waits at lunch.
The Sapporo outpost of the Azabu-Juban one-Michelin-star Tenpura Yokota, opened as a sushi-and-tempura counter on Susukino's Daimex Plaza. Priced at ¥¥¥¥.
OrderSushi-and-tempura omakase with Hokkaido shirako, botan ebi and seasonal matsutake.
TipCounter only; reservations open three weeks ahead.
Sushi Arai in Tokyo's Ginza is Hiroyuki Arai's eight-seat edomae sushi counter, two Michelin stars and the Tabelog Sushi 100 fixture for steady-handed nigiri.
TipBookings via top-tier hotel concierges only; cold-call requests are declined. Lunch and dinner are the same omakase course.
A Susukino seafood izakaya with the owner's port-to-port purchasing run. Sashimi sets, grilled fish and Hokkaido sake at a 30-seat counter and tables.
OrderDaily sashimi set; grilled hokke (atka mackerel) is the menu's quiet hero.
TipReserve through Tabelog; counter seats face the open kitchen.
Sushizanmai Honten in Tokyo's Tsukiji is the 24-hour sushi flagship Kiyoshi Kimura built after winning the auction tuna in 2013. Counter, tables, sashimi.
OrderThe maguro-zukushi tuna selection plate; otoro lunchtime is the value play.
TipOpen 24 hours daily. Late-night counter seating is the easiest. The Tsukiji Outer Market is on the corner.
Guided tour · 2.5 hours
Discover the flavors of Hokkaido on a guided tour of Sapporo's Nijo Market. Taste fresh seafood, enjoy a sushi brunch, and explore local specialties and history.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Explore Sapporo’s beer scene with a local guide. Taste 10 craft beers across 3 breweries, discover the stories behind the brews, and enjoy a stress-free evening.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Discover Sapporo's culinary delights on a guided food tour. Enjoy a full dinner course with fresh seafood, BBQ lamb, and dessert, and sip on 3 or more drinks.
