30 restaurants worth the trip across Japan, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Japan guides.
Sushi Miyakawa ★ 4.9 · Sapporo
maruyama · Chuo-ku, Sapporo 064-0824, Japan
Sapporo's only three-star Michelin sushi room. Chef Masaaki Miyakawa works Hokkaido seafood across two seatings at a seven-seat Maruyama counter.
Tip: Reservations open the first day of each month for the month two months out; book through Tableall or call 011-215-0120. Closed Wednesdays.
Den ★ 4.9 · Tokyo
jingumae · Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Zaiyu Hasegawa's Den in Tokyo is the modern kaiseki room that put playful home cooking on Asia's 50 Best, ranked No. 1 in 2022 and No. 22 in 2025.
Tip: Closed Sundays.
Sushi Sakai ★ 4.8 · Fukuoka
nakasu · Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0002, Japan
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.
Tip: Reserve through Pocket Concierge two to three months ahead. Cancellations are charged.
Kashiwaya ★ 4.8 · Osaka
Umeda and Kita · 2-5-18 Senriyamanishi, Suita, Osaka 565-0871
Osaka's sole three-Michelin-starred kaiseki in a traditional Senriyama machiya. Seasonal menus draw on Naniwa vegetables and Awaji Island produce.
La Cime ★ 4.8 · Osaka
Kitashinchi and Fukushima · 3-2-15 Kawaramachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0048
Two-Michelin-starred French restaurant by Chef Yusuke Takada, using Japanese ingredients from Osaka's farms and Seto Inland Sea coastal waters.
Narisawa ★ 4.8 · Tokyo
minami-aoyama · Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062, Japan
Yoshihiro Narisawa's Aoyama room runs innovative satoyama cuisine. Two Michelin stars plus a Green Star, Japanese foraging through European technique.
Tip: Closed Mondays and Sundays. Lunch is the easier seating; reserve six weeks ahead through TableAll.
Florilege ★ 4.8 · Tokyo
toranomon · Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan
Hiroyasu Kawate's Florilege moved to Azabudai Hills in 2023 with a communal counter and a vegetable-forward French tasting menu. Two Michelin stars in Tokyo.
Tip: Closed Mondays and Tuesday lunch. Online booking opens exactly one month ahead at 10:00 JST.
Sazenka ★ 4.8 · Tokyo
minami-azabu · Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0047, Japan
Tomoya Kawada's Sazenka in Minami-Azabu was Japan's first three-star Chinese restaurant, awarded 2020. Chinese technique meets kaiseki rhythm.
Tip: Closed Sundays and irregular Mondays. Booking via byFood opens 60 days ahead for international guests.
Ginza Shinohara ★ 4.8 · Tokyo
ginza · Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan
Ginza Shinohara in Tokyo's Kanda is Tetsuya Shinohara's three-Michelin-star kaiseki room. Counter-only, dramatic platings on lacquered shogi-board stands.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Reserve via Tableall 90 days ahead; the menu is presented as a single seasonal arc.
Aji Takebayashi ★ 4.7 · Fukuoka
akasaka · Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0074, Japan
Yuzuru Takebayashi's Akasaka kaiseki counter in Fukuoka has run since 1993 and held a Michelin star in the 2014 and 2019 Kyushu special editions.
Tip: Akasaka Station is eight minutes on foot. Counter and two private rooms; reserve a week ahead minimum.
Hakata Mizutaki Toriden Honten ★ 4.7 · Fukuoka
hakata · Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 812-0027, Japan
Toriden simmers a home-bred chicken six to seven hours with water and salt; the collagen breaks down into a creamy yellow mizutaki that defines Hakata.
Tip: Reservations essential, especially weekends. The Yakuin branch is quieter; same kitchen.
Yakitori Mako ★ 4.7 · Fukuoka
yakuin · Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0022, Japan
Mako grills Kuro Satsuma chicken from Kagoshima, raised 120 days. Listed in Tabelog Yakitori Top 100 in 2024. Eight counter seats, charcoal smoke.
Tip: Reserve four to six weeks ahead through TableCheck. Closed Sundays. No walk-ins.
Hakata Issou Honten ★ 4.7 · Fukuoka
hakata · Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 812-0013, Japan
Hakata Issou opened in 2012 and built its reputation on the tonkotsu cappuccino, a foam-headed pork-bone broth distinct from the Hakata ramen norm.
Tip: Open 11:00-24:00 seven days. Arrive before noon or after 21:00 to avoid the longest waits.
LURRA ★ 4.7 · Kyoto
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8005, Japan
A 10-seat modern Japanese counter from chef Jacob Kear (ex-Noma) and Stuart Brioza. Open-fire technique meets Kyoto produce in a 12-course menu.
Tip: Reservations open online on the 1st of each month for two months out.
Sushi Minazuki ★ 4.7 · Osaka
Kitashinchi and Fukushima · 1-5-7 Sonezakishinchi, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0002
A Michelin-starred Kitashinchi omakase counter; Chef Sato sources Seto Inland Sea fish direct from fishermen to a 14-seat pale-wood counter.
Agnel d'Or ★ 4.7 · Osaka
Kitashinchi and Fukushima · 2-4-4 Nishihommachi, Nishi-ku, Osaka 550-0005
A Michelin-starred ten-seat counter in Nishihommachi; chef-owner Akinari Fujita trained in Normandy, Basque Country, and Lyon before returning to Osaka.
Sushiya no Saito ★ 4.7 · Sapporo
susukino · Chuo-ku, Sapporo 064-0806, Japan
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.
Tip: Counter only; reservations essential. The Miyabi course is the slightly shorter option for first-time visitors.
Menya Saimi ★ 4.7 · Sapporo
toyohira-ku · Toyohira-ku, Sapporo 062-0010, Japan
The miso-ramen counter consistently ranked top of Sapporo Tabelog at 3.96. Saimi blends three white misos with a clear pork-bone base; queue early.
Tip: Three-minute walk from Misono subway station; queue from 11:00 weekdays, 10:30 weekends. Closed Mondays.
Bird Land Ginza ★ 4.7 · Tokyo
ginza · Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan
Toshihiro Wada's Bird Land in Tokyo Ginza grills Ibaraki shamo over binchotan, the basement that invented elevated yakitori. One Michelin star.
Tip: Closed Sundays, Mondays and public holidays. Reservation by phone only, six weeks out.
Ginza Okuda ★ 4.7 · Tokyo
ginza · Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan
Ginza Okuda in Tokyo's Ginza is Toru Okuda's two-Michelin-star kaiseki room. The seasonal seven-course menu changes monthly, paired with regional sake.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Reserve via Pocket Concierge 60 days ahead; English staff handle the booking flow.
Yakiniku Jumbo Shirokane ★ 4.7 · Tokyo
shirokane · Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0072, Japan
Yakiniku Jumbo Shirokane in Tokyo is the wagyu yakiniku counter that the city's chefs eat at on days off. Hand-cut Chateaubriand sukiyaki is the signature.
Tip: Phone reservation only, 30 days ahead. The Hongo and Hanare branches share the same kitchen team.
Yakitori Omino ★ 4.7 · Tokyo
meguro · Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0021, Japan
Yakitori Omino in Tokyo's Meguro is the one-Michelin-star yakitori counter where Akihiro Omino grills jidori chicken over binchotan in a hidden basement.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Reserve through Pocket Concierge two months ahead; dinner only.
Ginza Yoshihiro ★ 4.7 · Tokyo
ginza · Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan
Ginza Yoshihiro in Tokyo's Pola Ginza tower is the two-Michelin-star tempura counter where Yoshihiro Murata fries each piece to order on white-flame charcoal.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Reserve via Tableall 60 days ahead; lunch seating opens earlier.
Yoroniku Omotesando ★ 4.7 · Tokyo
minami-aoyama · Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Yoroniku Omotesando in Tokyo is the cult basement yakiniku counter on Minami-Aoyama, the room that built Tokyo's modern wagyu-tasting genre. Booking-only.
Tip: Reserve via Pocket Concierge 60 days ahead. The dinner course is the same omakase format every day.
Tempura Uchitsu ★ 4.7 · Tokyo
minami-azabu · Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0047, Japan
Tempura Uchitsu in Tokyo's Minami-Azabu is Daisuke Uchitsu's two-Michelin-star tempura counter, all sesame-oil frying, eight seats and seasonal omakase only.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Phone reservation in Japanese only; Pocket Concierge handles English bookings.
Hakata Motsunabe Yamanaka Akasaka ★ 4.6 · Fukuoka
akasaka · Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0042, Japan
Yamanaka invented miso motsunabe in 1984 and codified the Hakata offal hotpot. The Akasaka branch is the easiest of three to reach in central Fukuoka.
Tip: Reserve a day ahead for dinner. Closes between 14:30 and 17:00 for the afternoon break.
Mizutaki Ryotei Hakata Hanamidori Tenjin ★ 4.6 · Fukuoka
imaizumi · Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0021, Japan
Mizutaki built from the Hanamidori chicken brand, raised on seaweed and herb feed in northern Kyushu and simmered six hours into a milky-white broth.
Tip: Lunch weekends and holidays only. Dinner 17:00-23:00 weekdays; reserve a day ahead.
Torikami Garden City ★ 4.6 · Fukuoka
daimyo · Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0041, Japan
Torikami opened in Daimyo Garden City from Tokyo Torishiki lineage. Strong-heat close-flame yakitori across 21 dishes, three minutes from Tenjin.
Tip: Counter only, two seatings per night. Reserve ahead through TableCheck.
Sushi Shiro ★ 4.6 · Fukuoka
yakuin · Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0022, Japan
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.
Tip: Reserve two weeks ahead through Pocket Concierge. Counter and one table.
Hakata Mizutaki Toriden Yakuin ★ 4.6 · Fukuoka
yakuin · Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0022, Japan
Toriden's Yakuin branch is quieter than the Hakata flagship and runs the same six-hour chicken broth. Tatami rooms upstairs, counter on the ground floor.
Tip: Reserve through TableCheck; weekday dinners are easier than Saturday nights.