363 Best Restaurants in Japan

In a converted waterfront warehouse, T.Y. Harbor brews five of its own year-round beers and seasonal specials in a tank that reaches all the way to the 46-foot-high ceiling. The restaurant, which is known for its grilled meat and fish, has a California-meets-Asian approach, with such dishes as wheat ale steamed clams, Thai-style gai yang chicken sate, or Indian spice-marinated lamb chops. Although the tables on the bayside deck art the best, regardless of where you're seated, you'll appreciate the relaxed, modern vibe. Reservations are a good idea on weekends.

Although some might find the glitzy decor at this restaurant to be over the top, the service is cordial and professional; the food, which is centered on Tokyo's version of international cuisine, is superb; and the wine list has more than 200 bottles, ranging from affordable house wines to real rarities. There might be a DJ during your dinner, and if you feel like some live music and a drink after, check out the Tableaux Lounge in the same building.

This yakitori (grilled chicken) restaurant is an ideal place for a short stop inside Ginza. Skewered chicken breasts, small salads, and sausages are sure to put a smile on the face of even the weariest shopper. There's also beer, whiskey highballs, and sake on the menu.

Grab a seat at the wooden counter for sumptuous sushi and prime views of the chefs at work. Not much English is spoken here, but folks are friendly and helpful; to order, just point to what looks good or splurge on the ¥10,000 omakase course; the chefs will serve whatever they believe is the best from the market that day.

Expect generous portions of fresh, reasonably priced seafood at this neighborhood restaurant. Sashimi and simmered fish are the staples, but there's also a wonderful tendon bowl with shrimp and eel tempura on rice. À la carte prices are not posted because they vary with the costs that morning in the Toyosu Market. Reservations can only be made for large parties.

Yakitori and other skewers of chargrilled meat and vegetables are the name of the game at this hip, local-favorite izakaya. To make ordering easier, select one of the set menus, which feature multiple skewers and a few side dishes such as tofu. Beverage options include highballs, draft lager, and local nihonshu (sake).

Combining aspects of a traditional sushi counter, a tapas bar, a science lab, and a magic show, this award-winning restaurant breaks new ground. In full view of diners, the team of chefs assemble a small parade of bite-size morsels in surprising texture and flavor combinations. There are only eight seats, and seatings are at 6 pm and 8:30 pm only, so reserve as early as possible.

Here's a restaurant that's run like a formal ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurant focused on luxury) but has the feel of a rough-cut izakaya (Japanese pub). Neither inaccessible nor outrageously expensive, Tatsumiya is pleasantly cluttered with antique chests, braziers, clocks, lanterns, bowls, utensils, and craftwork, some of it for sale. The evening meal is in the kaiseki style, meaning multiple courses are served; tradition demands that the meal include something raw, something boiled, something vinegary, and something grilled. The kaiseki dinner is served only until 8:30, and you must reserve ahead for it. Tatsumiya also serves a light lunch, plus a variety of nabe (one-pot seafood and vegetable stews, prepared at your table) until 10. The pork nabe is the house specialty.

Beyond the rather nondescript entrance are counter seats where you can watch the chef expertly prepare and fry exceptional tempura. Although this is a great place for dinner, the lunch sets are far more reasonably priced yet still give you a proper tempura experience. You can also order additional individual pieces, either à la carte or as recommended by the chef.

Find your favorite fish in the pool at Tenkatsu, and it will be on your plate a few minutes later. You can sit close to the action at the big black countertop, or dine on tatami with sunken horigotatsu tables. The interior design here hardly overwhelms, but the food more than makes up for it. Plastic displays and picture menus help you choose your non-fish dishes, or you could opt for a plush course (although going à la carte is much cheaper if you aren't ready for a big meal). Nabe hot pots in autumn and winter are house favorites, but they also serve local specialties like honetsukidori (grilled chicken thigh).

Onishi has a well-deserved reputation, both with Japanese locals and longtime foreign residents, for serving fine Kobe beef. Steaks are cooked by master chefs in the middle of an enormous counter around which diners sit. Baseball players and sumo wrestlers are among the celebrity patrons.

Located in the forest beside the Artejio gallery, the Sansou Murata ryokan, and a small chocolate factory, the Theomurata Tea Room provides the perfect place to relax. Sample the exquisite handmade chocolates or the delicate roll cakes.

This lively café brews some of the best single-origin coffee in Matsuyama, but you can also get decaf, lattes, and frozen drinks. If you have a sweet tooth, there are Japanese-style crêpes stuffed with fruit and cream.

This branch of Hong Kong's famous restaurant serves up a variety of authentic and accessible dim sum dishes in a casual atmosphere. Some highlights include the steamed pork spareribs with black bean sauce, deep-fried eggplant with shrimp, and the steamed rice rolls filled with beef, pork, or shrimp. Be sure to try the daikon mochi (pan-fried daikon cake) which manages to be both crispy and creamy all in one bite. Lines can be very long on weekends and right around lunch or dinner, so it is best to arrive before the store opens or in the late afternoon. For a quick snack, the shop also has a dedicated take-out window just for its signature baked BBQ pork buns.

Coffee and sweets are on the menu alongside tofu-based lunches at this mellow but popular café about a 10-minute walk southeast of the castle. Try the Tamatebako Kaiseki lunch set, which comes in an attractive lacquerware box and (alongside pickles, vegetable side dishes, and miso soup) features tofu that's been grilled on skewers and accented with a sweet-savory soy-based sauce.

Just about everybody who comes to this well-established, family-owned restaurant orders the standard course of utterly delicious deep-fried pork cutlets, soup, raw-cabbage salad, rice, pickles, and tea. Although there's a line here every night, right up until closing at 10:45 pm, efficient service means that the wait is usually only about 10 minutes.

This casual American chain is world-famous for its barbecued ribs. It also serves kid-size (and much larger) portions of burgers, chicken strips, and fried shrimp. The chain, which started in Miami in the 1970s, is dwindling in the U.S., but it's still going strong overseas. There's another branch in the Hanzomon area.

Meals here range from simple lunchtime bento boxes to the lavish fish platters that are a Kochi specialty. The staff will recommend the local favorite katsuo (skipjack tuna)—in Japanese it's sasuga Kochi, "just as you'd expect in Kochi"—but consider the shabu-shabu meat and vegetable combinations, which your servers will teach you to cook on a special table in your private tatami room. Be careful with seating; the first floor is a bland cafeteria, so indicate that you want an upstairs room instead.

This place has been famous since 1945 for its Peking duck, flown in fresh from China (it's not cheap). Built at the turn of the 20th century, Totenkaku is in one of Kobe's historic homes. With tall ceilings, red carpets, luxurious curtains, and artwork from China, the dining room itself is worth a look. You can keep the price down by ordering one of the reasonably priced noodle specialties, or by enjoying a set lunch menu.

When you're looking for a break from all the ramen, tempura, and yakitori, this restaurant on the 45th floor of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel serves a fusion of French and Japanese cuisines. The prix-fixe lunches include a three-course business lunch (¥6,500), and there are dinners with four and five courses (¥12,200 and ¥16,500). A plush brunch (¥9,500) is also available weekends and holidays. Best of all, the dining room overlooks a panorama of the Tokyo Sky Tree and Tokyo Tower, which is where the eatery gets its name.

Nestled among the backstreets of northwest Kyoto, Tozentei emphasizes to-the-letter traditional Japanese cooking. The meals here, made with only local produce, are old-school enough to please a shogun. A wooden wall with a low gate fronts this intimate hideaway that fits only 12. Lunch is less pricey than dinner.

Sitting on the terrace beside the Wadakura Moat, savor a glass of carefully selected wine from the impressive cellar, and choose from a modest selection of fresh, flavorful pasta dishes or one of the set three- to five-course menus. At dinner, the atmosphere turns intimate with candlelight and ultra-attentive service. Reservations are recommended.

While you could come and just enjoy the delicious food, the live shamisen music by local musicians is the main attraction here. Plan to arrive early, remove your shoes, and sit at low tables to start eating before the daily 7:30 pm performance. It's local fare from the Tsugaru region, which tends to be more rustic and more focused on preservation due to the area's harsh winters, so expect stews and fermented items (including squid!) that are on the saltier side, along with many items you'd recognize at any izakaya like grilled fish and things on skewers. Pickled vegetables pair nicely with the local sake. This remote region has a strong identity and produces foods that even people from Japan wouldn't recognize, so if you are an adventurous diner, point and anticipate. Dinner includes a cover charge of ¥700 and entertainment charge of ¥800 per person.

Deep in the forest behind Kasuga Taisha, Tsukihitei has the perfect setting for a traditional kaiseki meal. From the walk up a wooded path to the tranquility of your own tatami room, everything here is conducive to experiencing the beautiful presentation and delicate flavors—as Helen Keller did when she dined here in 1948. When reserving a table, enlist the help of a good Japanese speaker to select a set meal for you, and allow yourself to be regaled. The lunch sets cost between ¥10,000 and ¥15,000—not exactly cheap, but cheaper than dinner.

This no-frills sushi restaurant with wooden interiors serves up excellent Tokyo-style (Edomae) sushi, the classic nigiri topped with seafood. Á la carte is an option, but it's easier to opt for a set meal, which will be substantially cheaper during lunch than at dinner.

Tucked on a side street, this friendly café takes its name from the little "turret" trucks that carted produce around the old Tsukiji Market. The owner serves a powerful espresso in ceramic sake cups and also creates delightful latte art—all for similar prices to the far less enjoyable Starbucks on the corner.

This compact, counter-only sushi restaurant in Naka Meguro’s backstreets just does omakase, meaning that you'll be served whatever the owner–chef has sourced each day from Tokyo's Toyosu Market. Although the fish (or hair crab or sea urchin by special request) takes center stage, herbs and vegetables are also incorporated into Udatsu’s often-modern takes on sushi. There's even a vegetarian sushi course, though it must be reserved at least two days in advance. Like many sushi restaurants, lunch is a far more affordable experience than dinner. Still if you are planning to splurge somewhere, this is the place to do it.

The longevity of Okinawans has gained worldwide attention, and Ukishima Garden provides the health conscious with delicious meat-free dishes and organic wines. The grain burger is tasty, but on a hot summer's day the cold noodles with crunchy veggies hit the spot.