281 Best Restaurants in Japan

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We've compiled the best of the best in Japan - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

Daikokuya Tempura

$$ | Taito-ku

Daikokuya, in the center of Asakusa's historic district, is a point of pilgrimage for both locals and tourists. The specialty here is shrimp tempura, and the menu choices are simple—tendon is tempura shrimp served over rice, and the tempura meal includes rice, pickled vegetables, and miso soup. Famished diners can add additional pieces of tempura or side dishes such as sashimi for an additional fee, or opt for a multi-dish course. When the line of waiting customers outside is too long, head to the shop's annex (bekkan) just around the corner.

Daily Chico

$ | Nakano-ku

This basement-level ice cream store has become a Nakano Broadway institution for its soft-serve ice cream, which comes in flavors that vary from simple vanilla to matcha (green tea), horse chestnut, and ramune (a popular citrus soda flavor). The signature is the eight-layered, 20-cm Tokudai (extra large) soft serve, though small cups and cones are also on the menu.

5-52-15 Nakano, Tokyo, 164-0001, Japan
03-3386--4461
Known For
  • Eight-layered soft-serve ice cream
  • Flavors like matcha
  • Served in cups or cones

Daruma

$$ | Chuo-ku

Below the red sign depicting a roly-poly mustachioed doll, this establishment founded in 1954 serves the city's freshest barbecued lamb jingisukan. The slices of lamb are served steaming atop heaps of vegetables. At the end of the meal you're given hot tea to mix with what's left of your dipping sauce—mixed together, they're oddly delicious. Be sure to wear your least-favorite clothes and don the paper bib that's provided, then feast away until you become roly-poly yourself.

Minami 5 Nishi 4, Sapporo, 064-0805, Japan
011-552–6013
Known For
  • Popular (can be a line in the evening)
  • Local Sapporo atmosphere
  • Good-value lamb plates
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Reservations not accepted

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Darumaya

$ | Minato-ku

The classic bowl of ramen is topped with slices of pork, but Darumaya, in the fashion district of Omotesando, has a slightly different take, topping its noodles with grilled vegetables. In the summertime be sure to order the hiyashi soba, a bowl of chilled noodles topped with vegetables and ham in a sesame dressing. Another shop specialty is the tsukemen, where the noodles and broth are served in separate bowls. Dip (don't drop) the ramen into the broth. Despite the focus on veggies, vegetarians should note, the soups and sauces are not meat-free.

5–9–5 Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo, 107-0062, Japan
03-3499–6295
Known For
  • Refreshing take on ramen
  • A quick, affordable lunch in a high-end area
  • One of few noodle shops in the neighborhood
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.

Dogo Bakushukan

$$ | Dogo

Brew pub meets izakaya at this rustic joint by the Dogo Onsen Bathhouse. You'll find plenty of meaty and fishing izakaya staples on the extensive menu to make a good lunch or dinner. Specials include a rice bowl topped with seabream and a drizzling of soy (uwajima taimeshi) and kamaboko fishcakes made with beer yeast. Or after a good soak in Dogo's famed waters, you could stop by here just for a refreshing German-inspired brew, such a weissen or alt. 

Domannaka

$$$

This modern izakaya-style Japanese restaurant on the same small street as the Agnes Hotel (near Tokushima Station) specializes in skewers of flame-grilled chicken, beef, pork, and seafood. The vast menu also includes hot-pot stews, fresh seafood dishes, and tempura items, and there's plenty of local sake to wash it all down. Sit at the counter and chat up the friendly chef and the regulars or, for a quieter meal, ask for a table in the back.

1--47 Terashima Honcho Nishi, Tokushima, 770-0831, Japan
088-623–3293
Known For
  • Beautiful atmosphere
  • Great chicken skewers
  • Excellent selection of sake
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. except when Mon. is a public holiday, then closed Mon. No lunch

Ebi-Ten Bun-Ten

$$ | Chuo-ku

On a narrow street near the Mitsukoshi department store, Ebi-Ten Bun-Ten is as friendly a tempura place as you're likely to find in Hokkaido. The sliding doors behind a blue banner reveal a quiet, homey restaurant, managed for two generations by the friendly Yamada family. Seating is available at the counter, at tables, and in tatami rooms with cushions. A rudimentary English menu is available.

Enokitei Honten

$$ | Naka-ku

Located in one of the area's few remaining historic Western-style houses an Enokitei is a relaxing stop for sweets or a light meal. The interior has the feel of a British-style tea room, with dark wood and antiques, while the garden terrace is surrounded by greenery and flowers much of the year. In addition to cakes and scones, Enokitei also has a selection of homemade sandwiches for a light lunch.

Est

$$$$ | Chiyoda-ku

On top of the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi, there’s a Michelin-starred restaurant serving contemporary French cuisine with a twist. Est presents eco-conscious, seasonal menus with 95% of ingredients locally sourced in Japan. With a focus on reducing food waste, Chef Guillaume Bracaval crafts innovative and singular dishes that can be traced from source to plate. 

Faust

$

This delightful café-restaurant sits just off the main drag between Harimaya-bashi and the castle. Choose a table by the window and people-watch on the cobbled lane, or head indoors to the quirky third-floor dining area. The cake, incidentally, is excellent.

Fuglen Asakusa

$ | Taito-ku

At the northern end of the izakaya-lined Hoppy Street, this hip Scandinavian-style café serves up sweet and savory Norwegian waffles along with coffee made using single-origin beans. In the evenings, there's craft beer and cocktails on the menu too.

Fujiya Gohonjin

$$$$

This stately building just outside the gates of Zenko-ji combines a bar, lounge, café, and fantastic Italian restaurant. The rather formal modern dining room offers prix-fixe or à la carte options featuring high-quality local ingredients, while the bar and lounge serve up light meals in stately surroundings and the café is a little more relaxed. There is no formal dress code, but the restaurant is something you'll feel like dressing smartly for.

Fukumori

$ | Akihabara
Located in the historic former Manseibashi Train Station, Fukumori features light meals from Yamagata Prefecture in the north of Japan. The brick and wood interior, with large windows overlooking the Kanda River, offers a relaxing change from the bustle of Akihabara.

Gahojin Kappa

$ | Higashiyama-ku

In contrast to the expensive restaurants favored by tourists, residents seek out just-plain-folks places like this fun one. It's a late-night izakaya specializing in robata-yaki, which is to say it's a casual bar-restaurant with a charcoal grill and great selection of meat, poultry, and vegetable dishes. Here it's common to order several dishes to share. If no tables are available, find a seat at the long counter. The restaurant is two blocks north of Shijo-dori in the heart of Gion. Everything here is ¥390, even the drinks. The friendly men who work here enjoy using their broken English with tourists.

Sueyoshi-cho, Nawate-dori Shijo-agaru, Kyoto, 605-0085, Japan
075-531–1112
Known For
  • Popular with tourists and locals
  • Casual atmosphere
  • Large à la carte selection
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch

Ganko Nijyoen

$$ | Nakagyo-ku

The estate of a former prime minister has been turned into a kaiseki (multicourse-meal) restaurant, and the stroll garden by landscape artist Ogawa Jihei ensures wonderful views by day or night. The century-old traditional structure, between the Kamo and Takase rivers, suits the delicate tasting courses served by kimono-clad women.

Garde

$

Crispy thin-crust pizza and tasty pasta dishes are the mainstays at this Italian restaurant in the Shian-bashi entertainment quarter east of Chinatown. From the Shian-bashi tram stop, head two blocks north into the arcade and one block west. It's on the corner.

1--20 Kajiya-machi, Nagasaki, 850-0831, Japan
095-826–1302
Known For
  • Local institution
  • Eat in or take out
  • Reasonable prices
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.

Ginza Tempura Tenichi Shibuya Tokyuten

$$

Located in Shibuya's Tokyu Department Store, Tenichi is an accessible and relaxed tempura restaurant. The best seats are at the counter, where you can see the chefs work and each piece of tempura will be served piping hot, directly from the oil. The restaurant's simple, brightly lit interior keeps the focus on the food itself. Choose from a selection of ten-don (tempura served with sauce over a bowl of rice) or tempura sets. The more expensive tempura meals are available at the counter only.

2--24--1 Dogenzaka, Tokyo, 150-0043, Japan
03-3477--3891
Known For
  • Tempura cooked right before your eyes
  • Friendly service
  • Long lines on weekends

Go Shu In Sen

$$ | Aoba-ku

This good spot for cheap seafood and sake offers can't-beat lunch deals. Very casual, it's also a great place to sit at the counter and watch chefs at work.

3--1--24 Chuo, Sendai, 980-0021, Japan
022-225–6868
Known For
  • Lively atmosphere
  • Fresh fish
  • Good-value lunch sets

Gyoshintei

$$$

This is the only restaurant in Nikko devoted to shojin ryori, the Buddhist-temple vegetarian fare that evolved centuries ago into haute cuisine. Gyoshintei is decorated in the style of a ryotei (traditional restaurant), with all-tatami seating. It differs from a ryotei in that it has one large, open space where many guests are served at once, rather than a number of rooms for private dining. Dinner is served until 7.

Hachinoki Kita-Kamakuraten

$$$

Traditional shojin ryori (the vegetarian cuisine of Zen monasteries) is served in this old Japanese house on the Kamakura Kaido (Route 21) near the entrance to Jochi Temple. The seating is mainly in tatami rooms with beautiful antique wood furnishings. If you prefer table seating, visit the annex building. Allow plenty of time; this is not a meal to be hurried through.

Hamayoshi

$$

Three tables and a counter make up this intimate restaurant specializing in fish from the Seto Nai-kai. Sushi is one option; another is mamakari, a kind of vinegary sashimi sliced from a small fish caught in the Inland Sea. Other delicacies are shako-ebi, or mantis shrimp, and lightly grilled anago, or sea eel. No English is spoken, but an English menu is available and the owner is happy to help you order and instruct you on how to enjoy the chef's delicacies. Hamayoshi is on the main street leading from the station, just before the Kurashiki Kokusai Hotel. Unlike many restaurants here, it's open on holidays.

2--19--30 Achi, Kurashiki, 710-0055, Japan
086-421--3430
Known For
  • Mantis shrimp sashimi
  • Intimate dining
  • Seafood delicacies
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.

Harukiya Ogikubo

$ | Suginami-ku

Having started as a street stall in Ogikubo in the late 1940s, Harukiya is now a ramen restaurant that often has patrons lining up down the street. The noodles here come in a soy- and dried sardine-based stock and are served with a topping of chashu (roast pork) with the noodles being handmade every morning.

Hateruma

$

In a traditional house with a tile roof, this lively izakaya-style restaurant has a helpful picture menu. On the second floor there are Okinawan music and dance performances most nights at 6, 7, and 8 (with an additional ¥550 service charge). It's on Kokusai Street a few blocks south of the Starbucks.

Heart and Beer

$$

A terrific brewery and log-cabin-style restaurant is five minutes by taxi from Matsunami Station (on the Noto Line). It's operated by two beer masters from Eastern Europe in conjunction with an association that helps people with disabilities.

92 Aza Tatekabe, Uchiura-machi, 927-0605, Japan
0768-72–8181
Known For
  • Rustic setting (and cash-only)
  • Spit-roasted chicken
  • European-style microbrews
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed.

Heichinrou Hibiya

$$$$ | Chiyoda-ku

A short walk from the Imperial Hotel, the Hibiya branch of one of Yokohama's oldest and best Chinese restaurants commands a spectacular view of the Imperial Palace grounds from 28 floors up. Call ahead to reserve a table by the window. Much of the clientele comes from the law offices, securities firms, and foreign banks in the building.

2–2–2 Uchisaiwai-cho, Tokyo, 100-0011, Japan
03-3508–0555
Known For
  • Kaisen ryori, a banquet of steamed seafood
  • Lush, classic decor
  • A popular venue for power lunches
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.

Heiroku Sushi Shibuya Omotesando

$$ | Shibuya-ku

Often, a meal of sushi is a costly indulgence. The rock-bottom alternative is a kaiten-zushi, where it is literally served assembly line–style: chefs inside the circular counter place a constant supply of dishes on the revolving belt with plates color-coded for price; just choose whatever takes your fancy as the sushi parades by. A cheerful, bustling example of this genre is the Heiroku-zushi chain's branch opposite Omotesando Hills; it's all about the fresh fish here (and clearly not the design). When you're done, the server counts up your plates and calculates your bill. The cheapest prices are reserved for staples like tuna and squid, and you'll pay a bit more for delicacies like high-grade toro cuts of tuna and sea urchin.

5–8–5 Jingumae, Tokyo, 150-0001, Japan
03-3498–3968
Known For
  • Fresh, cheap sushi
  • Essential Japan experience
  • Wide selection of classic and original sushi

Hekisuien

$

Set riverside with fantastic views of Okayama Castle, this small cafe and restaurant is the perfect place to grab lunch or coffee when exploring the castle and Korakuen Garden. You can also rent a swan boat to paddle around on the Asahi River after your meal. Dishes include bamboo shoot udon and the Okayama local pork bowl.

1--6 Korakuen, Okayama, 703-8257, Japan
086-272--1605
Known For
  • Lunch with a view of the castle
  • Bamboo shoot udon
  • Okayama pork bowl
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner

Hibiki

$$$$ | Shiba-Shiodome

Perched on the 46th floor of the Carretta Shiodome Building overlooking Tokyo Bay, this seafood-focused izakaya is a nice escape from the chaotic frenzy below. Specialties include grilled fish and house-made tofu. As the name suggests, Suntory's highly rated Hibiki whiskey is also on the menu, along with wines and sake that pair well with the food.

Hibiya Saroh

$ | Chiyoda-ku

After strolling through the flower gardens of Hibiya Park on a hot day, stop off for a cold pint of beer here; Hibiya Saroh is proud of the varieties on tap. There is no indoor seating, but with its view of Hibiya Park, you wouldn't want to be inside.

1–1 Hibiya Park, Tokyo, 100-0012, Japan
050-5304--4667
Known For
  • Auto rickshaw on the terrace
  • All-you-can-drink menu
  • Simple, well-priced food
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.

Hide-zushi

$$$$

You're in a major seafood city, and if you want some of the best of what is available in these cold waters, this is the place to get it. Dinner is not cheap, but lunches are more reasonably priced. The restaurant offers excellent service and bright surroundings.

1--5--12 Tsutsumi Machi, 030-0812, Japan
017-722–8888
Known For
  • Skillful plating
  • Seasonal fresh fish
  • Affordable lunches