The Journal
Michelin, lineage, and how Japan's restaurants take bookings
Field notes from our Tokyo desk — who is actually reachable and how, the histories behind the counters, and the realistic way in. Written by the people who make these calls every day.
32 articles
Regions & Itineraries
48 Hours of Food in Hiroshima
A 48-hour Hiroshima food itinerary works around one hard booking — the kaiseki counter Nakashima — with the rest built from the city's Seto Inland Sea oysters, okonomiyaki, and a day trip to Miyajima. Secure that reservation first. For a second serious meal, four counters need a booking but no lottery — Eizan's ¥19,000 charcoal kaiseki, the eight-seat Chinese table Masuki, and the sushi counters Sushi Ryogetsu and…
Regions & Itineraries
Where to Eat in Kanazawa: Sushi, Kaiseki & the Market
Kanazawa is one of Japan's best food cities for its size — a compact, walkable old capital built around Omicho Market, refined Kaga kaiseki, superb sushi from the Sea of Japan, and its own clear-broth oden. Most of it is easy to book; only the very top counters take real planning. Two houses show the range of what is bookable — Makinonchi, a French counter on the Utatsuyama hillside that books online a few weeks…
Regions & Itineraries
Kyoto in 48 Hours: A Kaiseki & Sushi Itinerary
A 48-hour Kyoto food itinerary is best built around one kaiseki lunch and one sushi dinner, stitched together with machiya cafes, temples, and Arashiyama. Book the two headline seats about a month ahead; the rest of the plan is walk-in and flexible.
Regions & Itineraries
A Kyushu Food Road Trip Beyond Fukuoka
A Kyushu food road trip runs Fukuoka to Karatsu to Kumamoto, mostly by rail. Start with Fukuoka's yatai stalls and sushi, take a direct local train to a classic Edomae counter in the pottery town of Karatsu, then head south for Kumamoto's famous horse sashimi — a week, one region. Two more days add Nagasaki — shippoku at Ryotei Ichiriki, the counter Doyama and the Italian villa del nido on the Shimabara peninsula —…
Regions & Itineraries
Tokyo Neighborhoods for Serious Eaters
In Tokyo, neighborhoods specialize. Ginza concentrates lineage sushi and refined kappo, Nishi-Azabu holds the modern chef-driven counters, and Kagurazaka keeps the old ryotei and kaiseki tradition. Matching the district to the kind of meal you want is the fastest way to plan a Tokyo eating trip.
Regions & Itineraries
The Fukuoka Gateway — Kyushu's Food Route
Land at Asia's easiest airport, eat at a yatai stall that night, reach a sushi town by local train, and finish in hot-spring steam. Four days, all by rail.
Regions & Itineraries
48 Hours in Kanazawa — The Food Traveler's Itinerary
OAD's No.1 restaurant in Japan for 2025, a market that feeds you at dawn, gold leaf, crab season and the two ryokan worth the detour — planned to the hour.
Regions & Itineraries
Tohoku — Japan's Last Secret Food Region
A one-party-a-night brewery inn, a UNESCO food city, pilgrim cuisine on a sacred mountain, and the port that won Restaurant of the Year — the north, planned properly.