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.
189 articles
Lineage & History
Ginza Kyubey Family Tree: The Chefs It Trained (2026)
Ginza Kyubey, founded in 1935, takes bookings by phone, on Ikyu and through an official English partner, with no release day. The harder seats in its family are the counters its alumni opened, among them Sushi Kanesaka, Sushi Saito and Sushi Arai. Kyubey-trained chefs also run Sushi Mitsukawa in Kanazawa, Sushi Ryusuke and Sushidokoro Suzu in Tokyo, Naruki in Himi and Sushi Shota in Sapporo, and a second generation…
Lineage & History
Sushi Saito Alternatives: The Saito Family Tree (2026)
Sushi Saito in Roppongi is introduction only, so no booking desk can get you in. The wider Saito family is easier to reach. The house runs a branch at Azabudai Hills and is behind two counters in Nakameguro, Sushi Tsubomi and Sushi Saito Hanare NANZUKA, and chefs who trained under Takashi Saito now run Sushi Shunji, Sushi Takahashi, Sushi Kobayashi, Ryusei in Miyagi and Sushi Fujimoto in Hong Kong. Of these, Ryusei,…
Lineage & History
Shinbashi Shimizu Family Tree: The Chefs It Trained (2026)
Shinbashi Shimizu is a seven-seat counter opened by Kunihiro Shimizu, who trained at Shinbashi Tsuruhachi. It opens each date exactly one week ahead at 08:00 and does not accept bookings made on someone else's behalf. Chefs who trained there run Sushi Matsumoto in Kyoto, Sushi Take and Sushi Kobayashi in Ginza, and Takagaki no Sushi in Suitengumae; a second generation runs Sushi Hoshiyama in Osaka, Sushi Miyashita…
Lineage & History
Sushisho Alternatives: The Sushisho Family Tree (2026)
Sushisho in Yotsuya takes first-timers by phone only, on one release day a month, and the line stays busy for hours. The chefs Keiji Nakazawa trained are easier to reach. Apprentices who spent four to eighteen years with him now run Takumi Tatsuhiro, Sushi Murase, Sushisho Saito, Sushisho Masa, Takumi Shingo and Sushi Arai, and a second generation trained under them. Of these, Takumi Tatsuhiro, Sushi Murase and…
Lineage & History
Sushizen Family Tree: The Sapporo Counter and the Chefs It Trained (2026)
Sushizen was opened in Susukino, Sapporo, in 1971 by Tsutomu Shimamiya, who trained under Kazuo Nakata at Nakata; its main house moved to Maruyama in 1984. It takes requests on its own web form and by phone, with no release day. Chefs who trained there run Sushi Sakai, Kaneyoshi and Sushi Hidetaka in Sapporo, Umeno Sushi in Hakodate, Sushi Minato in Asahikawa, Sushi Jubei in Fukui, Kyogoku Zushi in Nagahama and…
Lineage & History
Torishiki Alternatives: The Torishiki Family Tree and ICHIMON Counters (2026)
Torishiki in Meguro takes bookings by phone only, for two hours on one announced day each month, and the month is usually gone inside that window. The cooks it trained are easier to reach. Some cook inside Torishiki ICHIMON, the group's own family of yakitori brands, from Torikado in Torishiki's room to Torioka in Azabudai Hills; others left to open counters under their own names, such as Yakitori Omino, Kurosaki…
Lineage & History
Toriyoshi Nakameguro Family Tree: The Yakitori Counter Behind Torishiki and the Cooks It Trained (2026)
Toriyoshi in Nakameguro is the yakitori counter where Yoshiteru Ikegawa trained for about seven years before opening Torishiki in 2007. Other Toriyoshi cooks opened Toriyaki Sasaya, Yakitori Taki, Toriguchi, Yakitori Kamimura and Yakitori Asanomi, and a second generation runs Yakitori Uno and Yakitori Koshin. Toriyoshi itself takes no reservations (you line up to get in), so we do not request it; Torishiki opens…
Lineage & History
Umi Sushi Family Tree: The Chefs Trained in Aoyama (2026)
Umi, a nine-seat counter in Aoyama, opens each date two months ahead by phone and online, and can be requested through our desk at ¥12,000 per seat. Under Mitsuyasu Nagano, its second-generation chef until his death in 2015, it trained the chefs behind Sushi Sakai in Fukuoka, Higashiazabu Amamoto, Sushi Ryujiro (One MICHELIN Star, MICHELIN Guide Japan 2026) and Meizan Kimiya in Kagoshima, and Sushi Sakai has since…
Lineage & History
Sushi Yoshitake Alternatives: The Yoshitake Family Tree (2026)
Sushi Yoshitake in Ginza seats only the person who booked, checks ID and treats proxy guests as no-shows, so we request it only in the name of the guest who attends. The chefs it trained are easier to reach. Yoji Oya (nine years) runs Sushi Oya in Kagurazaka; Masaaki Miyakawa, who ran the Ginza counter while the master was in Hong Kong, runs Sushi Miyakawa in Sapporo; and Koji Takahira (five years, after two at…
Etiquette & Culture
Gluten-Free and Celiac in Japan: Where the Wheat Hides
In Japan, wheat is less a dish than a seasoning — it is in most soy sauce, much of the miso, tempura batter, fu and most soba. Tamari is not automatically wheat-free under Japan's own standard, and barley turns up in barley tea and barley miso. For celiac disease, tell the restaurant when you book, and choose meals where the seasoning can be changed.
Regions & Itineraries
Roppongi & Azabu Food Guide: Tokyo's International Fine-Dining Belt
Roppongi and the Azabus are Tokyo's international fine-dining belt: the highest concentration of English-fluent starred rooms, most on TableCheck, Ikyu or OMAKASE rather than a Japanese phone line. The hard ones drop on a clock — Sazenka on the 1st, Florilège at midnight, Amamoto once a quarter. Use the towers as the safety net, the backstreets as the destination.
Etiquette & Culture
Halal and Muslim-Friendly Dining in Japan: What Happens in the Kitchen
Few restaurants in Japan are halal-certified, and there is no central certifying body. The harder part is not pork but what seasons the food — mirin, cooking sake, lard, gelatin and meat stock. Say exactly what you avoid when you book, not at the table, and choose formats where the kitchen can change the seasoning.