13 Reservable Michelin Three-Star Restaurants in Japan

Japan Ranks Second Globally with 20 Michelin Three-Star Restaurants

The 2024 Michelin Guide reports that France leads the world with 30 three-star restaurants, while Japan proudly holds second place with 20. By city, Tokyo has 12, Osaka 3, and Kyoto 5, with Tokyo hosting the majority.

Michelin three-star restaurants are considered the pinnacle of dining and require advance reservations. Typically, bookings need to be made several months in advance, and even then, securing a reservation can be challenging, especially in Tokyo and Kyoto.

Osaka: A Hidden Gem for Three-Star Reservations

For tourists seeking to dine at a three-star restaurant in Japan, Osaka might offer a better chance than Tokyo or Kyoto. Some three-star establishments are more likely to have availability, and dining at these world-class restaurants can be an unforgettable highlight of a Japanese trip.

This article, curated by OMAKASE - the only online gourmet platform officially partnered with the Michelin Guide in Japan - introduces 13 restaurants in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka that are listed on OMAKASE's reservation site.

Note: Restaurants listed earlier may have better chances for reservations, so be sure to check them out.

13 Potentially Reservable Michelin Three-Star Restaurants

1. HAJIME (ハジメ) / Innovative / Osaka

HAJIME has maintained its three Michelin stars for six consecutive years since 2019. It's a French restaurant that has garnered global attention in the gastronomy scene for achieving Michelin stars in record time.

The chef, a former engineer, meticulously prepares carefully selected ingredients, controlling temperature to 0.1°C and measurements to 1mm precision. Through the course menu, diners can experience ultimate gastronomy expressing the beauty of balance and harmony in the universe. Highlights include "The River," which pays homage to nature and Earth while expressing the fragility of life, and "Destruction and Assimilation," a foie gras dish prepared in three-inch portions.

2. Taian (太庵) / Japanese / Osaka

MIZAI has maintained its three Michelin stars for 15 consecutive years since 2010. Located in a quiet corner of the famous Maruyama Park in Kyoto, it's a Japanese restaurant that food connoisseurs from across Japan dream of visiting.

The restaurant offers only one style of cuisine: zazen chakaiseki (a formal multi-course meal rooted in Zen Buddhism). The meal begins with a tray containing rice, soup, and a main dish. The chef uses about 300 carefully selected seasonal ingredients daily, stimulating all five senses not just through the food, but also through the presentation, dishware, interior, and the views of Maruyama Park.

To provide the best possible hospitality for the Zazen Chakaiseki experience, the restaurant serves only one group of guests per day, starting at 6 PM. Diners can enjoy the course at a leisurely pace over about three hours, without worrying about formal chakaiseki etiquette.

3. Nihonryori Ryugin (日本料理 龍吟) / Japanese /Tokyo

Nihonryori Ryugin has maintained its three Michelin stars for 14 consecutive years since 2011. This Japanese restaurant offers a taste of seasonal bounty throughout the year, providing a luxurious adult dining experience in a Japanese-style setting.

The course menu features carefully selected natural ingredients from across Japan. Notably, the dishes served here do not use any chemical seasonings or similar additives.

The restaurant also offers seasonal course menus, available to view on their website, making it easy to plan ahead for your Japan trip. From November to February, you can enjoy Ryugin crab cuisine, from January to March Ryugin fugu cuisine (dishes featuring pufferfish), and from April to May Ryugin shellfish cuisine.

4. Kashiwaya Osaka Senriyama (柏屋 大阪千里山) / Japanese / Osaka

1. MICHELIN (2010): Two Stars
2. MICHELIN (2011 - 24): Three Stars

After earning two Michelin stars in 2010, Kashiwaya Osaka Senriyama has maintained three stars for 14 consecutive years since 2011. The restaurant is known for its kaiseki cuisine (traditional multi-course Japanese dinner) that respects Japanese culinary traditions while incorporating modern elements.

The menu consists of four course options: "Ran," "Take," "Kiku," and "Ume." In addition to their original brand of sake "Kashijushi," they offer a variety of shochu and wines. Diners can enjoy a pairing experience where each dish is matched with a complementary alcohol.

The restaurant's traditional Japanese sukiya-style architecture (a refined style used in tea houses), which makes use of natural materials, features seven distinct private rooms including a tea room, allowing guests to enjoy a relaxed dining experience.

Make a Reservation

5. L'Effervescence (レフェルヴェソンス) / French / Tokyo

1. MICHELIN (2012 - 14): One Star
2. MICHELIN (2015 - 20): Two Stars
3. MICHELIN (2021 - 24): Three Stars

L'Effervescence earned one Michelin star for three consecutive years from 2012, two stars for six consecutive years from 2015, and has maintained three stars for four consecutive years since 2021. This French restaurant is known for its innovative dishes that highlight the natural appeal of ingredients.

Both lunch and dinner feature a single course menu. A standout dish is the "turnip," sourced from the best growing regions according to the season and slowly simmered for four hours to achieve a juicy texture and soft mouthfeel.

Diners can immerse themselves in a luxurious experience in the restaurant's tranquil atmosphere, savoring the cuisine with expertly paired wines.

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6. Quintessence (カンテサンス) / French / Tokyo

1. MICHELIN (2008 - 24): Three Stars

Quintessence has maintained its three Michelin stars for 17 consecutive years since 2008. This hidden gem of a French restaurant is run by a chef who honed his unique cooking techniques at the three-star restaurant "L'Astrance."

Both lunch and dinner menus consist of a single omakase (chef's choice menu) course designed to maximize the natural flavors of the ingredients. The meal includes about 13 dishes followed by dessert and after-dinner drinks.

The chef employs original low-temperature, long-duration roasting techniques to bring out the delicate flavors of high-quality meats. Ingredients are carefully selected from across Japan and meticulously prepared or aged to perfect each dish.

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7. Kanda (かんだ) / Japanese / Tokyo

MICHELIN (2009 - 24): Three Stars

Kanda has maintained its three Michelin stars for 16 consecutive years since 2009. This Japanese restaurant offers a dinner course that changes daily based on the freshest available ingredients, allowing diners to experience the immediacy of the seasons.

The interior features counter seating and one private room made from high-quality Kasuga cedar, creating a spacious and relaxed atmosphere for enjoying the food and drinks. Behind where the owner stands is a decorative alcove post made from ancient Heian period wood, said to be from the Shoso-in Treasury (an 8th-century imperial repository).

Conveniently located just a 2-minute walk from Toranomon Hills Station (Exit A1) on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line.

Make a Reservation

8. Azabu Kadowaki (麻布 かどわき) / Japanese / Tokyo

1. MICHELIN (2021 - 24): Three Stars

Azabu Kadowaki has maintained its three Michelin stars for four consecutive years since 2021. The owner, who trained at renowned Japanese restaurants like "Tsukiji Uemura" and "Kasumigaseki Kamogawa," offers creative Japanese cuisine.

A signature dish is the "Truffle Takikomi Gohan" (rice cooked with truffles and other ingredients), which uses luxurious truffles generously to create an appetizing aroma. The menu consists solely of omakase courses, featuring seasonal ingredients like matsutake mushrooms (prized autumnal mushrooms) and crab prepared with expert technique.

The interior features a serene white wood counter and a spacious, relaxing private room, providing a full immersion in the Japanese ambiance.

Make a Reservation

9. MIZAI (未在) / Japanese / Kyoto

1. MICHELIN (2010 - 24): Three Stars

Azabu Kadowaki has maintained its three Michelin stars for four consecutive years since 2021. The owner, who trained at renowned Japanese restaurants like "Tsukiji Uemura" and "Kasumigaseki Kamogawa," offers creative Japanese cuisine.

A signature dish is the "Truffle Takikomi Gohan" (rice cooked with truffles and other ingredients), which uses luxurious truffles generously to create an appetizing aroma. The menu consists solely of omakase courses, featuring seasonal ingredients like matsutake mushrooms (prized autumnal mushrooms) and crab prepared with expert technique.

The interior features a serene white wood counter and a spacious, relaxing private room, providing a full immersion in the Japanese ambiance.

Make a Reservation

10. Sazenka (茶禅華) / Chinese / Tokyo

1. MICHELIN (2018 - 20): Two Stars
2. MICHELIN (2021 - 24): Three Stars

After maintaining two Michelin stars for four consecutive years from 2012, Kohaku has held three stars for nine consecutive years since 2016. It stands out as a unique presence among the many renowned restaurants in Kagurazaka (a historic district known for its traditional atmosphere).

Currently Japan's youngest three-star chef offers an omakase-only menu. The cuisine combines traditional Japanese culinary techniques with ingredients like truffles and caviar, creating original dishes that can be enjoyed visually and aromatically through the chef's unique sensibility.

The restaurant is conveniently located about a 3-minute walk from Iidabashi Station on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho and Namboku Lines.

Make a Reservation

11. Kagurazaka Ishikawa (神楽坂 石かわ) / Japanese / Tokyo

1. MICHELIN (2008): Two Stars
2. MICHELIN (2009 - 24): Three Stars

After earning two Michelin stars in 2008, Kagurazaka Ishikawa has maintained three stars for 16 consecutive years since 2009. This Japanese restaurant is quietly tucked away on a stone-paved alley behind Bishamon-ten Zenkoku-ji Temple (a Buddhist temple), offering a hidden retreat for discerning adults.

The menu consists solely of an omakase (chef's choice menu) course.The restaurant is known for its unwavering commitment to carefully selected seasonal ingredients, exclusively using Japanese produce. Diners can savor the pure, delicate flavors of ingredients that highlight Japan's four seasons.

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12. Makimura (まき村) / Japanese / Tokyo

1. MICHELIN (2008 - 10): One Star
2. MICHELIN (2011 - 14): Two Stars
3. MICHELIN (2015 - 24): Three Stars

Makimura earned one Michelin star for three consecutive years from 2008, two stars for six consecutive years from 2011, and has maintained three stars for four consecutive years since 2021. This Japanese restaurant features a distinctive concrete floor designed to resemble tatami mats (traditional Japanese floor coverings made of straw).

The restaurant offers only a monthly-changing omakase course, allowing guests to enjoy about 10 dishes from seasonal appetizers to desserts made with fresh fruits. The dishes vary in seasoning and color, and are artfully presented on carefully chosen tableware to create a special dining experience.

A signature dish is the tai chazuke (sea bream rice dish), which offers two different flavors using fresh wild sea bream. First, diners enjoy the sea bream mixed with sesame sauce over rice, then savor it again with a carefully prepared kelp broth poured over.

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13. Kohaku (虎白) / Japanese / Tokyo

1. MICHELIN (2012 - 15): Two Stars
2. MICHELIN (2016 - 24): Three Stars

After maintaining two Michelin stars for four consecutive years from 2012, Kohaku has held three stars for nine consecutive years since 2016. It stands out as a unique presence among the many renowned restaurants in Kagurazaka (a historic district known for its traditional atmosphere).

Currently the youngest three-star chef in Japan offers only an omakase course menu. The cuisine combines traditional Japanese culinary techniques with ingredients like truffles and caviar, creating original dishes that can be enjoyed visually and aromatically through the chef's unique sensibility.

The restaurant is conveniently located about a 3-minute walk from Iidabashi Station on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho and Namboku Lines.

Make a Reservation