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July 12, 2026
 

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DESTINATION RESTAURANTS

Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Jun 28, 2026
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Drawn by the quality of Kanoya’s local produce, chef Yasuhiko Uchida relocated to the Osumi Peninsula. Now, his restaurant is a shining example of Kagoshima’s culinary appeal.
The signature piece in chef Koji Takahira’s "nigiri" selection is "shiro-amadai" (white tilefish) — one of the most prized species from the Seto Inland Sea on account of its sweetness, rich umami and firm texture.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Jun 7, 2026
In Matsuyama, sushi more than worth the pilgrimage
When chef Koji Takahira took over Kurumasushi from his father, he also transitioned to serving Edomae-style “nigiri” sushi — a move that has paid dividends.
At Stanza della Sincerita, wood-fired "amadai" (tilefish) caught on the Sea of Japan coast is served on a "risotto" topped with diced summer vegetables and seaweed — chef Makoto Harada’s version of traditional Yamagata-style "dashi."
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
May 16, 2026
One of Japan’s best meals is hidden in a Yamagata hot spring town
Chef Makoto Harada combines Italian flavors with the northern region’s culinary traditions.
After working at his family's restaurant in Kyoto, chef Koki Watanabe moved to the countryside far north of the city, opening Inaka no Taiho in 2021.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Apr 17, 2026
Chickens go from coop to table at Inaka no Taiho
The talented Koki Watanabe offers a farmhouse-style dining experience in the woods of northern Kyoto.
Chef Masashi Motooka opened Restaurant Kam in Saitama Prefecture, taking over a property formerly used by his wife's late grandfather. The garden is an extension of his kitchen — his daily menu is determined by whatever is ready to be picked.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Jan 30, 2026
In Saitama, Kam finds its garden-to-table concept ripe with potential
Chef Masashi Motooka is making a name for himself with his deft execution of French cuisine paired with greens picked from his own backyard.
Chef Taizo Hirokado worked at high-end Japanese restaurants around Japan for two decades before returning to his hometown, Beppu, to open his eponymous restaurant.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Dec 12, 2025
Beppu Hirokado puts the spotlight on Kyushu’s rich seafood
In a town better known for hot springs than haute cuisine, chef Taizo Hirokado is making waves with his bold cuisine that brilliantly showcases the bounty from the region’s waters.
No part of the sheep goes to waste at Cuore in Hokkaido. Here, creamy lamb's brain is pan-fried with banana and draped with a sliver of 24-month-aged prosciutto.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Nov 28, 2025
At Cuore in Hokkaido, lamb offal plays more than a bit part
Chef Yuya Urushizaki takes a nose-to-tail approach when cooking, turning typically wasted cuts of sheep into gourmet delicacies.
Chef Shota Itoi’s innovative take on modern French cuisine at Auberge Eaufeu elevates the produce of rural Ishikawa Prefecture.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Sep 26, 2025
Auberge Eaufeu brings French flair to a quiet village in Ishikawa
Housed in a former elementary school, the restaurant is a brilliant showcase of the creative mind of chef Shota Itoi.
At Himawari Shokudo 2, chef Hozumi Tanaka serves Italian-inspired fare with a focus on Toyama produce, such as this appetizer of lightly blanched "hotaru ika" (firefly squid) served atop mixed wild plants and a crepe prepared from "yamato-imo" yam.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Aug 8, 2025
At Himawari Shokudo 2, Italian food with a Japanese soul
Punching above its own weight, the intimate restaurant is one of the growing number of quality establishments that are helping to cement Toyama’s status as a dining destination.
Crow meat, shaped into a ball and attached to a foot of the bird, is one of the peculiar offerings of game at Mauvaise Herbe.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Apr 20, 2025
Crow meat, goat tartare: Mauvaise Herbe raises its game
Taking an unconventional approach to sourcing, chef Keiji Ojima is out to showcase the little-known wild flavors of Okinawa in his French-inspired Okinawan fare.
Tucked away behind the historic Tsuchida sake brewery, Ventinove's location and sleek, angular architecture make for impressive destination dining.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Mar 16, 2025
At Ventinove, Tuscan specialties taken to new heights
A former Italian favorite in Tokyo now enjoys a renaissance in a bucolic village in Gunma Prefecture.
Chef Kentaro Mura’s favorite way of serving snow crab is as shabu-shabu: The legs are lightly blanched in dashi, then the meat is removed and served with a generous scoop of crab tomalley.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Mar 2, 2025
Toyama’s finest seafood underpins Ebitei Bekkan’s return to greatness
This “kaiseki” restaurant has been making up for lost time with a culinary flair that presents Toyama’s seafood tradition in a contemporary guise.
Together, Shinsuke Yamagai (right) and his younger brother, Ryota, have elevated the cuisine at Shintaku, putting it on the map as one of Niigata Prefecture’s premier gastronomic destinations.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Feb 9, 2025
Brothers’ local focus lifts Shintaku to Niigata’s highest rank
From the ashes of a devastating 2005 fire, Shinsuke and Ryota Yamagai have remade their family’s historic Niigata restaurant into a beacon of Japanese gastronomy.
When chef Yoshihiro Kitagawa returned to his hometown of Matsusaka to open Shibousai Kitagawa in 2015, he chose a tranquil location on the rural fringe of the city.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Dec 22, 2024
Shibousai Kitagawa: Creative Chinese in the home of Matsusaka wagyu
Alongside the superlative array of vegetable appetizers, a focal point at Shibousai Kitagawa is the revered local Matsusaka wagyu.
Originally from Hiroshima, chef Kenichi Nishi moved to Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, to have better access to the top-flight seafood of Sasue Maeda.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Nov 17, 2024
Chisou Nishi Kenichi: Modern French with unrivaled Shizuoka seafood
When a chef relocates to be within walking distance of his favorite fishmonger, you know the fish must be truly special.
The dining room at Ca'enne is as authentically rustic as the ingredients — all from Nagano Prefecture's Yatsugatake region — that chef Noriyuki Usui cooks with.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Oct 20, 2024
Ca’enne: Into the Yatsugatake mountains for Nagano’s freshest produce
For a restaurant that only uses ingredients from a landlocked region, there is a surprising amount of excellent fish on chef Noriyuki Usui’s menu.
Through trial and error, Tashi Gyamtso and his team meticulously selected a variety of herbs and vegetables best suited to Yufuin’s unique altitude, climate and soil conditions — and which now form the backbone of Jimgu's menu.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Sep 22, 2024
Jimgu: A farm-driven restaurant of outstanding local variety
Three years before chef Tashi Gyamtso served his first meal at Jimgu, he arrived in Oita Prefecture to build the farm that stocks his kitchen today.
Moved by an experience with a local hunter, Shota Sasaki has since focused on elevating the image of game meat in Japan.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Aug 11, 2024
Elezo Esprit: A visceral celebration of Hokkaido’s wild game
Game meat specialist Elezo Esprit has hunters on staff who are directed to ensure the animals they supply arrive at the butchery within an hour of being killed.
Chef Hironori Fujii moved his restaurant, Oryouri Fujii, to the Iwase district of Toyama City in 2019, finding the ideal setting in its historic surroundings.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Aug 4, 2024
Oryouri Fujii: High-end Japanese cuisine in a picture-perfect Toyama setting
Chef Hironori Fujii will serve according to the seasons: ‘ayu’ (sweetfish) and ‘nodoguro’ (blackthroat perch) in summer; snow crab and yellowtail in winter.
When it is in season, 'maguro' (tuna) from the Sea of Japan is one of the mainstay menu items at Tokiwa Sushi.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Jul 21, 2024
Tokiwa Sushi: Niigata sushi master with a hometown, locavore focus
“Tuna from Niigata Prefecture is the mainstay of our menu, but it’s only available three months a year,” chef Kosuke Kobayashi explains.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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