Traditional Japanese cuisine　The essence of traditional Japanese cuisine, woven by Tokyo's artisanal spirit.

Discover the Flavors That Can Only Be Experienced in Tokyo

From traditional Edomae cuisine to flavors from all over Japan and the world, Tokyo has melded a vast array of culinary influences together into perfect harmony, evolving the city into a gastronomic capital unlike any other.

As the supervisor of this project, Hamada Takefumi, an internationally renowned gourmet, invited foreign journalists, famous chefs and luxury travel company representatives to Tokyo to experience the city's unrivaled gastronomic culture firsthand.

The three main themes of this project include “experiencing the true essence of traditional Japanese cuisine,” “the development of internationally originated cuisine in Tokyo,” and “the rich diversity of food in Tokyo.” Let's dive in and discover the depth of the city's culinary culture.

Traditional Japanese cuisine The essence of traditional Japanese cuisine, woven by Tokyo's artisanal spirit.

Taste the true flavors of world-class Japanese cuisine in Tokyo, an experience you can't get outside Japan. The freshest ingredients, an advanced logistics system and the craftsmanship of the city's chefs come together to create unparalleled depth in Tokyo's culinary scene.

The Abundant Blessings of the Ocean

Our journey begins at Sushi Saito, a restaurant that prepares one of Japan's most iconic foods —sushi—with unparalleled technique and skill.
Hamada explained that the key to Head Chef Saito Takashi's sushi is the shari (vinegared sushi rice). “You feel like each piece of rice is coated in vinegar, and [it] hasn't really sunk into each of the grains,” Hamada said. Chef Saito also changes the temperature of the shari as needed, using hot or cold rice depending on the fish. Preparation of the ingredients is just as critical as assembling the sushi.

A delectable piece of sushi wouldn't be complete without the neta (toppings). Chef Saito dedicates himself to sourcing fresh fish and pairs them with the shari to create a harmony of flavors. “When something looks beautiful, that means there's balance,” Hamada said. “There needs to be a balance between the rice and the fish so that they both disappear in your mouth at the same time.”

Another important element of Chef Saito's sushi is the flow of the omakase course. Omakase meaning to entrust the course to the Chef. Each sushi doesn't exist independently; it is a collective experience that evolves with each piece. “It's like French, British or Italian cooking. The flow is very important. The order in which you serve … each of the pieces, it make[s] a big difference,” Hamada said. The small fluctuations throughout the meal all build to a satisfying climax at the end.

Hamada continued, “Depending on the condition of the fish that particular day … Saito-san would change the way he cuts.” Chef Saito may slice the fish slightly thinner or thicker; in the case of squid, he will often change the number of cuts he makes. This attention to detail is a hallmark of his craftsmanship.

Making sushi requires a combination of knowledge, experience and passion. The intricate techniques chefs incorporate can be hard to teach, as they often come down to instinct. Despite the challenges, sushi chefs in Tokyo train daily to improve their craft while utilizing the city's bounty of fresh seafood.

At SUSHI SHIOGAMAKOU GINZA KIWAMI, you can experience an omakase sushi course brimming with some of the freshest tuna delivered directly from the source.

The restaurant procures its fish from Shiogama, a port city with the highest tuna catch volume in Japan. You won't just experience sushi. You'll also savor the flavors of tuna in sashimi, slightly seared steak, sukiyaki and futomaki (thick sushi roll), among others. You'll enjoy every part of the tuna, each prepared with the utmost skill by experienced chefs.

In the past, tuna was considered a low-class fish, because it was difficult to preserve. If it's not stored properly, it develops a sour and unpleasant taste. Times have changed, however, and with modern refrigeration and freezing technology, tuna has become one of the most luxurious types of fish.

Tokyo's logistics systems are central to the city's ability to provide fresh sushi, and, as Hamada describes, Japan's strict adherence to freshness is something that is not possible in other areas of the world.

“That's the whole reason why people need to come to Tokyo to experience the best of the best,” he said. “That's something that I want to show through this project. [To] understand how good fish can be in terms of their quality and value.”

Logistics and technological advancements in preservation have allowed fresh seafood to reach Tokyo from all corners of Japan. Many restaurants in Tokyo now incorporate local fish and fresh ingredients from across the country, with chefs preparing them in various styles.

Mastering the Finest Wagyu

Nikuya Tanaka is a Tokyo restaurant committed to serving some of Japan's highest-quality wagyu.

Head Chef Tanaka Satoru lives and breathes wagyu. “When he was little, he would help out his parents at [their] butcher shop. His parents were relatively conservative. They would not buy the … most expensive cows, but [instead] relatively mass-market products,” Hamada relayed from Chef Tanaka as he reminisced about his childhood.

His parents were looked down upon by their relatives, who were also in the meat business. Once, his parents brought their beef to a family event. His relatives complained, saying, “I don't want the low-quality beef.” This experience left a strong impression on Chef Tanaka, and he decided that he would become someone who could purchase the highest quality wagyu from the market. “This is the whole purpose of his life. To buy the best beef and serve it to guests,” Hamada said.

Three elements encompass Chef Tanaka's pursuit of the best wagyu: the breed of the cow, the farmers who rear them and how long they raise the cow. On this particular day, he used 50-month-old Matsusaka beef and Kobe beef aged for 54 months.

“The reason … he's pursuing long-term fattening is because as the cows fatten for a longer period of time, the flavor becomes more pure,” Hamada said. “The muscle loosens as the cow ages, so it's not as tough, it's relatively soft. You … taste the flavor of the meat [and] the umami.”

Hamada explained that this long aging process is a rarity in Japan and a challenge to pull off. “It's very difficult for farmers to [raise] these unbred heifers to the age of 45 months or 50 months. This is something that was not achievable in Japan [even] 10 years ago,” he said. “But now, a small number of farmers are really pushing the boundary and trying to see how long they can have the heifers live and also make [the wagyu] better in terms of the taste.”

It's not profitable to procure and serve such high-quality wagyu. However, as the owner of nearly thirty restaurants, Chef Tanaka has the scale to make this operation possible. “This is a money-losing business.
And it's meant to be that way,” Hamada said. “He's happy because the whole purpose … of having 20 [to] 30 restaurants is to be able to do just this.”

Our next wagyu destination is Yakiniku X, another restaurant dedicated to serving exclusively the highest-quality wagyu.

Their signature dish, a tenderloin steak, is cooked with the utmost precision and care. The meat is so soft that the chef could easily pull it apart with only a fork. The restaurant's beef consomme soup is another dish elevated by artisanship, displaying a richness achieved by letting the meat and bones simmer for five days.

There are many other ways to enjoy wagyu beyond steak, including shabu shabu and sukiyaki . The flavors of wagyu can also be enhanced further with a variety of condiments and sauces. The liver is paired perfectly with sesame oil and salt, while lemon puree brings out the flavor of beef tongue. They also elevate the filet with a selection of condiments like garlic chips, wasabi, Japanese pepper and salt.

It's in Tokyo where you can experience the true flavors of wagyu, thanks to the finest selection of beef from across Japan combined with the cooking techniques of some of the finest culinary talent.

A City Rich With High-Quality Ingredients and Passionate Artisans

At Sukiyaki Asai, chefs elevate the hot pot dish with unique cooking methods.

Sukiyaki is a traditional Japanese dish of beef and vegetables cooked in a broth of soy sauce, sugar and mirin (rice wine). The roots of the dish stem from a beef hot pot that became popular during the Meiji era.

The restaurant procures top-quality Omi beef from Shiga Prefecture and sources the wagyu from a renowned butcher shop. The remaining ingredients are also carefully selected from around the country. Their tofu is from Kyoto, a city famous for its soft spring water, which plays a crucial role in achieving the smooth texture that makes the tofu exceptional. They've selected onions from Awaji Island in the Seto Inland Sea for their sweetness, and special potatoes aged over two years for an uncharacteristically sweet flavor are from Hokkaido. Raw eggs, an essential sukiyaki component, have been sourced from Mie Prefecture for their sweet yolks. These ingredients are combined masterfully by experienced chefs to create a meal of diverse flavors best enjoyed in Tokyo.

Diners can watch from their counter seating as the chefs prepare each dish in front of their eyes. The chefs make sure to delicately adjust the doneness of the meat to suit the different thicknesses of beef. They also use a special technique to whip eggs into a frothy meringue-like sauce, all without breaking the yolk in the process.

Their attention to detail in not just preparing the dishes but also selecting the ingredients is the embodiment of their shokunin spirit. In Tokyo, you can enjoy traditional Japanese cuisine that combines artisanal skill with rich ingredients sourced from all across Japan.
They've selected onions from Awaji Island in the Seto Inland Sea for their sweetness, and special potatoes aged over two years for an uncharacteristically sweet flavor are from Hokkaido. Raw eggs, an essential sukiyaki component, have been sourced from Mie Prefecture for their sweet yolks. These ingredients are combined masterfully by experienced chefs to create a meal of diverse flavors best enjoyed in Tokyo.

Diners can watch from their counter seating as the chefs prepare each dish in front of their eyes. The chefs make sure to delicately adjust the doneness of the meat to suit the different thicknesses of beef. They also use a special technique to whip eggs into a frothy meringue-like sauce, all without breaking the yolk in the process.

Their attention to detail in not just preparing the dishes but also selecting the ingredients is the embodiment of their shokunin spirit. In Tokyo, you can enjoy traditional Japanese cuisine that combines artisanal skill with rich ingredients sourced from all across Japan.

Soba Osame is a Tokyo restaurant dedicated to elevating soba, buckwheat noodles with a long history in Japan.

“In the old days, like 200 years ago, Edo was the biggest city in the world in terms of population. So a lot of people [were] working, and they'd have soba for lunch,” Hamada said. “[But] buckwheat is notoriously hard to work with, as [the dough] tends to break apart [during preparation]. It's very difficult just using buckwheat [to] have the right texture. It just falls apart. If you try it yourself, it's easy to see. It's not gonna stick.”

For this reason, many soba restaurants will use only 50% buckwheat flour for their blend, with the remaining half being wheat flour. Many high-end restaurants still only use 80% buckwheat. This mixture helps the noodles keep their shape, but the final product loses the pure buckwheat flavor and aroma. Soba Osame's owner, Osame Kenji, experimented with different cooking methods to find a technique that would give 100% buckwheat noodles the best texture.

Roppongi Rian serves classic kappo-style cuisine while taking advantage of fresh Japanese ingredients from around the country.

Kappo restaurants often serve dishes in an “a la carte”  format. They can be considered an upscale izakaya or a casual kaiseki restaurant, allowing diners to enjoy Japanese cuisine in a relaxed environment. Kappo dining sets itself apart from kaiseki by focusing on a close connection between the chef and the guest. Counter seating gives diners an intimate and up-close view of each dish being prepared.

Roppongi Rian serves a range of seasonal dishes, including cuttlefish and rapeseed blossom dressed with vinegared miso, ebi-imo (a potato named after shrimp due to its shape) from Kyoto and grilled tilefish served with irizake (a sake-based sauce commonly used during the Edo period). The menu also features charcoal grilled eel, hamaguri (Asian hard clam) soup, wagyu shabu-shabu and rice cooked in a traditional donabe (earthen clay pot). Beyond the variety of dishes, the chefs possess the skill and craftsmanship to bring out each dish's seasonal flavors.

Kappo cuisine is a section of Japanese food culture that has yet to gain wide recognition on the world stage, but Tokyo has many kappo restaurants where diners can enjoy the richness of traditional Japanese cuisine by charting their own course through an a la carte menu.

In Tokyo, you can experience dishes using premium seasonal ingredients from around Japan, prepared by skilled chefs who bring each of their complex flavors to the forefront.

（This article is a report on the promotional project conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government during the 2024 fiscal year to showcase the appeal of Tokyo's culinary culture.）

Project Collaborators

Biography of Takefumi Hamada
Takefumi Hamada is the No.1 ranked restaurant reviewer for six consecutive years as determined by the OAD (Opinionated About Dining) Top Restaurants, having dined at the best restaurants in 128 countries and regions around the world. He is an advisor to businesses in entertainment, food and hospitality, as well as an investor in food technology startups. Takefumi has a background in finance, starting his career as an investment banker before moving on to private equity. He holds a B.A. magna cum laude, with distinction in Political Science, from Yale University.
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/takefumi.hamada