New stars in Nara

(25 May 2025) - The Michelin Guide has published new restaurant ratings for Japan's Nara region. It is the fourth edition for the prefecture, which offers a rich culinary heritage and the region's geography is equally remarkable, with rivers and mountains contributing to its thriving natural resources. The southern part of the prefecture in particular stands out, where local ingredients and the people themselves give the food culture a unique character. Nara's iconic ingredients such as Yamato vegetables, Yamato meat, Japanese duck, persimmons from the town of Gojo and Miwa somen noodles from the town of Sakurai add distinctive flavours to regional dishes. These delicacies are transformed into unforgettable culinary experiences thanks to the commitment of many talented restaurant teams throughout the region.

Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide, comments: "Nara Prefecture has developed a unique culture, with its numerous world heritage sites, local ingredients and renowned hospitality. This year's selection, full of local charm, offers foodies and travellers an exceptional choice and invites them to discover this sophisticated destination. For example, the newly awarded one green star and one red star restaurant SÉN beautifully conveys the abundance of mountains and rivers in its retreat location and shares the country's history and culture through its cuisine. Another new One Star restaurant, à plus, located on the site of a sake brewery, serves modern French cuisine with ingredients from Nara paired with sake."

The four two-star restaurants

Since the MICHELIN Guide 2022 first appeared in the magnificent prefecture of Nara, the region can proudly boast four two-star restaurants that have retained their awards in 2025. Oryori Hanagaki continues to impress with his intimate dining experience, taking guests on a unique menu journey that showcases the produce and history of Japan. Masato Nishihara tells a beautiful culinary story at Tsukumo , where originality flows like tales from the ancient capital. NARA NIKON presents the best aspects of traditional Japanese cuisine and offers a relaxing experience characterised by the seasons. Finally, the akordu captures Nara's rich history through a creative and imaginative lens. Chef Kawashima's cuisine is deeply rooted in the landscape and character of Nara and integrates modern Spanish influences.

New one-star restaurants

Three restaurants, freshly discovered by the MICHELIN Guide inspectors, make a sensational debut in this year's selection and immediately receive a star for their high-quality cuisine:

• à plus: a French counter-service restaurant in the town of Gose. It is located on the grounds of the Yucho Sake Brewery and is run by chef Tatsuya Kobayashi. He creates modern dishes with ingredients from Nara that emphasise the unique charm of the region. A speciality of the restaurant is the sake selection, which comes especially from the brewery.
• VILLA COMMUNICO: An innovative auberge at the foot of Mount Wakakusa, founded by chef Daiki Horita. The focus is on locally sourced ingredients from Nara, prepared using charcoal techniques inspired by traditional Wakakusa yamayaki (mountain burning).
• SÉN: A modern but deeply rooted restaurant in the mountains of Tenkawa Village. Chef Toshiharu Sunayama uses locally sourced ingredients and expresses the history and cultural heritage of the area through his watershed cuisine.

With these three new additions and together with the restaurants that have retained their 2025 award, the Michelin Guide Nara now recommends a total of 18 restaurants with one star.

The green star recognises initiatives by restaurants that are committed to a sustainable approach. SÉN was also awarded a green star for its environmentally friendly approach.