(30 September 2025) - The Michelin Guide has published its 2026 restaurant selection for Tokyo. The capital of Japan is known as the city with the most Michelin-starred restaurants in the world and has continuously expanded its selection since the guide was launched in 2007. This year, no fewer than 18 restaurants were newly awarded stars - including Myojaku, which was honoured with the prestigious three stars.

Japan's capital, a city where modernity and tradition coexist, stretches from Tokyo Bay to the mountains in the west, offering both exceptional seafood and land-based produce. While local markets and historic neighbourhoods preserve culinary traditions, international influences continue to enrich and shape the vibrant food culture.

Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide, said: "Tokyo is a city where centuries-old culinary traditions meet bold innovation. From sushi prepared with the precision of Edo cuisine, to kaiseki dishes that celebrate seasonal Japanese ingredients, to restaurants that reinterpret international cuisine with local flavours, this year's selection once again reflects the city's extraordinary diversity. With the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, Tokyo continues to delight diners with its mastery, creativity and inspiring approach."

Three stars

After gaining experience in several restaurants in Kyoto and Tokushima, chef Hidetoshi Nakamura was head chef at a one-starred restaurant in Tokyo for eleven years. In 2022, he opened Myojaku, which was awarded two stars in the Tokyo Guide 2023 and now holds the guide's highest honour. The chef's cuisine is both harmonious and pure, capturing the essence of each ingredient with pure spring water from the depths of the sea.

In addition to the restaurants that retain their award, Tokyo has twelve restaurants with three stars.

Two stars

Three restaurants that were awarded one star last year illustrate the continuous development of Tokyo's culinary scene and will be awarded two stars this year. Nishiazabu Sushi Shin has been awarded one star since the first edition of the Tokyo Guide. The restaurant is known for its traditional sushi preparation, high-quality seafood and the perfect harmony of first-class fish and soured rice.

Hakuun - whose namr is a Zen term denoting a spirit of free flowing without worldly ties - approaches Japanese cuisine with flexibility and creativity, demonstrating originality in ingredient combinations and preparations.

Ensui emphasises the use of dashi and charcoal grilling, with a team that shows curiosity and individuality from the selection of ingredients to the cooking process.

With these new additions and the restaurants retaining their award, Tokyo now has 26 restaurants with two stars.

One star

Of the 122 restaurants awarded a MICHELIN star in the 2026 selection, 14 will receive their first star this year. These restaurants reflect a rich diversity of culinary influences.
EWIG , for example, puts Austrian cuisine centre stage in Tokyo, serving dishes inspired by classics such as apple strudel and Sachertorte, often reinterpreted with seasonal Japanese ingredients. Sassa offers a kaiseki experience with the precision of a sushi chef, masterfully presenting each course to guests at the counter. KHAO is an ode to Thai gastronomy, offering a menu that interprets Thai cuisine through the lens of Japanese ingredients. La Gloire embodies the essence of French gastronomy, honouring French traditions while adding modern touches to classic preparations. KIBUN, run by a French-born chef trained in Kyoto, combines French and Japanese culinary cultures with a special focus on sauces that beautifully enhance each dish.

Green star

TROIS VISAGES sees its conscious commitment to more environmentally friendly catering rewarded with the Green Star.
The Green Star recognises the inspiring visions of pioneering restaurants that are committed to developing conscious initiatives to rethink and reduce their environmental impact while demanding a strong gastronomic change. This year, TROIS VISAGES is the 13th Green Star restaurant in Tokyo, once again positioning the city as a global leader in Green Star status.

TROIS VISAGES sources all its ingredients from Japan and goes one step further: the company grows vegetables and herbs in its own garden, using sustainable farming methods to embody its vision of conscious and environmentally conscious gastronomy.

Bib Gourmand

The Bib Gourmand award, introduced in 1997, recognises restaurants in the MICHELIN Guide that offer high-quality food at moderate prices. These establishments cover a wide range of cuisines and invite their guests to enjoy well-prepared dishes without exceeding their budget.

This year's Bib Gourmand selection comprises a total of 114 restaurants, including 16 new entries. Among them, Night Market is the first restaurant in Japan with Southeast Asian cuisine to receive this honour. Inspired by travelling experiences, the chef creates the atmosphere of bustling night market stalls and reinterprets traditional recipes from across the region with Japanese ingredients.

Other new additions include Sobakappo Nagano and Teuchisoba Jiyusan, both of which serve handmade soba noodles made entirely from buckwheat and known for their delicate texture and intense flavour.

These 16 new Bib Gourmand restaurants offer numerous local specialities such as tonkatsu, freshwater eel, ramen, yoshoku and yakitori - all at affordable prices.

The "Stars" and "Bib Gourmand" awards are complemented by 252 selected restaurants - including 38 new additions this year - that are recommended by the inspectors for their high-quality cuisine.
While Japanese and French cuisine continue to dominate this category, a wide variety of culinary traditions are also represented, highlighting the gastronomic heritage of China, Korea and Italy, for example.

One notable trend is the rise of elaborate desserts. Kukuku offers a menu of wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) and Japanese teas, while VERT creates sophisticated sweets from regional fruits, paired with sencha, hojicha and Japanese black tea, with fruit yokan being the speciality.

Other restaurants focus on traditional Japanese techniques such as sushi, tempura, yakitori, eel and kappo. Noda is known for its contemporary Japanese cuisine and presents seasonal dishes with a modern approach, while Ginza Sushi Ichidai Yugo offers precise sushi in the traditional Edo style. At Unagi Tokito, gourmets can enjoy grilled freshwater eel in a simple and informal setting.

Overall, the Selected Restaurant category reflects a blend of traditional Japanese styles with international and experimental influences, showcasing Tokyo as a cosmopolitan city with an unrivalled variety of dining options.

Special awards

The MICHELIN Guide's selection for Tokyo not only highlights the city's unrivalled culinary diversity, but also recognises individual talent with special awards that celebrate commitment, passion and excellence.

The MICHELIN Mentor Chef Award goes to Kanejiro Kanemoto from Nodaiwa Azabu Iikura Honten. As a fifth-generation owner, 97-year-old chef Kanemoto is considered the oldest chef in the world still working in a Michelin-starred restaurant. Today, he is dedicated to training his son and grandson - the sixth and seventh generations of the family tradition - and is an enduring role model of dedication and passion.

The MICHELIN Service Award 2026 goes to Yasuyo Kumagae from the Chinese restaurant Piao-Xiang . Kumagae supports chef Igeta and ensures that every detail of the culinary experience - from the atmosphere to the comfort of the guests - is taken into account. She has deepened her knowledge of Sichuan cuisine and culture, fluently explaining the dishes while conveying the chef's passion and culinary intentions - qualities that make her a deserving recipient of the Service Award.

Finally, the MICHELIN Sommelier Award goes to Tsuyoshi Nakamura of MANOIR, a French restaurant recently awarded a MICHELIN star. Inspired by formative culinary experiences in his childhood, Nakamura initially pursued a career as a chef before turning to the art of wine. Over the course of his career, he worked as a sommelier and manager in many restaurants before opening MANOIR, where he now specialises in French wines and upholds the tradition of pairing them with French cuisine. By selecting wines according to guests' preferences and enhancing the experience with his skilful storytelling, Nakamura demonstrates the excellence that earned him this year's Sommelier Award.