Destination Restaurants give tastes of lived wisdom

An Italian-style inn in the Hokkaido village of Noboricho, which boasts many vineyards even for the Yoichi region. It relocated from Sapporo in 2017 and became more focused on showcasing local flavors. It specializes in pairing local wines with the best products from the mountains and the sea as well as produce from nearby farms. The Japanese-style breakfast with fresh local fish is also popular.

Founded more than 90 years ago in Yamagata as an inn for pilgrims coming to worship at the Three Mountains of Dewa, this inn is a rarity even in Japan for its focus on sansai, or wild mountain plants. Based on the previous owner’s belief that “local foods cooked by locals are the most delicious,” it uses local ingredients, particularly those harvested in the wild around the town of Nishikawa and Mount Gassan.

A contemporary Italian restaurant in the Kokuryocho area of the city of Chofu outside Tokyo. Chef Masakazu Taira, who trained at several fine-dining restaurants in Italy, has a fresh style that breaks new ground in gastronomy while incorporating casual elements and Japanese flavors in dishes like wood-fired pizza.

A Japanese-style restaurant in a former residence at the foot of the mountains in the Kanagawa city of Kamakura. Based on Kyoto-style techniques that owner Yasunori Kitajima picked up at Kyoto’s famous Wakuden, it uses mainly local ingredients such as Sagami Bay seafood and organic vegetables to create genuinely unique flavors.

Located in the snowy Niigata city of Minamiuonuma, this inn offers Japanese cuisine in an old converted residence. Not only has its food earned plaudits, but the hands-on experiences it offers guests for growing organic Uonuma Koshihikari rice and its style of reinventing local cuisine through collaborations with chefs are also attracting attention.

A French restaurant run by Toshiya Ikehata, who was born and raised in Ishikawa’s Noto Peninsula and trained in Osaka and France. Many guests come to enjoy the seafood, including crabs in winter and rock oysters in summer, served in local Wajima lacquerware and Suzu ware ceramics. The restaurant itself is housed in a former lacquerware workshop in Wajima.

Located in the Shizuoka port town of Yaizu, famous for its bonito and tuna. The restaurant is now run by Daigo Sugiyama, who took over from his father. The full-course menu using fresh fish from the renowned Sasue Maeda Fish Shop invokes the spirit of traditional tea ceremony kaiseki meals without the formality.

Located in a residential area of the Wakayama city of Iwade, villa aida’s full-course menu is an Italian-based original crafted with local fish, game and fruits as well as vegetables and herbs grown by owner-chef Kanji Kobayashi. One of the restaurant’s great achievements is that it makes a virtue of using the kind of produce that might never find its way to market.

Located in Miyajimaguchi, the departure point for ferries to the world-renowned Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima Prefecture, this innovative French restaurant is housed within an 80-year-old former residence. With a focus on serving freshly prepared meals, it has just eight seats at its counter. Locally born and raised chef Kenji Akai’s menu is inspired by the fresh ingredients available on the day, so there are no standard items.

An Italian restaurant in a single-family house surrounded by farms in the Kunimi area of the city of Unzen on Nagasaki Prefecture’s Shimabara Peninsula. Chef Takafumi Yoshida, who was born and raised locally, trained in Italy. Able to identify the true potential of locally produced ingredients, he expertly pairs locally sourced meals with wine and local sake.