FROM THE EDITOR

This year The Japan Times is marking its 125th anniversary. The first issue was published in 1897 (Meiji 30).

At the time, Japan had just taken its first steps as a modern nation, but the problem of the “unequal treaties” with Western powers was not yet resolved.

And so The Japan Times was born as a means for the Japanese people to disseminate information about themselves and their thoughts to the world.

Since that time, the newspaper has continued to practice journalism with a focus on providing information from Japan.

The spirit that prompted the creation of The Japan Times still exists today, and it informed the decision to publish an annual restaurant guide that would be completely unique to Japan. Instead of ranking restaurants based on transplanted international criteria, Destination Restaurants’ selections capture the unique climate and spirit of the regional areas of Japan.

We are now delighted to publish the second annual Destination Restaurants list.

We hope it will inspire readers to venture out into the regions, guide in hand, and experience for themselves the depth and richness of Japan’s food and local culture.