Vol. 48: FROM THE EDITOR

Having commenced in 2021, Destination Restaurants reaches its fifth year in 2025, bringing the total number of restaurants on the list to 50. For the first time, a restaurant from the Shikoku region made the cut, meaning that at least one restaurant from each of Japan’s 10 regions is now represented.

This initiative began with the idea of creating a list that was not based on foreign restaurant guides or rankings, but rather on Japanese notions of quality that reflect the local climate and sensibility. The one key criterion established was to exclude metropolitan Tokyo and other major cities. This was based on three principles: that the uniqueness of Japan’s cuisine is to be found in its regional areas; that it is important to unearth unique talents that might otherwise get lost in regional areas; and that Destination Restaurants must be different from the many other popular restaurant rankings that exist.　

As you plot the 50 restaurants on a map of Japan, a new gastronomic topography emerges. With the Destination Restaurants list in hand, we hope that international and Japanese visitors alike will experience the depth of Japanese cuisine and the richness of its local cultures.