Nonna Nietta: Handmade local Italian ethos in Ibaraki

By TAEKO TERAO　TRANSLATOR: TONY GONZALEZ

Destination Restaurants often highlights places that, despite being close to Tokyo, are easy to overlook. Nonna Nietta, an Italian restaurant...

Restaurant Kam: Culinary hot spot in outlying city

By TAEKO TERAO, TRANSLATOR: LAURA HOLLAND

Japan’s ongoing economic slump has led consumers to move away from fine dining — revenue at most of The Japan...

Ehime’s Kurumasushi: Fish of a different dimension

By TAEKO TERAO, TRANSLATOR: CARRIE EDWARDS

Kurumasushi, in the Ehime Pre fecture city of Matsuyama, was selected as a Destination Restaurant for 2025, the fifth year...

Auberge Eaufeu

Taeko Terao Contributing writer

‘New cuisine’ in former school Auberge Eaufeu is located on a site endowed with underground water from Mount Hakusan. The...

Himawari Shokudo 2

TAEKO TERAO Contributing writer

Italian in trending Toyama Among this year’s 10 Destination Restaurants, Himawari Shokudo 2 was honored as Destination Restaurant of the...

Farm Restaurant Cuore: Best fresh lamb, mutton

By TAEKO TERAO, TRANSLATOR: CARRIE EDWARDS

The Hokkaido town of Shiranuka is a 20-minute drive from Kushiro Airport. The culture of the Ainu, the Indigenous people...

Beppu Hirokado restaurant stars fish just out of the water

By TAEKO TERAO, TRANSLATOR: CARRIE EDWARDS

The city of Beppu, in Oita Prefecture, is one of Japan’s foremost hot spring locations. Boasting both Japan’s largest number...

Auberge Eaufeu: ‘New cuisine’ in former school

By TAEKO TERAO, TRANSLATOR: CARRIE EDWARDS

Half an hour from Ishikawa Prefecture’s Komatsu Airport, Auberge Eaufeu is located on a site endowed with underground water from...

Talking about the future of regional restaurants

By TAEKO TERAO, TRANSLATOR: CARRIE EDWARDS

The Destination Restaurants 2025 awards ceremony, hosted by The Japan Times, was held at the end of May in Tokyo’s...

Destination Restaurants now has 50 on the map

By TAEKO TERAO, TRANSLATOR：EDAN CORKILL

Presented by The Japan Times since 2021, Destination Restaurants seeks out Japan’s best restaurants beyond big cities, selected by Japanese...

Mauvaise herbe

TAEKO TERAO
Contributing writer

French restaurant explores Okinawan ingredients The enigmatic French restaurant Mauvaise herbe keeps its phone number and address unlisted, disclosing its...

Two chefs work toward Noto’s recovery through cuisine

By TAEKO TERAO, TRANSLATOR：CARRIE EDWARDS

An event for the recovery of the Noto Peninsula that included taiko drumming and dance performances was held at Noto...