Restaurant in Aichi, Japan
Eight seats, cash only, book ahead.

Mutsuki is a reservation-only, eight-seat counter sushi venue in Taketoyo, Aichi, with Tabelog Bronze awards in 2025 and 2026 and three Sushi EAST Top 100 selections. Expect to spend JPY 20,000–29,999 per head in practice, bring cash only, and book by phone. A strong choice for an intimate special occasion outside central Nagoya.
Yes — if you are planning a celebration meal in Aichi's Chita Peninsula and want a counter-seat sushi experience with genuine award credentials, Mutsuki earns the booking. The venue holds a Tabelog Bronze Award for both 2025 and 2026, carries a 4.18 Tabelog score, and has been selected for the Tabelog Sushi EAST Top 100 in 2021, 2022, and 2025. That is a consistent performance record across multiple years, not a one-season spike. For a group of friends marking a birthday or anniversary, Tabelog reviewers specifically flag it as well-suited to that occasion.
Mutsuki operates as a house restaurant in Taketoyo, a small coastal town in the Chita District south of Nagoya. The room seats eight people, all at the counter. There are no private dining rooms listed. That spatial setup shapes everything about the experience: with eight seats available and a reservation-only policy, every service is close to intimate by design. The counter format means you are in direct view of the preparation throughout the meal, which is the format that counter sushi is built around. The venue is classified as a hideout and house restaurant, which signals an intentionally low-profile setting rather than a polished restaurant row address. Five parking spaces are available on-site, which matters in a location not built around foot traffic.
The venue description emphasises being particular about fish, which in the Edomae-adjacent sushi world typically means sourcing precision and seasonal variation rather than a fixed menu. The Tabelog listed budget for dinner is JPY 10,000 to JPY 14,999 per person, though review-based spending data puts actual totals closer to JPY 20,000 to JPY 29,999. That gap between posted prices and what diners actually spend is worth noting before you arrive: the full counter experience, with sake pairings included (nihonshu and shochu, both listed as areas of particular focus), runs higher than the headline figure. Plan for the upper range. Lunch on Saturday and Sunday starts from 11:00 and runs at a lower entry price of JPY 6,000 to JPY 7,999, with actual spends similarly tracking higher per reviews. If budget is a constraint, the weekend lunch sitting is the lower-cost entry point to the same space and sourcing approach.
Mutsuki is reservation-only, by appointment. There are no walk-in options at an eight-seat counter with this level of Tabelog recognition. The booking difficulty rating is easy relative to comparably awarded sushi counters in Tokyo or Osaka, but the appointment-only format means you need to call ahead. The phone number on record is 0569-72-8185. There is no official website and no online booking system listed. Given the house restaurant setting and remote-by-Nagoya-standards location, non-Japanese speakers should plan accordingly when making contact. The restaurant is approximately three minutes' walk west from Meitetsu Kamige Station.
One logistics point that will affect the entire visit: Mutsuki does not accept credit cards, electronic money, or QR code payments. Bring sufficient yen in cash. This is not unusual for a small sushi counter in Japan, but it is a firm constraint at this price point, and missing it will create a problem. Hours are Wednesday to Friday from 18:00 onwards, Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 with an additional evening service. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
| Detail | Mutsuki |
|---|---|
| Seats | 8 (counter only) |
| Dinner price (listed) | JPY 10,000–14,999 |
| Dinner price (actual avg) | JPY 20,000–29,999 |
| Lunch price (listed) | JPY 6,000–7,999 |
| Payment | Cash only |
| Booking | By appointment, phone only |
| Parking | 5 spaces on-site |
| Closed | Monday and Tuesday |
| Tabelog Score | 4.18 (Google: 4.7 / 103 reviews) |
| Awards | Tabelog Bronze 2025, 2026; Sushi EAST Top 100 (2021, 2022, 2025) |
Book Mutsuki if you want a small, awarded sushi counter outside the Nagoya city centre, are comfortable with a cash-only policy, and are willing to call ahead for an appointment. It is particularly well-matched to a special occasion for two to four people where an intimate counter format adds to the occasion rather than limiting it. If you need a larger group setting, a private room, or card payment, this is not the right venue. For broader context on dining in the region, see our full Aichi restaurants guide. For accommodation options nearby, our full Aichi hotels guide covers the region. You can also explore our full Aichi bars guide, our full Aichi wineries guide, and our full Aichi experiences guide to build out a full itinerary.
Among awarded restaurants in Aichi, Mutsuki occupies a specific niche: a counter sushi venue outside the Nagoya core, with multi-year Tabelog recognition and a price point that sits below many comparably awarded Tokyo sushi counters. If you are comparing it to Amaki or aru, which operate in different cuisine formats, the decision comes down to format preference rather than quality tier. Mutsuki is the choice if counter sushi is specifically what you want. Fujisawa and GapricE serve different cuisine profiles, so the comparison is more about occasion type and cuisine interest than like-for-like competition.
Against major Japanese sushi destinations like Harutaka in Tokyo, Mutsuki is considerably easier to book and lower in price, with a trade-off on the depth of sourcing networks that Tokyo's leading counters can access. For diners already in the Aichi region, that trade-off is entirely reasonable. Compared to the broader Japanese fine dining circuit, which includes venues like HAJIME in Osaka, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, or Goh in Fukuoka, Mutsuki represents strong regional value with genuine award credentials and a more accessible booking window. HIRO NAGOYA is the better option if you want a city-centre Nagoya address with easier access from central accommodation.
Yes. Tabelog reviewers specifically flag it for group celebrations among friends, and the eight-seat counter format suits an intimate celebration well. At JPY 20,000–29,999 per person in practice (including drinks), it is a meaningful spend, which aligns with a special occasion rather than a casual dinner. The award credentials (Tabelog Bronze 2025 and 2026, Sushi EAST Top 100 three times) add confidence that the quality is consistent.
The counter seats eight in total, so the maximum party size is eight — and that means booking the full counter for private use. Private room use is noted as unavailable, but full private use of the restaurant is listed as available. For groups larger than eight, this is not a practical venue. Call 0569-72-8185 to discuss full-counter bookings directly.
There is no published information on dietary accommodations. Given the reservation-by-appointment format and no official website, the only way to confirm dietary needs is to raise them when booking by phone. At a small sushi counter, the menu is typically structured and not easily modified, so if you have significant restrictions, confirm before committing.
Mutsuki does not publish a menu, and the format appears to be a set course rather than à la carte ordering. The venue notes particular focus on fish sourcing, and the drinks programme highlights nihonshu and shochu, both singled out as areas of focus. If you are considering the sake pairing, factor the cost into your budget , actual spend per reviewer averages JPY 20,000–29,999, which likely reflects the full experience with drinks. For broader context on what sushi counter menus typically include, see counters like Harutaka in Tokyo or 1000 in Yokohama.
For Aichi dining in different formats, Amaki, aru, Fujisawa, GapricE, and HIRO NAGOYA each offer different cuisine types, settings, and price points. If you want counter sushi but closer to central Nagoya, HIRO NAGOYA is a more convenient base. For a full view of the category, see our full Aichi restaurants guide. Beyond the region, akordu in Nara and Atomix in New York City illustrate how the counter fine dining format works across different geographies and price tiers.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutsuki | {"Year":"2026","Award Source":"Tabelog","Award Type":"The Tabelog Award","Award Group":"bronze","Award Group Rank":"300","Restaurant Name":"Sushi Dokoro Mutsuki","Score":"4.18","Budget":"Dinner: JPY 10,000 - JPY 14,999; Lunch: JPY 6,000 - JPY 7,999","Budget Dinner":"JPY 10,000 - JPY 14,999","Budget Lunch":"JPY 6,000 - JPY 7,999","Price":"JPY 10,000 - JPY 14,999 JPY 6,000 - JPY 7,999","Average Price":"JPY 10,000 - JPY 14,999 JPY 6,000 - JPY 7,999","Average Price (Based on reviews)":"JPY 20,000 - JPY 29,999 JPY 20,000 - JPY 29,999 View spending breakdown","Featured Item":"N/A","Full Address (with ZIP)":"愛知県知多郡武豊町池田2-137-4, 4702329, Japan","Address":"愛知県知多郡武豊町池田2-137-4","Postal Code":"4702329","City":"Ikeda Taketoyo Chita-gun Aichi","State":"Aichi","Country":"Japan","Phone":"+81569728185","Phone Raw":"+81-569-72-8185","Website":"No official website found","Description":"Check out Sushi Dokoro Mutsuki/むつき (Age/Sushi、Japanese Cuisine) on Tabelog! [No Smoking] Discover Japanese restaurants featuring detailed information such as menus and maps, along with user-posted reviews, ratings, and photos!","Categories":"Sushi, Japanese Cuisine","Awards & Recognitions":"The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze winner Selected for Tabelog Sushi EAST \"Tabelog 100\" 2025 Selected for Tabelog Sushi EAST \"Tabelog 100\" 2025 Selected for Tabelog Sushi EAST \"Tabelog 100\" 2022 Selected for Tabelog Sushi EAST \"Tabelog 100\" 2022 Selected for Tabelog Sushi EAST \"Tabelog 100\" 2021 Selected for Tabelog Sushi EAST \"Tabelog 100\" 2021 受賞・選出歴 閉じる The Tabelog Award 受賞歴 2026年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze 受賞店 2025年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze 受賞店 百名店 選出歴 寿司 百名店 2025 選出店 食べログ 寿司 EAST 百名店 2025 選出店 寿司 百名店 2022 選出店 食べログ 寿司 EAST 百名店 2022 選出店 寿司 百名店 2021 選出店 食べログ 寿司 EAST 百名店 2021 選出店","Reservation availability":"Reservation only Reservation by appointment only.","Business hours":"■Business hours [Wed - Fri] From 18:00 onwards [Sat & Sun] 11:00 onwards From 18:00 onwards ■Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays Hours and closed days may change, so please check with the restaurant before visiting.","Payment methods":"Credit cards not accepted Electronic money not accepted QR code payments not accepted","Private rooms":"Unavailable","Non-smoking/smoking":"Non smoking The counter is completely non-smoking, but private rooms are available upon request.","Number of seats":"8 seats ( 8 seats only at the counter)","Private use":"Available","Parking":"Available 5 units","Space/facilities":"Relaxing space, Counter seating","Drink":"Sake (Nihonshu), Shochu (Japanese spirits), Particular about Sake (Nihonshu), Particular about Shochu (Japanese spirits)","Food":"Particular about fish","Service":"N/A","Family friendly":"N/A","Service charge & fee":"N/A","Dress code":"N/A","Maximum party size":"N/A","Location":"Hideout, A house restaurant","Occasion":"Friends This occasion is recommended by many people.","Remarks":"Renewed on August 25, 2021","The opening day":"N/A","Receipt (Qualified simple invoice)":"N/A","Latitude":"34.85934173752465","Longitude":"136.91529427691938","Primary Image URL":"","Image URL Count":"20","Image URLs":"","Restaurant ID":"23013911","Source URL":"","Raw Details JSON":"{\"Restaurant name\":\"Sushi Dokoro Mutsuki\",\"Awards & Recognitions\":\"The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze winner The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze winner Selected for Tabelog Sushi EAST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2025 Selected for Tabelog Sushi EAST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2025 Selected for Tabelog Sushi EAST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2022 Selected for Tabelog Sushi EAST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2022 Selected for Tabelog Sushi EAST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2021 Selected for Tabelog Sushi EAST \\\"Tabelog 100\\\" 2021 受賞・選出歴 閉じる The Tabelog Award 受賞歴 2026年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze 受賞店 2025年Bronze受賞店 The Tabelog Award 2025 Bronze 受賞店 百名店 選出歴 寿司 百名店 2025 選出店 食べログ 寿司 EAST 百名店 2025 選出店 寿司 百名店 2022 選出店 食べログ 寿司 EAST 百名店 2022 選出店 寿司 百名店 2021 選出店 食べログ 寿司 EAST 百名店 2021 選出店\",\"Categories\":\"Sushi, Japanese Cuisine\",\"Phone number (for reservation and inquiry)\":\"0569-72-8185\",\"Reservation availability\":\"Reservation only Reservation by appointment only.\",\"Address\":\"愛知県知多郡武豊町池田2-137-4 Show larger map Find nearby restaurants Transportation About 3 minutes walk west from Meitetsu Kamige Station 151 meters from Age.\",\"Business hours\":\"■Business hours [Wed - Fri] From 18:00 onwards [Sat & Sun] 11:00 onwards From 18:00 onwards ■Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays Hours and closed days may change, so please check with the restaurant before visiting.\",\"Average price\":\"JPY 10,000 - JPY 14,999 JPY 6,000 - JPY 7,999\",\"Average price (Based on reviews)\":\"JPY 20,000 - JPY 29,999 JPY 20,000 - JPY 29,999 View spending breakdown\",\"Payment methods\":\"Credit cards not accepted Electronic money not accepted QR code payments not accepted\",\"Number of seats\":\"8 seats ( 8 seats only at the counter)\",\"Private rooms\":\"Unavailable\",\"Private use\":\"Available\",\"Non-smoking/smoking\":\"Non smoking The counter is completely non-smoking, but private rooms are available upon request.\",\"Parking\":\"Available 5 units\",\"Space/facilities\":\"Relaxing space, Counter seating\",\"Drink\":\"Sake (Nihonshu), Shochu (Japanese spirits), Particular about Sake (Nihonshu), Particular about Shochu (Japanese spirits)\",\"Food\":\"Particular about fish\",\"Occasion\":\"Friends This occasion is recommended by many people.\",\"Location\":\"Hideout, A house restaurant\",\"Remarks\":\"Renewed on August 25, 2021\"}","Matched Location ID":"fd47f96e-9a83-4b02-8b9d-b38c58f8c0bb","Match Status":"matched","Match Method":"award_page_url_exact","Match Confidence":"high","Matched On URL":"","Matched DB Name":"Mutsuki","Matched DB Address":"Aichi 知多 District 武豊 Town Ikeda21374","Needs Review":"no","Review Reason":"","Fallback Score":"","Fallback Name Sim":"","Fallback Addr Sim":"","Fallback Loc Sim":"","Fallback City Sim":"","Fallback Country Sim":"","Fallback Phone Match":"","Fallback Domain Match":"","Fallback Explanation":""}; Tabelog Bronze Award 2025 Score: 4.15 Cuisine: Sushi / Aichi Phone: 0569-72-8185 Hours: ■Business hours[Wed - Fri]From 18:00 onwards[Sat & Sun]11:00 onwardsFrom 18:00 onwards■Closed onMondays and Tuesdays Address: Aichi 知多 District 武豊 Town Ikeda21374 Tabelog: | — | |
| Amaki | — | ||
| aru | — | ||
| Fujisawa | — | ||
| GapricE | — | ||
| HIRO NAGOYA | — |
How Mutsuki stacks up against the competition.
Yes, with caveats. Mutsuki holds Tabelog Bronze awards for 2025 and 2026 and a Tabelog score of 4.18, which puts it among the most consistently recognised sushi counters outside Nagoya. The eight-seat counter format suits an intimate celebration for two or a small group, but cash-only payment and the need to book by appointment mean you need to plan ahead. It is a better fit for a considered, low-key dinner than a large group celebration.
The counter seats eight people in total, so the practical ceiling for a group is eight. Private room use is listed as available upon request, which could suit a small group wanting exclusivity, but the counter is the primary format. Parties of more than four should confirm seating arrangements when making their reservation by phone (+81-569-72-8185), as availability at this scale fills quickly.
There is no documented dietary restriction policy in the available venue data. Given that the venue describes itself as particular about fish and operates in the counter-sushi format, the menu is built around seafood. Anyone with fish allergies or strict dietary requirements should clarify directly when booking by phone, before confirming a reservation.
Mutsuki does not publish a menu online and has no official website, so specific dish recommendations are not available. The venue is listed under sushi and Japanese cuisine categories, with an emphasis on fish sourcing. At a counter-only, reservation-by-appointment restaurant with a Tabelog score of 4.18, the format is almost certainly chef-led, so the practical answer is: let the counter guide you rather than arriving with a specific order in mind.
For awarded sushi within the Aichi region, Amaki and Fujisawa are the most direct comparisons at the counter-sushi level. If you want something closer to central Nagoya rather than the Chita Peninsula, HIRO NAGOYA and GapricE offer different cuisine formats but comparable award recognition. aru is worth considering if you want a smaller independent venue. Mutsuki's specific draw is its location outside the city core combined with multi-year Tabelog 100 recognition, which none of the city-centre alternatives replicate in the same setting.
■Business hours[Wed - Fri]From 18:00 onwards[Sat & Sun]11:00 onwardsFrom 18:00 onwards■Closed onMondays and Tuesdays
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