Restaurant in Ibaraki, Japan
Ibaraki terroir, reservation-only, worth the detour.
Yoshicho is a reservation-only Japanese kaiseki restaurant in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, with a Tabelog Bronze Award (2025 and 2026) and back-to-back selection in the Tabelog Japanese Cuisine EAST Top 100. Built around Ibaraki's seasonal ingredients — monkfish, suppon, and regional fish — it runs JPY 16,500–22,000 per person (plus 10% service) with private rooms for groups up to 50. Book ahead and communicate dietary needs at reservation time.
Yoshicho holds a Tabelog score of 4.03 and has won the Tabelog Bronze Award in both 2025 and 2026, placing it among the top-rated Japanese cuisine restaurants in eastern Japan. It has also been selected for the Tabelog Japanese Cuisine EAST "Tabelog 100" in both 2023 and 2025 — a peer-reviewed list that carries real weight in Japan's dining community. For a kaiseki-style restaurant in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, that level of consistent recognition is the clearest signal you need: this is a deliberate dining destination, not a convenient local option. If you are traveling specifically to eat well in Ibaraki, Yoshicho earns the detour.
Yoshicho specialises in Japanese cuisine with a strong emphasis on Ibaraki's regional ingredients — particularly fish, suppon (soft-shell turtle), and anko (monkfish), both of which Ibaraki produces in quantity. The kitchen operates on a single-chef model, which is both a quality signal and a logistical constraint you need to factor into your planning. The restaurant seats 42 across a tatami room and standard seating, with private rooms available for groups ranging from 2 to over 30 people. The house describes its approach as "Ibaraki Terroir" , a seasonal, ingredient-led format where the menu shifts with what the prefecture produces leading at any given time of year.
The drink program is treated seriously here. The restaurant flags a deliberate focus on sake (nihonshu), shochu, and wine , a combination that reflects the format well. A single-chef kaiseki with rotating seasonal fish courses is exactly the kind of meal where a well-chosen sake pairing does more work than wine alone. If you care about the drink side of the meal, this is a kitchen that has considered it.
The recommended Terroir Course is priced at 16,500 yen or 22,000 yen, with a 10% service charge applied on leading. Actual spend based on reviewer data lands closer to JPY 20,000–29,999 per person once drinks are included. At those numbers, Yoshicho sits in a serious mid-tier for Japanese kaiseki , cheaper than top-end Tokyo omakase, but priced at a level where the experience needs to deliver on both food and setting. It does, based on its award track record. For context, YOSHIKI FUJI in the same region runs JPY 20,000–29,999 and takes a more innovative approach if you want a modern tasting menu instead of a terroir-focused kaiseki format.
Yoshicho is reservation-only, and the single-chef kitchen means it cannot accommodate day-of changes or last-minute dietary requests. The cancellation policy charges 100% from the day before your reservation , communicate any dietary restrictions and group-size changes well in advance. For groups of 8 to 50, contact the restaurant directly rather than booking online. Weekend lunch (Saturday and Sunday, 12:00–14:30) is the only midday option; weekday service runs evenings only (18:00–22:00). Thursday is closed.
Reservations: Required; reservation-only, book ahead and communicate preferences at time of booking. Budget: JPY 16,500–22,000 per person (course price) plus 10% service charge; expect JPY 20,000–29,999 all-in with drinks. Payment: Credit cards accepted (VISA, Master, JCB, AMEX, Diners); electronic money and QR code payments not accepted. Getting there: Approximately 12 minutes on foot from the west exit of Tsuchiura Station, or 5 minutes by taxi; 15 parking spaces available nearby. Private rooms: Available for 2 to 30+ people; full private use available for 20–50 guests. Smoking: Non-smoking throughout.
Yoshicho works leading as a special-occasion dinner for two to six people who want a genuinely regional Japanese meal rather than a generic kaiseki format. The tatami room, private dining options, and a kitchen that customises menus to guest preferences make it a strong choice for celebrations, business meals, or any occasion where the setting matters as much as the food. Families with children are welcome , kids menus are available and strollers are accepted , which is less common at restaurants operating at this price point in Japan. If you are planning a meal around Ibaraki's best-known ingredients (monkfish in winter, for example), the seasonal menu format here will serve that goal better than most alternatives in the prefecture.
For broader context on what dining at this level looks like elsewhere in Japan, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto and Harutaka in Tokyo represent how the format scales at higher price points. HAJIME in Osaka and Goh in Fukuoka are relevant comparisons if you are touring Japan's award-level restaurants more broadly. Yoshicho's value relative to those options is clear: it delivers Tabelog 100-level quality at prices that are meaningfully lower than what comparable recognition commands in major cities.
See our full Ibaraki restaurants guide, Ibaraki hotels guide, Ibaraki bars guide, Ibaraki wineries guide, and Ibaraki experiences guide to plan around your visit.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yoshicho | Easy | ||
| La Stalla | Unknown | ||
| Nonna Nietta | Italian, Pasta | JPY 10,000 - JPY 14,999 JPY 10,000 - JPY 14,999 | Unknown |
| YOSHIKI FUJI | Innovative | JPY 20,000 - JPY 29,999 JPY 20,000 - JPY 29,999 | Unknown |
Comparing your options in Ibaraki for this tier.
No dress code is listed for Yoshicho. Given the tatami room setting, private dining format, and course prices starting at ¥16,500 plus a 10% service charge, neat, comfortable clothing is a practical baseline — something you would wear to a considered dinner out, not a formal gala. Avoid anything that makes sitting on tatami uncomfortable.
YOSHIKI FUJI is the closest direct comparison in the Ibaraki Japanese cuisine category if you want a similar level of regional focus. La Stalla and Nonna Nietta are Italian options in the area and are not meaningful substitutes for a suppon and monkfish-led Japanese course. If the Ibaraki terroir angle is the draw, Yoshicho has the clearest credentials — Tabelog Bronze 2025 and 2026 plus two Tabelog Japanese Cuisine EAST Top 100 selections.
Yes. Private rooms at Yoshicho cover parties from 2 up to 30 people, and the venue can be booked for private use for groups of 20 to 50 or over 50. For parties of 8 or more, the restaurant asks that you contact them directly rather than booking through the standard reservation channel. Given the single-chef kitchen, group menus need to be arranged in advance — day-of changes are not possible.
Book well in advance, state any dietary restrictions at the time of reservation, and do not expect flexibility on the day — the kitchen runs with one chef. The cancellation policy charges 100% from the day before, so treat this like a ticketed event. The Terroir Course at ¥16,500 or ¥22,000 (plus 10% service charge) is the recommended entry point, and actual reviewer spend tends to land between ¥20,000 and ¥29,999 per person.
Dinner is the primary format — available four days a week versus lunch only on weekends. If you are visiting specifically for the full Ibaraki terroir course experience, a weekday dinner reservation gives you more scheduling flexibility. Weekend lunch is worth considering if you are combining the visit with a day trip from Tokyo, since Tsuchiura is accessible by train, but supply is tighter given the two-day-only window.
Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri 18:00 - 22:00
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