Restaurant in Mie, Japan
Lottery bookings, serious seafood, plan months ahead.
Hinode is a reservation-only kaiseki seafood restaurant in Kuwana, Mie, known for its clam hot pot and private tatami rooms. It has held a Tabelog Award every year since 2017 and scores 4.26 on Tabelog. Dinner runs JPY 20,000–29,999 all-in per head once service charge and tax are added. Book well ahead — spring and summer reservations operate via a November lottery.
Getting a table at Hinode requires planning well in advance — and for the spring and summer season (April 1 to August 15), the restaurant runs a lottery system. Reservation requests for that window open only in November, and if demand exceeds capacity, a draw decides who gets in. That is a meaningful hurdle. Whether it is worth it: yes, if kaiseki-style seafood dining in a private-room setting is what you are after. Hinode has held a Tabelog Award every year from 2017 through 2026, reached Silver in 2018, 2019, and 2020, and has been selected for the Tabelog Japanese Cuisine WEST Top 100 in 2021, 2023, and 2025. Its Tabelog score of 4.26 and a Google rating of 4.6 across 266 reviews confirm this is not a venue coasting on local reputation.
Hinode sits in Kuwana, a city in Mie Prefecture historically known for its hamaguri clams — and the restaurant leans directly into that identity. The kitchen is described as particular about fish, and the clam hot pot is the signature that puts Hinode on the map for visitors making the trip from Nagoya or further afield. The setting is a house restaurant format across seven private rooms, with tatami, sunken seating, and table-style options depending on your party. For a special occasion or a business dinner where you want a room to yourselves, the configuration works well: private rooms are available for parties of four and above, and even pairs can be accommodated, though they may share a table.
Dinner is the primary format. Service runs from 5 pm to around 9:30 pm (last order 8:30 pm), and lunch is available on a conditional basis , check directly with the restaurant before planning a midday visit, as lunch hours are not guaranteed every day. When lunch does run, it operates from 11:30 am to 2 pm (last order 1 pm). The lunch price band of JPY 8,000 to JPY 9,999 is lower than dinner's JPY 10,000 to JPY 14,999 listed range, though actual spending based on reviewer data runs higher: JPY 15,000 to JPY 19,999 for lunch and JPY 20,000 to JPY 29,999 for dinner once the 20% service charge and 10% consumption tax are added. Factor both into your budget before you go.
The drink list covers sake, shochu, wine, and cocktails , a solid range for pairing across a multi-course meal. Payment by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex, Diners) is accepted, and QR code payments work too. Parking is on-site with 11 spaces across two areas, which matters if you are driving from outside Kuwana. The nearest train access is Kintetsu or JR Kuwana Station, about five minutes by foot or taxi.
Hinode is listed in the full Mie restaurants guide alongside other award-recognised venues across the prefecture. For visitors building a broader Mie itinerary, the Mie hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide cover the surrounding area. For those looking at seafood dining in comparable Japanese settings further afield, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto and HAJIME in Osaka represent the broader west Japan kaiseki tier, while Harutaka in Tokyo offers a point of comparison for high-end seafood-focused Japanese dining at the national level. For seafood dining in a European context, Gambero Rosso in Marina di Gioiosa Ionica and Alici Restaurant on the Amalfi Coast are useful reference points.
Reservations are required and walk-ins are not an option. For the April 1 to August 15 period, the restaurant accepts reservation requests only during November via its online reservation page , if oversubscribed, a lottery determines allocation. For other periods, phone reservations are accepted between 11 am and 5 pm; outside those hours, leave a message. The restaurant website (linked from Tabelog) has current details. Also note that closures beyond Wednesday can occur roughly twice a month on Tuesdays or Thursdays, so confirm your date before finalising plans.
Hinode sits alongside a small group of award-recognised restaurants in the Kuwana and wider Mie area. Other venues worth considering include Komada for sushi, Nikawa for yakitori and creative cooking, Edo Machi Sugimoto for sushi at a higher price point, La Mer, and Hinome. For a broader regional picture, the Mie wineries guide and bars guide round out the area. Elsewhere in the Kansai and western Japan region, akordu in Nara and Goh in Fukuoka offer strong points of comparison for award-level dining outside the major cities. 1000 in Yokohama is another reference point for high-end Japanese dining at the national level.
For the spring and summer season (April 1 to August 15), you need to submit a reservation request during November of the prior year , the restaurant runs a lottery if demand is high. Outside that window, book by phone as far in advance as practical; given its consistent Tabelog Award recognition and a score of 4.26, availability at short notice is unlikely. This is a reservation-only restaurant with no walk-in option.
Dinner is the more reliable choice. Lunch service is conditional and not guaranteed on every operating day , confirm directly before planning around it. That said, lunch carries a lower listed price (JPY 8,000–9,999 vs JPY 10,000–14,999 for dinner), and actual spending with service charge and tax runs roughly JPY 15,000–19,999 at lunch versus JPY 20,000–29,999 at dinner. If budget is a priority and lunch is available on your date, it offers the same kitchen at a meaningfully lower all-in cost.
Hinode is a kaiseki-style seafood restaurant in Kuwana, Mie, known for its clam hot pot using local hamaguri clams. It is a house restaurant format , seven private rooms, tatami and table seating , rather than a conventional restaurant floor. The all-in cost runs higher than the listed price: add 20% service charge and 10% tax to everything. It has held a Tabelog Award consecutively since 2017 and appears in the Opinionated About Dining Japan rankings, so the quality is externally validated. Come with a booking confirmed and a flexible attitude toward the menu format.
No formal dress code is stated, but at a price point of JPY 20,000–29,999 all-in for dinner with a consistent national award record, smart casual is a sensible baseline. The private room setting and occasion-focused positioning (business and friends are the recommended occasion types) suggest that very casual dress would feel out of place. Note that tatami rooms may require removing shoes.
Yes, and it is specifically recommended for it. The restaurant is rated for business and friend occasions, and its private room structure , available for parties of four or more , means you get a room to yourselves. The kaiseki format across multiple courses, a drink list covering sake, wine, shochu, and cocktails, and a consistent award record from 2017 to 2026 make it a credible choice for a celebration dinner in Mie. Budget JPY 20,000–29,999 per head all-in for dinner.
For the spring and summer season (April 1 to August 15), you cannot book in the usual sense: the restaurant only accepts reservation requests during November 1 to 30, and if demand exceeds capacity, a lottery decides who gets a table. For the rest of the year, book as early as possible by phone between 11:00 and 17:00. Walk-ins are not accepted under any circumstances.
Lunch runs JPY 8,000–9,999 against dinner at JPY 10,000–14,999 on the listed price, but Tabelog reviewers report actually spending JPY 15,000–19,999 at lunch and JPY 20,000–29,999 at dinner once the 20% service charge and 10% tax are added. Lunch hours are limited (11:30–14:00, last order 13:00) and availability is not guaranteed — check with the restaurant before assuming it is open. Dinner gives you the fuller, more relaxed format across Hinode's seven private rooms.
Hinode is a reservation-only kaiseki restaurant in Kuwana, a city in Mie Prefecture with a long association with hamaguri (freshwater clams), and the menu leans directly into that regional identity. The restaurant holds consecutive Tabelog Silver awards for 2018, 2019, and 2020, then Bronze from 2021 onward, and has appeared on the Tabelog Japanese Cuisine WEST Top 100 in 2021, 2023, and 2025. Budget realistically: the stated prices do not include a 20% service charge or 10% consumption tax, so your actual spend will be meaningfully higher than the headline figures.
No dress code is listed in the venue data. Given the tatami and sunken-seating rooms, smart casual is a practical choice — avoid bulky footwear that is awkward to remove. If you are coming for a business dinner, which Tabelog reviewers specifically flag as a fitting occasion, treat it as a formal meal.
Yes, and it is particularly suited to business entertaining or celebrations with a small group. Private rooms accommodate parties from 2 to 20, with dedicated private rooms available for groups of 4 or more (parties of 2 may share). The setting — tatami and sunken seating across seven rooms — and a multi-year Tabelog award track record give the meal a weight that works for occasions where the venue itself needs to make a statement.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
