Restaurant in Nara, Japan
Two Michelin stars. Book early. Worth it.
Sushi Kawashima holds back-to-back Michelin stars (2024, 2025) and a 4.9 Google rating in Kashihara, making it the strongest sushi option in Nara Prefecture by award record. The omakase counter format suits serious food travellers over casual diners. Booking difficulty is high — secure a seat four to six weeks out minimum.
If you are deciding between Sushi Kawashima and making the trip into Osaka or Kyoto for high-end sushi, stop second-guessing: Kawashima holds a Michelin star for the second consecutive year (2024 and 2025) and sits in Kashihara, the southern reaches of Nara Prefecture, which means you get serious omakase credentials without competing for a seat against the full weight of Kyoto tourism. For food-focused travellers already in the Kansai region, this is worth a detour. For anyone based in Nara itself, it is the strongest sushi option in the prefecture by award record.
Sushi Kawashima operates from a quietly residential address in Kashihara, a city that sits just south of Nara's deer-park centre. The surrounding area is low-key, historically layered, and not especially restaurant-dense at the leading end, which makes the restaurant's back-to-back Michelin recognition more pointed: Kawashima is not riding a neighbourhood wave, it is the reason serious diners have a reason to come to this part of Nara Prefecture at all.
The Google rating of 4.9 across 51 reviews is worth noting in context. A 4.9 at this sample size at a Michelin-starred sushi counter in provincial Japan is not the product of algorithmic luck. Sushi at this level is a narrow format: a small counter, a structured progression, no safety net of crowd-pleasing menu padding. If diners are leaving near-perfect scores, the execution is consistently landing. That consistency, confirmed across two Michelin cycles, is the core reason to book.
The atmosphere at a counter like this tends toward focused quiet: the energy comes from watching precise, unhurried preparation up close rather than from ambient noise or a buzzing dining room. If you are hoping for late-night energy or a venue that stretches into the small hours, Sushi Kawashima is not configured for that. The format is structured, the sittings are finite, and the experience ends when the meal ends. That is a feature for the right diner, not a limitation. Come for the counter dynamic and the close attention to detail in each piece; leave the late-night continuation for one of Nara's bars.
For travellers mapping a broader Kansai itinerary, the positioning is worth thinking through. Harutaka in Tokyo and Sushi Shikon in Hong Kong represent the apex of the format in their respective cities, with corresponding booking difficulty and price pressure. Kawashima sits in a different tier of accessibility — geographically and competitively — which is a genuine advantage. You are not queuing against the full force of international omakase tourism. Within Kansai, if you have already secured a seat at Gion Sasaki in Kyoto for kaiseki, Kawashima offers a clean counterpoint in format and register. They are not redundant choices.
The ¥¥¥ price tier positions this in line with what you would expect from a starred sushi counter in Japan outside the very leading Ginza bracket. Specific per-head pricing is not confirmed in available data, but at ¥¥¥ in a Nara Prefecture context you should expect a meaningful spend, likely in the range consistent with other single-star omakase counters in the wider Kansai region, though exact figures should be confirmed directly before booking. Do not treat this as a casual drop-in: come with the right expectations for the format and the investment will make sense.
One structural note for explorers building a multi-day Nara itinerary: Kashihara is accessible by Kintetsu rail from central Nara, so the logistics are manageable without a car. Pairing a visit to Kawashima with time at Kashihara Jingu or the Asuka archaeological sites nearby makes for a coherent day if you are structuring around the region rather than the city centre. For more context on what else to do around the area, our Nara experiences guide covers the surrounding options. Those staying overnight should cross-reference our Nara hotels guide for where to base yourself.
For sushi specifically in Nara, the relevant comparison points are limited. Naramachi Sushi Hanako, Shikinosushi KROUTO, and Sushidokoro WASABI round out the sushi options in the prefecture, but none carry the same award recognition. If Michelin-verified quality is your benchmark, Kawashima is the clear answer in this market. For those who want to explore further in Japan's starred sushi circuit, Shoukouwa in Singapore and Goh in Fukuoka offer useful regional reference points across different formats.
See the comparison section below for how Kawashima stacks up against Nara's other top-end options.
Smart casual is the safe call. Michelin-starred sushi counters in Japan do not typically enforce a formal dress code, but the format is intimate and focused , overly casual dress reads as out of place. Avoid strong fragrances, which are genuinely unwelcome in a small counter environment where the chef and other guests are in close proximity. No specific dress code is confirmed in available data, so if in doubt, err toward understated and neat.
Book as early as you can , realistically, aim for at least four to six weeks in advance, and more if your dates are fixed. Two consecutive Michelin stars in a prefecture not oversupplied with top-end restaurants means the counter fills on reputation. Kawashima is not in central Kyoto or Tokyo where supply of starred venues is broader; it is the strongest sushi option in Nara by award record, so demand is concentrated. No online booking platform or phone number is listed in our current data, so research the current booking channel before your trip and confirm directly.
Omakase sushi at this level is built around the chef's sequence, which makes significant dietary modifications structurally difficult. Shellfish allergies and severe dietary restrictions are worth communicating clearly at the time of booking , most serious counters will ask. Vegan or vegetarian requests are largely incompatible with the format. No specific dietary policy is confirmed in available data; raise your requirements directly and early rather than at the counter.
At a Michelin-starred sushi counter in Japan, the counter seat is the seat , the bar and the dining room are effectively the same thing. This is the format's appeal: you are directly in front of the chef, watching each piece prepared. If you are asking whether walk-in bar seating exists separately, that is unlikely at this level. All seating at a venue like this is typically part of the structured omakase service. Confirm the exact configuration when you book.
Large groups are a poor fit for omakase sushi counters, which are designed around small, focused sittings. If you are travelling as a group of more than four, check seat count and configuration directly , no capacity figure is confirmed in our data. Parties of two or three are the natural fit for this format. For a group dining occasion in Nara at ¥¥¥, akordu or NARA NIKON may offer more flexibility in seating configuration.
Yes , solo dining at an omakase sushi counter is one of the better single-diner formats in fine dining. You get a counter seat, direct engagement with the chef's work, and no awkwardness about table sizes or pacing. At ¥¥¥ it is a meaningful solo spend, but the Michelin credential and 4.9 Google rating suggest the experience justifies it for a food-focused traveller. Solo diners should book in advance the same as any other party , counter seats at a venue like this do not have a walk-in advantage.
Come having eaten lightly beforehand. Omakase pacing is set by the chef, not the diner, and arriving hungry but not starving is the right condition. The location in Kashihara rather than central Nara means you need to factor in travel time on the Kintetsu line. The Michelin recognition across two consecutive years (2024 and 2025) signals consistent quality, not a one-season result. Arrive on time , late arrivals at a small counter disrupt the whole sitting. And budget for the full ¥¥¥ spend including drinks; omakase prices are typically for food only.
At an omakase counter you do not order , the menu is the chef's decision, sequenced from lighter to richer across the sitting. That is the entire premise of the format. No specific signature dishes are confirmed in our data. If you have a strong preference for certain fish or a hard aversion to something specific, raise it at the time of booking rather than at the counter. Otherwise, the instruction is direct: trust the sequence.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sushi Kawashima | Michelin 1 Star (2025); Michelin 1 Star (2024) | ¥¥¥ | — |
| akordu | Michelin 2 Star | ¥¥¥ | — |
| Wa Yamamura | Michelin 1 Star | ¥¥¥ | — |
| Araki | ¥¥¥ | — | |
| Tama | ¥¥¥ | — | |
| NARA NIKON | Michelin 2 Star | ¥¥¥ | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Sushi Kawashima and alternatives.
Dress neatly but there is no formal dress code documented for Kawashima. At the ¥¥¥ price point and Michelin-starred level, business casual is a safe default: clean, understated, nothing with strong fragrance that could interfere with the food. Avoid overly casual streetwear out of respect for the counter format.
Book at least four to six weeks out. Kashihara sits outside the main Nara tourist circuit, which keeps foot traffic lower than Kyoto or Osaka venues, but a Michelin star two years running means the reservation window is tight. If you are travelling from abroad, lock in the date before booking transport.
No confirmed policy is on record, but omakase formats at the Michelin level in Japan typically require advance notice of allergies or restrictions. check the venue's official channels before arrival — surprises mid-omakase are rarely accommodated without prior arrangement.
Counter seating is the standard format at a venue like Kawashima. At the ¥¥¥ price point with a Michelin star, the counter is where the experience is designed to happen — watching the chef and receiving each piece directly is the point. Table seating, if available, would be secondary.
Small groups of two to four are the practical ceiling for most omakase counters at this tier. Larger parties risk breaking the pacing of service. If you are planning six or more, contact the venue well in advance; a private room arrangement may or may not be possible, and no such offering is confirmed in available data.
Solo dining is well-suited to the counter format that defines venues like Kawashima. A single seat is easier to reserve than a pair at many high-demand omakase restaurants, and the direct interaction with the chef at the counter is arguably better experienced alone than in conversation. At ¥¥¥, solo is a reasonable commitment.
Kawashima is located in Kashihara, not central Nara, so plan your travel accordingly — it is a separate trip from the deer park and Todai-ji. The venue holds a Michelin star for 2024 and 2025, which means it is operating at a documented standard, not local hype. Go expecting an omakase format, arrive on time, and do not plan anything immediately after.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
