Restaurant in Nara, Japan
Michelin-recognised sushi, easier to book than Osaka.
Sushidokoro WASABI is Nara's most formally recognised sushi counter, holding Michelin Plate status in both 2024 and 2025. At ¥¥¥ with an easy booking window, it is the strongest case for eating serious sushi in Nara rather than saving the meal for Kyoto or Osaka. A 4.2 Google rating across 79 reviews confirms the consistency.
Sushidokoro WASABI is a Michelin Plate-recognised sushi counter in Nara that punches above its tourist-city reputation. If you assume Nara is only a day-trip destination for deer parks and temples, this is the restaurant that corrects that assumption. Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) confirm it belongs in a serious dining itinerary, not just a sightseeing one. For visitors already committed to the ¥¥¥ tier in Nara, this is the most technically focused sushi option in the city.
Sushidokoro WASABI sits at 39 Hayashikojicho in the historic core of Nara. The address is within the Naramachi district, a neighbourhood of preserved machiya townhouses where the pace is quieter than Osaka or Kyoto. That quietness carries into the room: this is not a high-energy counter where chefs perform for a packed house. The atmosphere is calm and deliberate, which suits the format. If you came once for the full experience and are returning, the second visit is the one where the room makes sense. You know how the pacing works, and you can focus on the sushi itself rather than reading the room.
Sushi in this tradition is a precise format. The kitchen's technical credibility is signalled by the Michelin recognition, which in the Plate category indicates a restaurant the Guide considers a quality option without awarding a star. For Nara, that distinction matters: the city has a small concentration of serious restaurants relative to Kyoto or Osaka, so a Michelin-acknowledged sushi counter is a meaningful data point. With a Google rating of 4.2 across 79 reviews, the broader diner consensus aligns with the Guide's assessment.
For a returning visitor, the practical question is sequencing. Sushidokoro WASABI is the right choice when technical sushi craft is the priority for the meal. If you want to cross-reference your experience, Sushi Kawashima and Naramachi Sushi Hanako are the obvious local comparators in the same cuisine category. Shikinosushi KROUTO offers a seasonal sushi approach if you want variety across visits.
Nara is not Osaka or Tokyo for sushi volume, which means the counters that do hold Michelin recognition here face less institutional competition. The Plate signal at WASABI suggests consistent kitchen discipline rather than occasional brilliance. For diners comparing sushi options across the Kansai region, the question is whether to eat sushi in Nara at all, or save that meal for a starred counter in Kyoto or Osaka. The honest answer: if Nara is a dedicated stop on your itinerary rather than a half-day detour, WASABI makes the case for staying. If you are passing through and will be in Kyoto the same evening, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto operates in a different tier entirely. For sushi specifically outside Japan, Sushi Shikon in Hong Kong and Shoukouwa in Singapore benchmark what Michelin-starred Japanese sushi looks like in an international context.
Within Japan, the gap between a Michelin Plate counter in a secondary city and a starred counter in Tokyo or Osaka is real. Harutaka in Tokyo and HAJIME in Osaka represent the upper tier. WASABI is not competing there. What it offers is a credible, formally recognised sushi experience in a city where that level of kitchen discipline is less common — which is a different kind of value proposition.
Booking difficulty at Sushidokoro WASABI is rated Easy. For a Michelin Plate sushi counter this is a meaningful advantage — you are not managing a weeks-long wait or a lottery reservation system. Book a few days to a week in advance to be safe, particularly if you have fixed travel dates, but last-minute availability is realistic here in a way it would not be at starred venues in larger cities.
The address at 39 Hayashikojicho places the restaurant in walkable range of central Nara. Phone and website details are not listed in current data, so booking through a hotel concierge or a reservation platform is the most reliable route.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty | Michelin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sushidokoro WASABI | Sushi | ¥¥¥ | Easy | Plate (2024, 2025) |
| Sushi Kawashima | Sushi | , | , | , |
| akordu | Spanish, Innovative | ¥¥¥ | , | , |
| NARA NIKON | Japanese | ¥¥¥ | , | , |
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sushidokoro WASABI | Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | ¥¥¥ | — |
| akordu | Michelin 2 Star | ¥¥¥ | — |
| Wa Yamamura | Michelin 1 Star | ¥¥¥ | — |
| Araki | ¥¥¥ | — | |
| Tama | ¥¥¥ | — | |
| NARA NIKON | Michelin 2 Star | ¥¥¥ | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Sushidokoro WASABI is a sushi counter format, so counter seating is the experience — not a secondary option. Sitting at the bar is the point here. The Naramachi address and Michelin Plate recognition both suggest a traditional intimate setup, which typically means a small counter with direct chef interaction.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy, which is a genuine advantage for a Michelin Plate counter. A week or two out is generally sufficient, though peak tourist periods around Nara's spring and autumn seasons may compress availability. You are not competing with the multi-month waitlists common at Michelin-starred sushi counters in Tokyo or Osaka.
Wa Yamamura and NARA NIKON are the closest comparators in the city for considered Japanese dining. Tama is worth considering if you want something more accessible in format. If you are willing to travel 45 minutes, Osaka's sushi volume is far greater — but for eating well without leaving Nara, WASABI is among the most credentialled options.
This is a Michelin Plate sushi counter at the ¥¥¥ price point, so expect a set or omakase-style format rather than à la carte. The address at 39 Hayashikojicho places it in Naramachi, Nara's preserved historic district — worth factoring into your itinerary rather than treating as a standalone dining stop. Arrive knowing your pace: counter sushi is not a quick meal.
At ¥¥¥ with consecutive Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025, WASABI is priced in line with what the credential warrants. For Nara specifically, there are few sushi counters with the same level of independent validation, which reduces the risk of a misfire at this price. If you are comparing spend against a day trip to an Osaka sushi counter, the convenience of eating in Nara without sacrificing quality makes the case.
For a ¥¥¥ sushi counter with Michelin Plate status, the structured menu format is where the kitchen performs at its best — this is not a venue to order selectively. The Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025 signals consistent execution rather than a one-season result, which matters when you are committing to a full counter experience.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
