Restaurant in Osaka, Japan
8-seat kaiseki counter, book weeks ahead.
A Michelin-starred, 8-seat counter in Kita Ward with Tabelog Silver recognition across seven consecutive years. Yonemasu serves fixed-course kaiseki built around the traditional Japanese calendar, with a stated focus on fish and strict attention to seasonal provenance. Cash only, no website, and genuinely hard to book — plan at least several weeks ahead for any specific date.
Yonemasu is the right call if you are a food-focused traveller who wants a counter-seat kaiseki experience in Osaka that has earned sustained critical recognition without crossing into the five-figure-per-head territory of the city's most decorated rooms. With a Michelin star (2024) and Tabelog Silver Awards from 2019 through 2023 and 2025, plus repeated selection for the Tabelog Japanese Cuisine WEST "100" list, this is a venue with a long and consistent track record — not a recent hype play. At 8 seats, it is one of the smallest serious kaiseki rooms in Kita Ward, which makes the booking genuinely difficult and the experience meaningfully intimate. If you are planning around a seasonal visit , cherry blossom in April, autumn foliage in November , factor that in early, because the kitchen's explicit orientation around the traditional Japanese calendar means the meal changes with the season and demand spikes accordingly.
Yonemasu operates exclusively as counter seating, all 8 of them, which sets the tone immediately: this is not a room for large groups or for those who want to disappear into a private booth. The atmosphere is calm and focused rather than theatrical. According to the venue's own description, the proprietor and his cooks begin each meal by introducing the ingredients before preparing the meal as a team , a format that draws you into the process rather than presenting the finished result at a remove. Noise levels stay low. This is a room built for conversation at close range, for paying attention to what is in front of you.
The kitchen's stated focus on fish is worth taking seriously when setting expectations. The menus are built around the traditional Japanese calendar, with ingredients sourced across Japan and, notably, presented on a map showing provenance. Serving vessels are chosen carefully; food is sometimes presented on paper or leaf garnishes in keeping with established Japanese culinary custom. Temperature and texture receive explicit attention. This is kaiseki in a form where the intellectual framework , seasonality, provenance, ceremony , is as much part of the proposition as the food itself. For an explorer-type diner who wants context alongside flavour, that framing is exactly the point.
Both lunch and dinner are priced in the same bracket , the listed course is ¥20,000 before tax, with a 10% service charge on leading. The course price brings the base to ¥22,000, and review-based spending data from Tabelog suggests actual spend at dinner runs higher, in the ¥40,000–¥49,999 range, likely reflecting beverage additions from the sake, shochu, and wine list. Lunch spend based on reviews sits at ¥30,000–¥39,999, which implies drinks play a meaningful role in the final bill at both services.
The practical implication: if budget is a constraint, the lunch service is the more controlled spend. The sit-down time for lunch is listed as 14:00, which is an afternoon kaiseki format rather than a standard midday meal , a useful distinction if you are building a day around it. Dinner begins at 17:30. Both services are reservation-only, required at minimum by the day before, though given the 8-seat capacity and booking difficulty, planning weeks ahead is more realistic. The venue is closed Wednesdays and Sundays.
Reservations: Required in advance (minimum the day before, but expect to book weeks out given the 8-seat counter and sustained award recognition). Phone: +81-6-6345-1107. No official website. Hours: Lunch at 14:00, Dinner at 17:30; closed Wednesdays and Sundays , confirm directly before visiting as hours may change. Budget: Course from ¥20,000 before tax; with 10% service charge and drinks, expect ¥30,000–¥40,000+ at lunch and ¥40,000–¥50,000 at dinner based on review data. Payment: Cash only , credit cards, electronic money, and QR code payments are not accepted. Bring cash. Dress: No stated dress code, but the price point, intimacy of the counter, and ceremonial nature of the service call for smart casual at minimum. Transport: 7 minutes walk from JR Fukushima Station; 15 minutes walk from JR Osaka Station. No parking available. Accessibility: Children not allowed. No private rooms currently, though plans for addition are noted.
Yonemasu has held a Michelin star since at least 2024. On Tabelog it carries a score of 4.37 and has won Silver Awards continuously from 2019 to 2023 and again in 2025, with Bronze in 2024, 2026, and 2018. It has been selected for the Tabelog Japanese Cuisine WEST "100" list in 2021, 2023, and 2025. This is a venue with nearly a decade of documented critical approval across two of Japan's most widely used fine dining reference systems. Google reviews show 4.2 across 46 ratings , a smaller sample that reflects the venue's limited public profile and seat count rather than any quality gap.
Within Osaka's ¥¥¥ Japanese cuisine tier, the closest peer is Kashiwaya Osaka Senriyama and Taian. Taian is a kaiseki benchmark in the city with strong Michelin credentials; if you want a more established kaiseki institution with a broader reputation, Taian is the comparison. Yonemasu offers something more compressed , an 8-seat counter with a deliberately intimate, calendar-driven format , which suits a diner who wants proximity to the kitchen and a more personal pace over the formal grandeur of a larger kaiseki room.
If budget is not a constraint and you are open to French-influenced or innovative formats, HAJIME, La Cime, and Fujiya 1935 all sit in the ¥¥¥¥ tier and offer different expressions of Osaka's serious dining options. For a food-focused traveller who specifically wants Japanese cuisine with seasonality at the core and a counter format, Yonemasu at ¥¥¥ delivers more direct access to that experience at a lower price point than any of those alternatives.
Outside Osaka, comparable counter-based serious Japanese dining can be found at Gion Sasaki in Kyoto and Harutaka in Tokyo. If you are travelling the Kansai region, pairing Yonemasu with a visit to akordu in Nara gives a useful contrast between Osaka's Japanese tradition and Nara's cross-cultural approach.
For more options across the city, see our full Osaka restaurants guide, our full Osaka hotels guide, our full Osaka bars guide, our full Osaka wineries guide, and our full Osaka experiences guide.
At minimum the day before, but with only 8 seats, a Michelin star, and sustained Tabelog Silver recognition, the realistic answer is several weeks out , particularly if you want a specific date or are visiting during peak seasonal periods such as cherry blossom or autumn. Call directly on +81-6-6345-1107 as there is no online booking system or official website.
Yes , in fact, the counter is the only option. All 8 seats are counter seats. There are no table seats or private rooms currently available, though private rooms are planned for the future. If counter dining is not your preference, this is a meaningful constraint to know before booking.
It is a strong choice for solo diners. An 8-seat counter in a calm, focused room is well-suited to eating alone , you are close to the kitchen activity, the ingredient introductions and preparation are designed to be followed, and the pace is deliberate rather than rushed. The price point (¥30,000–¥40,000 all-in at lunch based on review data) is manageable for a solo splurge in the context of Osaka's serious dining options.
No dress code is stated, but smart casual is the appropriate read at this price point and level of recognition. A Michelin-starred, Tabelog Silver-winning counter with a ceremonial approach to ingredient presentation is not a casual environment, even if it does not enforce a formal dress requirement. Avoid overly casual clothing.
The restaurant can be taken over for private use, which is the practical option for groups , the entire 8-seat counter would be your party. For mixed groups where some diners may not want a kaiseki format, or for parties larger than 8, Yonemasu is not the right fit. Contact the restaurant directly at +81-6-6345-1107 to discuss private use arrangements.
The kitchen has a stated focus on fish, and the menus are built around seasonal Japanese ingredients. There is no official website and no publicly available dietary restriction policy in the venue data. Given the fixed-course format and the level of preparation involved, contact the restaurant directly well in advance of your visit to discuss any requirements. Last-minute requests are unlikely to be accommodated at a venue of this type.
Three things: it is cash only (no credit cards, no electronic payment), it seats 8 people at a counter with no private rooms, and the meal is structured around a fixed course with a deep orientation toward seasonality and provenance. Budget ¥30,000–¥50,000 all-in depending on drinks, arrive having confirmed the current hours directly with the restaurant, and treat the ingredient introductions at the start of the meal as part of the experience rather than preamble. It is also closed Wednesdays and Sundays.
There is no à la carte ordering at Yonemasu , the format is a fixed course priced from ¥20,000 before tax. The kitchen describes a particular focus on fish, and the menu follows the traditional Japanese calendar, meaning what is served reflects the season you are visiting in. Drinks from the sake, shochu, and wine list will add meaningfully to the bill, so decide on your drinks approach before you arrive if budget management matters.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yonemasu | ¥¥¥ | Hard | — |
| HAJIME | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown | — |
| La Cime | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown | — |
| Kashiwaya Osaka Senriyama | ¥¥¥ | Unknown | — |
| Taian | ¥¥¥ | Unknown | — |
| Fujiya 1935 | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Yonemasu and alternatives.
Book at least two to four weeks out — the 8-seat counter fills fast given Yonemasu's Michelin star and continuous Tabelog Silver Awards from 2019 to 2023. Reservations must be made by the day before at the latest, but that window will rarely be available. Call +81-6-6345-1107 directly; there is no official website for online booking.
Yes, and it is the only option: Yonemasu currently operates exclusively with counter seating across all 8 places. There are plans to add private rooms, but as of now the full experience happens at the counter. This is a feature, not a limitation — the format is designed around watching the team prepare each course in front of you.
Yes, it is a strong choice for solo diners. The counter format at Yonemasu suits one or two guests better than larger groups, and the 8-seat layout means you are close to the preparation throughout the meal. Solo kaiseki dining in Japan is standard practice, and a Michelin-starred counter at ¥20,000 before tax is a reasonable solo spend for the category.
No dress code is documented for Yonemasu, but the setting — a Michelin-starred kaiseki counter with a 10% service charge and a ¥20,000+ fixed course — points toward neat, understated attire. Smart casual (no athletic wear) fits the occasion without being overdressed. Confirm with the restaurant directly if you are unsure.
Groups are difficult here. With only 8 seats and no private rooms currently available, the maximum party that can dine together is limited by the counter. Yonemasu does list private use as available, which suggests buyout of the full counter is possible for the right occasion — check the venue's official channels at +81-6-6345-1107 to confirm terms.
No dietary restriction policy is documented in the available data. Given that the kitchen focuses on fish-forward Japanese cuisine with a fixed course structure built around seasonal ingredients, accommodating significant restrictions may be limited. Contact the restaurant in advance — Yonemasu requires reservations by the day before at minimum, so raising any restrictions at that point is the practical approach.
Yonemasu runs a single fixed course at ¥20,000 before tax (plus 10% service charge), so there is no menu to navigate — the kitchen decides. The experience is built around seasonal ingredients mapped to their origins across Japan, with the team introducing produce before cooking begins. Crucially, Yonemasu does not accept credit cards, electronic money, or QR code payments, so bring sufficient cash.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
