Restaurant in Saga, Japan
Six seats, serious sake pedigree, book early.
A six-seat sake brewery counter in rural Saga with four consecutive Tabelog Bronze Awards and a direct connection to Fukuchiyo Brewery, the producer of Nabeshima sake. Dinner runs JPY 30,000–39,999 per person plus a 10% service charge. Book four to six weeks out. The right choice if sake pairing depth matters as much as the food.
Yes — with conditions. Souan Nabeshima is a six-seat counter restaurant attached to the Fukuchiyo Sake Brewery in Kashima, Saga, and it has earned consecutive Tabelog Bronze Awards from 2023 through 2026 alongside selection for Tabelog's Japanese Cuisine WEST Top 100 in both 2023 and 2025. For a food and sake enthusiast willing to travel to rural Kyushu, this is a serious destination. For anyone expecting a cosmopolitan dining room or easy access from central Saga city, it is not the right call.
Souan Nabeshima is dinner-only, operating Wednesday through Sunday from 17:00 with a food last order at the same time, meaning the meal begins at a fixed hour with no staggered seatings. With only six counter seats and the ability to hire the full room for private use, this is one of the more intimate fine-dining formats in western Japan. The counter format means you are eating directly in front of the kitchen — a setup that rewards guests who want to watch the progression of courses and ask questions, rather than those who prefer the privacy of a table.
The restaurant opened on 12 March 2021 and has built its reputation quickly. A Tabelog score of 4.28 (with a 4.33 cited for the 2025 cycle) places it well above the threshold for Tabelog's most-recognised tier in the region. The connection to Fukuchiyo Sake Brewery , the producer behind Nabeshima, one of Japan's most discussed premium sakes , gives the drink pairing dimension that few restaurants at this price point can match. If sake matters to you as much as the food, that pairing depth is a strong reason to prioritise this venue over comparable Japanese cuisine restaurants in the region. Comparable kaiseki experiences in Kyushu, such as Goh in Fukuoka, offer greater accessibility and a more urban setting, but they cannot replicate the direct brewery provenance here.
Dinner runs JPY 30,000 to JPY 39,999 per person before the 10% service charge, putting total spend in the JPY 33,000 to JPY 44,000 range per person once service is added. Credit cards are accepted (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex, Diners), but electronic money and QR code payments are not. The non-smoking policy applies throughout. Parking is available on site, which matters here: the address is in Hamamachi, Kashima, approximately 315 metres from Hizen Hama Station on the Nagasaki Main Line, but the station itself is infrequently served, and most guests arriving from Fukuoka or Nagasaki will find a rental car or taxi the most practical option.
The atmosphere at a six-seat counter in a sake brewery-affiliated auberge setting will be quiet and focused rather than lively. Expect measured pacing, attentive service, and an environment built around the progression of the meal rather than ambient energy. If you want buzz and movement, this is the wrong choice. If the meal itself is the occasion, that stillness is the point. For comparison, the counter format here sits closer in feel to Harutaka in Tokyo or Gion Sasaki in Kyoto than to a larger kaiseki restaurant with private rooms.
Reservations are available and the venue confirms bookings through its website at fukuchiyo.com. Given the six-seat capacity, a Tabelog score above 4.28, and four consecutive Tabelog Award wins, seats fill quickly relative to what the small format allows. Book at least four to six weeks ahead for weekend sittings; weeknights (Wednesday through Friday) offer a slightly better window but should not be treated as walk-in opportunities. The venue is closed Monday and Tuesday. If you are planning a trip specifically around dining here, confirm the reservation before booking travel. Private use of the full room is available for groups of six, which makes this a workable option for a small-group celebration.
| Detail | Souan Nabeshima | Amegen | Tsukuta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisine | Japanese (sake brewery kaiseki) | Seafood | Sushi |
| Dinner price | JPY 30,000–39,999 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Seats | 6 counter | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Booking difficulty | Book 4–6 weeks out | Check availability | Check availability |
| Location | Kashima, rural Saga | Saga | Saga |
| Private hire | Yes (full room) | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
Within Saga, Souan Nabeshima sits in its own price tier. Amegen focuses on seafood and operates at a different price point and format; it is the better choice if you want a shorter, less formal meal built around local catch rather than a structured multi-course progression with sake pairing. Tsukuta offers sushi in a counter format and is worth considering if nigiri is your priority over kaiseki-style coursing. Sumiyaki Hamburger Steak Gyusen operates at JPY 2,000–2,999 per person and is a completely different category , accessible, casual, and a practical option if budget is the constraint.
If you are comparing Souan Nabeshima to fine-dining destinations elsewhere in Japan, the relevant frame is venues like Goh in Fukuoka or akordu in Nara , both offer structured tasting menus with strong regional identity, are easier to reach, and carry comparable or stronger award credentials. The case for Souan Nabeshima over those options rests specifically on the sake pairing depth that comes from its Fukuchiyo Brewery connection: if you want to drink Nabeshima sake at the source while eating a meal designed around it, there is no equivalent in the region. If the sake connection is not a priority, Goh in Fukuoka is easier to reach and carries Michelin recognition.
For international reference points, the counter format and price tier are closer to Atomix in New York City than to a mid-market tasting menu. This is a full-commitment dinner at JPY 33,000–44,000 all-in, in a location that requires deliberate planning to reach. Book it as the anchor of a Saga or Kyushu itinerary, not as a casual addition to a broader Japan trip.
Yes, for the right occasion. The six-seat counter, four consecutive Tabelog Bronze Awards, and connection to Fukuchiyo Brewery make it a serious choice for a sake-paired dinner celebration. At JPY 33,000–44,000 per person all-in (including 10% service charge), the spend is comparable to top-tier kaiseki in Osaka or Tokyo, so the occasion should justify the price and the travel. Private hire of the full six-seat room is available, which works well for a small group marking a milestone.
Within Saga, Amegen (seafood) and Tsukuta (sushi) are the closest in terms of quality focus, though both operate in different formats and price tiers. For a much lower spend, Sumiyaki Hamburger Steak Gyusen at JPY 2,000–2,999 is a practical casual option. If you are willing to travel to Fukuoka, Goh offers Michelin-recognised tasting menus with greater accessibility.
Dinner only. Souan Nabeshima does not serve lunch , operating hours are 17:00–21:00, Wednesday through Sunday, with no lunch service listed. The entire price range of JPY 30,000–39,999 applies to the evening sitting. Plan accordingly and do not arrive expecting a daytime option.
Book four to six weeks ahead for weekend sittings (Friday to Sunday). The six-seat capacity and consecutive Tabelog Award recognition mean demand is high relative to availability. Midweek sittings (Wednesday and Thursday) are marginally easier to secure but should still be booked at least three to four weeks out. Confirm your reservation before booking flights or accommodation, particularly if travelling specifically for this meal.
Yes. The six-seat counter format is well-suited to solo diners , you are seated directly at the pass, the pacing of the meal keeps the experience engaging, and counter dining in Japan carries no social awkwardness. At JPY 33,000–44,000 all-in, it is a significant solo spend, but the format is arguably better for a solo guest than for a large group. For comparable solo counter experiences elsewhere in Japan, consider Harutaka in Tokyo or Gion Sasaki in Kyoto.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Souan Nabeshima | Easy | ||
| Amegen | Seafood | Unknown | |
| Tsukuta | Sushi | Unknown | |
| Sumiyaki Hamburger Steak Gyusen | Hamburger steak, Steak | JPY 2,000 - JPY 2,999 JPY 2,000 - JPY 2,999 View spending breakdown | Unknown |
How Souan Nabeshima stacks up against the competition.
Yes, and it is specifically suited to that format. The six-seat counter, dinner-only hours (Wednesday to Sunday from 17:00), and a price point of JPY 30,000–39,999 per head frame this as a deliberate, event-style meal rather than a casual dinner. Tabelog Bronze recognition every year from 2023 through 2026, plus consecutive selection for Tabelog Japanese Cuisine WEST Top 100, confirm this is a venue people travel to Kashima specifically to eat at. Add a 10% service charge to your budget.
Within Saga, Amegen is the most-discussed alternative but operates at a different price point and focuses on seafood rather than the sake-brewery-auberge format. Tsukuta is another option in the prefecture. Neither replicates the Nabeshima sake context that defines Souan Nabeshima's identity, so if sake pairing is your priority, there is no direct local substitute.
Dinner only — there is no lunch service. The venue operates Wednesday through Sunday from 17:00, with food last order also at 17:00, meaning the evening begins at a fixed start time. Budget JPY 30,000–39,999 per person plus the 10% service charge.
Book as early as possible, ideally several weeks out. With only six counter seats, no private rooms, and a Tabelog score above 4.28 earned over four consecutive Bronze award cycles, availability is tight. Reservations can be made via fukuchiyo.com. The venue accepts VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, and Diners; electronic money and QR code payments are not accepted.
Yes. A six-seat counter is one of the most comfortable formats for solo diners in Japanese cuisine — there is no awkward table allocation and the counter format is standard for this style of restaurant. The venue also offers full private hire for groups, so solo visitors on open nights have access to the full six-seat counter experience alongside a small number of other guests.
Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 17:00 - 21:00 L.O. Food 17:00
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