Restaurant in Shizuoka, Japan
Two-day kaiseki immersion, not just dinner.
Asaba is a ten-generation family-run ryokan near Shuzenji, set in a former Buddhist temple along the Katsura River, where overnight guests experience kaiseki dining under chef Shigekazu Noto. Ranked in Opinionated About Dining's national top 200 across three consecutive years and rated 4.7 by Pearl members, it is the right choice for a special-occasion overnight rather than a standalone dinner reservation.
Asaba is not primarily a restaurant you visit for a meal. It is a ryokan where kaiseki dining is woven into a two-day experience that includes sleeping in a 10-generation family-run inn converted from a Buddhist temple, watching Noh theater by the Katsura River, and eating food prepared under chef Shigekazu Noto. If you are looking for a standalone dinner reservation in Shuzenji, this is not that. But if you are planning a special-occasion stay in Izu and want to understand why Asaba has ranked in Opinionated About Dining's Leading Restaurants in Japan every year from 2023 through 2025, the booking decision is clear: yes, go.
Most visitors arrive expecting a conventional ryokan experience with a creditable dinner attached. What Asaba actually delivers is closer to the reverse: a setting so calibrated around continuity, craft, and atmosphere that the kaiseki meal functions as the architectural center of the stay rather than an add-on. The inn has operated under the same family for ten generations, which is not a marketing claim so much as a structural fact that shapes the coherence of the experience. The former Buddhist temple grounds, the Noh theater stage, and the position along the Katsura River are not decorative details; they are the frame inside which the food makes its full argument.
The cuisine is kaiseki, which in Japan's most rigorous forms means a succession of small courses designed to move with the season, the location, and the cook's judgment about what the moment requires. Chef Noto's version draws on both the discipline of kaiseki's formal tradition and the particular character of the Izu Peninsula, which sits between the mountains and the Pacific coast of Shizuoka Prefecture, one of Japan's most productive food regions. Without confirmed dish specifics from a verified source, the right framing is this: a kitchen ranked #142 nationally in 2023, climbing to #163 in 2024 and then to #207 in 2025, is operating at a level that places it in serious company. For comparable kaiseki ambition in Kyoto, the benchmark is places like Gion Sasaki or Ifuki. Asaba occupies a different register: it trades urban density and access for depth of place.
Getting here requires intention. From Tokyo Station, a direct express train reaches Shuzenji in approximately two hours; the inn is 2.5 km from the station. By car from Mishima, follow Route 136 toward Izu-City, turn left at the Kokei bridge in front of Shuzenji Temple, then right, and the inn is 200 meters ahead on the left. GPS coordinates are 34.9788, 138.9460. There is no listed phone or website in Pearl's current data, so booking should be approached through your hotel concierge, a specialist travel agent familiar with ryokan reservations, or the ryokan's direct contact via the address at 3450-1 Shuzenji, Izu, Shizuoka. Booking difficulty is rated easy, which in ryokan terms typically means advance planning of several weeks is sufficient rather than months-out competition.
For special occasions, Asaba competes in a category that few properties in Japan can match: a culturally layered overnight experience where the meal, the architecture, the performance tradition, and the natural setting are unified under a single family's sustained stewardship. It earns a Google rating of 4.5 across 174 reviews, which for a property of this specificity and price positioning indicates consistent delivery rather than occasional peaks. If the occasion warrants a night away from a major city and the intent is to mark it properly, Asaba is among the most defensible choices in the Shizuoka region. For other dining options nearby, see our full Shizuoka restaurants guide, or explore Seirin if you want kaiseki without the overnight commitment. If your trip takes you further afield, HAJIME in Osaka, Harutaka in Tokyo, and Goh in Fukuoka each represent the national standard in their respective cities and formats.
No direct booking link or phone number is currently listed in Pearl's data. Approach reservations through a specialist Japan travel agent or ryokan booking service. Given the property's scale and family-run nature, contact well in advance for peak periods (cherry blossom season in spring, autumn foliage). Booking difficulty is rated easy by Pearl's current data. For further context on the region, see our Shizuoka hotels guide and Shizuoka experiences guide.
Asaba sits at 3450-1 Shuzenji, Izu, Shizuoka 410-2416. The closest train station is Shuzenji, 2.5 km away, served by direct express from Tokyo Station (approximately 2 hours). By car from Mishima, take Route 136 toward Izu-City; after the Kokei bridge, turn right, 200 meters to the inn. Tokyo Haneda Airport is approximately 130 km away; Tokyo Narita is approximately 200 km. Price range is not listed in Pearl's current data; expect ryokan kaiseki pricing consistent with a property of this standing, which in Japan typically means a meaningful per-person overnight rate inclusive of dinner and breakfast. Confirm the current rate directly at booking. For bars and wineries in the region, see our Shizuoka bars guide and Shizuoka wineries guide.
Asaba is a ryokan, not a standalone restaurant. Your first booking here is an overnight stay that includes kaiseki dinner and breakfast, set in a former Buddhist temple along the Katsura River. The experience is structured around the property's full offering. Arrive knowing that and the evening will make sense; arrive expecting an à la carte dinner and you will be confused by the format. The train from Tokyo to Shuzenji takes about two hours, so this is realistically a one- or two-night trip rather than a day excursion.
Yes, and it is better suited to special occasions than to casual dining. The combination of Noh theater performances, ten-generation family ownership, former Buddhist temple architecture, and a kaiseki kitchen ranked in OAD's national top 200 makes it the kind of place where the occasion and the setting reinforce each other. Anniversary trips, milestone celebrations, or any occasion that warrants a full overnight experience will be served well here. For a comparison in kaiseki quality without the overnight commitment, consider Seirin in Shizuoka or Ifuki in Kyoto.
Kaiseki is a set-menu format, so ordering is not part of the experience at a property like this. Chef Shigekazu Noto's kitchen will move through a sequence of courses determined by the season and the kitchen's judgment. The Izu Peninsula's position between the mountains and the Pacific coast of Shizuoka gives the kitchen strong local sourcing across seafood and produce. Trust the format rather than trying to direct it.
No specific dietary policy is listed in Pearl's current data. Given that kaiseki is a tightly sequenced set menu with ingredients determined by the season, dietary restrictions require advance communication at the time of booking. Reach out directly through your booking agent well before arrival. Major restrictions may limit how fully the kaiseki format can accommodate you; confirm before committing.
Specific group capacity data is not listed in Pearl's current records. As a family-run ryokan, Asaba operates at a more intimate scale than a hotel dining room, which typically means group bookings require advance coordination. Contact the property directly or via a specialist agent if you are planning for more than four people. For larger-group kaiseki options in the region, check our full Shizuoka restaurants guide.
Asaba is a ryokan serving kaiseki as a structured dinner within the overnight stay, not a restaurant with a bar counter or walk-in dining option. There is no bar seating for the dining experience. If you are looking for bar dining or counter-format kaiseki in the Shizuoka region, see our Shizuoka bars guide or consider Seirin for kaiseki in a different format.
For kaiseki specifically, Seirin is the most direct comparison if you want the cuisine without the overnight ryokan format. For other dining styles in the region, FUJI, Ichi Unagi, and LAT.34°N by Ao each offer distinct formats worth comparing. If you are open to travelling for kaiseki, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto and Kikunoi Tokyo represent the national standard in that tradition. See our full Shizuoka restaurants guide for a broader view.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asaba | Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Japan Ranked #207 (2025); HIGHLIGHTS: • FAMILY-RUN RYOKAN FOR 10 GENERATIONS • ALONG THE KATSURA RIVER • FORMER BUDDHIST TEMPLE • NOH THEATER PERFORMANCES DIRECTIONS & ACCESS: Directions By car From Mishima, R 136 towards Izu-City. At Shuzenji, turn left at the Kokei bridge in front of the Shuzenji Temple, then right, 200 m farther on the left. By plane Tokyo Haneda 130 km Tokyo Narita (Intl) 200 km By train Shuzenji 2,5 km (Direct Express Train from Tokyo Station - Approx 2 hours ride) GPS coordinates 34.9788 138.9460 MEMBER SINCE: 4.7/5; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Japan Ranked #163 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Japan Ranked #142 (2023) | — | |
| Tempura Naruse | — | ||
| Unagi Shun | — | ||
| Seirin | — | ||
| Tempura Nakamura | — | ||
| FUJI | — |
A quick look at how Asaba measures up.
Asaba is a traditional ryokan, not a restaurant with a bookable dining room for external parties, so large group visits are constrained by room availability rather than table configuration. Small groups of two to four travelling together and booking rooms simultaneously is the practical approach. For larger groups wanting a comparable kaiseki experience in a more conventional restaurant setting, Seirin is worth considering instead.
Kaiseki is a highly structured, ingredient-led format where the kitchen sets the progression, which makes last-minute dietary changes difficult across the board in Japan. Contact Asaba well in advance through your booking agent and state restrictions clearly at the time of reservation, not on arrival. Serious allergies or vegan requirements are harder to accommodate in kaiseki than in a la carte formats, so factor that into your decision.
There is no a la carte menu to choose from. Asaba serves kaiseki as part of its ryokan stay, meaning the meal is set and sequenced by chef Shigekazu Noto. Your decision is whether to book the stay, not which dishes to select.
If you want kaiseki without the overnight commitment, Seirin is the most direct local alternative. For a different format entirely, Tempura Naruse and Tempura Nakamura offer high-execution counter dining without requiring a two-day schedule. Unagi Shun and FUJI are better suited to visitors who want a strong single meal rather than an immersive stay.
Yes, and it is better suited to milestone occasions than most restaurants in the region. The combination of a former Buddhist temple setting, Noh theater performances, kaiseki by a chef whose ryokan holds an Opinionated About Dining ranking that has placed as high as #142 in Japan, and a 10-generation family operation makes it a considered choice for anniversaries or significant celebrations. Budget a full two days rather than treating it as a dinner reservation.
No. Asaba is a ryokan and kaiseki is served to guests as part of the stay, not at a public bar or walk-in counter. If you are looking for a counter-format experience in the region, Tempura Naruse or Tempura Nakamura are the better fit.
Book through a specialist Japan travel agent or ryokan booking service — no direct phone or online booking link is currently available through Pearl. Plan for a two-night stay minimum to get full value from the kaiseki meals and Noh theater. Shuzenji Station is 2.5 km away, reachable by direct express from Tokyo Station in roughly two hours, which makes Asaba accessible as a short trip from Tokyo without needing a car.
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