Restaurant in Takashima, Japan
Reserve ahead. Rare regional format, worth it.
Korian is a reservation-only funazushi kaiseki restaurant on the shore of Lake Biwa in Takashima, Shiga, holding Tabelog Silver for 2024 and 2025 with a 4.36 score. At JPY 15,000–29,999 per head across just 8 seats, it is the most decorated dining option in the area and worth the advance planning for anyone making a Shiga detour.
Getting a table at Korian takes planning, but it is not the hardest reservation in the Kansai region. The restaurant operates on a reservation-only basis with seatings at 12:00 and 17:00, and with just 8 seats total, availability moves quickly after award announcements. The effort is worth it: Korian has held Tabelog Silver for 2024 and 2025, earned Bronze again in 2026, and twice made the Tabelog Japanese Cuisine WEST Top 100 list. A 4.36 Tabelog score across 36 Google reviews (4.7) places it among the most consistently rated kaiseki-style tables in Shiga Prefecture. Book at least 3 to 4 weeks ahead for weekday sessions; weekend slots, particularly Friday and Saturday evenings, go faster.
Korian is a reservation-only kaiseki and funazushi restaurant in Makinocho Kaizu on the northern shore of Lake Biwa, operating out of a converted house with counter seating for 6, table seating for 2 to 6, and a private room for groups of 4 to 8. The setting directly overlooks Lake Biwa, and the menu is built around what the lake and surrounding Shiga countryside produce. The kitchen's signature focus is funazushi kaiseki: fermented carp sushi native to this region, woven through a multi-course format that tracks the lake's seasonal rhythms. This is not the place for a quick meal. Both the lunch and dinner sessions are short in their service windows (lunch 11:30 to 13:00, dinner 17:00 to 18:30), which means the format is tight and intentional. If you come in cherry blossom season or during the autumn colour period, the view across the lake becomes part of the meal in a way that is genuinely hard to replicate indoors anywhere else in Japan.
The price bracket is JPY 15,000 to JPY 19,999 at listed rates, though reviewer-reported spending runs JPY 20,000 to JPY 29,999, which reflects sake pairings or the kitchen's fuller expressions. For kaiseki at this award level in a dedicated rural setting, that range is fair. Compare it to [RyuGin](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/ryugin) in Tokyo, which charges considerably more for similar kaiseki technique without the regional ingredient specificity or the lake setting. If you are already travelling the Kyoto-Osaka corridor and considering a detour north to Shiga, Korian justifies the trip on the strength of its funazushi programme alone.
For returning visitors, the question is when to come back rather than whether to return. Spring (March to May) and autumn (October to November) bring the most pronounced seasonal shifts in the menu alongside the most photogenic lake conditions. If you visited in summer, a winter return will show you a markedly different set of preparations: lake fish behave differently across seasons, and funazushi itself is a product of long fermentation tied to annual production cycles. The restaurant's regional cuisine classification is not decorative — the menu at Korian cannot be replicated anywhere outside this particular watershed.
Reservations: Reservation only; call +81-740-28-1010 or book via korian.jp. Closed Tuesdays and the first and third Wednesdays of each month — confirm current closure days before booking, as these can shift. Budget: JPY 15,000–19,999 listed; plan for JPY 20,000–29,999 with drinks. Payment: Credit cards accepted (VISA, JCB, AMEX, Diners); no electronic money or QR code payments. Seating: 8 seats total , counter (6), table (2–6), private room (4–8). Parking: Available. Smoking: Non-smoking throughout. Accommodation: One overnight group per day can be accommodated , useful if you are arriving from outside Shiga and want to make a full stay of it. Access: Approximately 1,336 metres from Makino Station on the JR Kosei Line.
See the full comparison below.
Lunch is the better entry point for first-time visitors. Both sessions run at the same price tier (JPY 15,000–19,999), but the midday light over Lake Biwa is a genuine differentiator , the view is part of what you are paying for. Dinner at 17:00 ends at 18:30, which means the session finishes close to sunset; in autumn and winter that produces dramatic light, making it worth considering for a return visit when you know what to expect from the format.
Yes, up to 8 people in the private room, which can also be booked for exclusive use of the whole restaurant. For groups of 4 to 8, the private room is the right call , it removes the counter format and gives the group dedicated service. Call directly on +81-740-28-1010 to discuss private use arrangements; the restaurant notes this is specifically recommended for business occasions.
Plan for 3 to 4 weeks minimum on weekdays, and closer to 6 weeks for Friday or Saturday. The 8-seat total means any single sold-out session eliminates a significant percentage of available spots. The Silver Tabelog Award in 2024 and 2025 drove sustained interest; that award level typically increases booking lead times by several weeks compared to Bronze-only recipients. Confirm current closed days when you call, as the Tuesday and first/third Wednesday closures can shift seasonally.
Yes. The 6-seat counter is well-suited to solo diners, and counter seats at Japanese regional restaurants of this calibre often give you the most direct window into the kitchen's rhythm. At JPY 15,000–19,999 per head (plan for up to JPY 29,999 with drinks), this is a considered solo spend, but for the access it gives to funazushi kaiseki at Tabelog Silver level, it is a reasonable outlay compared to comparable counter experiences at urban kaiseki restaurants in Kyoto or Osaka that charge similar or higher rates for less regionally specific menus.
It is one of the stronger options in Shiga for a special occasion, particularly if the occasion calls for a private setting. The private room accommodates 4 to 8 guests, the restaurant can be taken over by a single group, and accommodation for one group per night is available , meaning you can build a full overnight stay around the meal. The Tabelog Silver award and Top 100 selection give it a credential level that makes the occasion feel proportionate to the spend. For a couple, a counter booking with the Lake Biwa view at sunset (autumn, 17:00 session) is a strong combination.
Takashima does not have a deep bench of award-level dining, which is part of why Korian draws from outside the region. If you are willing to travel 30 to 45 minutes south to Kyoto, Gion Sasaki offers a different register of kaiseki with stronger urban service infrastructure. For innovative Japanese cooking at a higher price point, HAJIME in Osaka is a two-to-three hour round trip and operates at a different price tier entirely. Within Shiga, Korian is the most decorated kaiseki option on current Tabelog data. If the funazushi focus is not your priority and you want a broader Japanese fine-dining comparison, akordu in Nara offers a Japanese-European hybrid approach at a comparable price range.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korian | Easy | ||
| HAJIME | French, Innovative | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown |
| Harutaka | Sushi | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown |
| L'Effervescence | French | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown |
| RyuGin | Kaiseki, Japanese | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown |
| HOMMAGE | Innovtive French, French | ¥¥¥¥ | Unknown |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Both seatings carry the same price range (JPY 15,000–19,999 listed; reviews suggest JPY 20,000–29,999 in practice), so the choice comes down to light and setting. Lunch at 12:00 gives you Lake Biwa in daylight, which is the primary environmental draw at this house restaurant. Dinner at 17:00 starts at dusk. For a first visit, lunch is the more considered call.
Yes, up to 8 people. The private room seats 4–8 and is available for exclusive use, making it the right call for groups who want separation from the 6-seat counter. For parties of 2–6, table seating is also available. The venue can be booked for full private use, and accommodation is available for one group per day — useful for groups travelling from outside Shiga.
Book at least 4–6 weeks out, longer during peak seasons around Lake Biwa. Korian is reservation-only with just 8 seats total, and it holds Tabelog Silver status for 2024–2025 alongside inclusion in the Tabelog Japanese Cuisine WEST 100 list — demand is real. Contact via korian.jp or call +81-740-28-1010. Confirm hours before visiting, as closed days shift by week.
Yes. The counter seats 6, which is the natural format for solo diners at a kaiseki venue of this style. A Tabelog score of 4.36 and a tightly curated funazushi kaiseki format make it a purposeful solo trip rather than an afterthought. Budget JPY 20,000–29,000 based on actual reviewer spend.
It works well for a low-key, considered celebration rather than a high-ceremony city dinner. Private rooms are available, the setting overlooks Lake Biwa, accommodation is on-site for one group per day, and the Tabelog Silver award (2024–2025) gives it genuine standing. If you want a formal urban occasion, RyuGin or Harutaka in Tokyo will deliver a different register entirely — Korian is the choice when the occasion calls for place as much as food.
There are no directly comparable funazushi kaiseki venues documented in Takashima itself — this regional format is specific to the Lake Biwa area. For kaiseki at a comparable price point in western Japan, Tabelog 100-listed Japanese cuisine restaurants in Kyoto or Osaka are the practical alternatives. If you are building a broader Kansai itinerary, HOMMAGE in the region offers a different format worth considering alongside Korian.
Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 11:30 - 13:00 17:00 - 18:30
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
