Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan
Michelin-starred Edomae counter, off the tourist circuit.
A Michelin one-star Edomae sushi counter in Shirokanedai that takes Tokyo's pre-modern fish traditions seriously — shaped shad, nori-paired shrimp, and a toppings presentation drawn from the food-stall era. At ¥¥¥¥ it earns its price through rigour rather than spectacle. Book four to six weeks out, contact directly, and ask about late seatings if prime slots are gone.
The counter seats at Jizozushi in Shirokanedai fill on a schedule that most visitors misread. The instinct is to chase a prime early-evening slot, but the practical play is different: if you cannot land a booking in the 6–7 PM window, pursue a later seating rather than abandoning the attempt. A Michelin one-star in Tokyo's ¥¥¥¥ tier with only 13 Google reviews to its name is, by that measure, running under the city's radar — which means availability can occasionally open where a more publicised counter would not. Contact the restaurant directly and ask about late sittings before assuming the diary is closed.
Jizozushi occupies the second floor of the NK Building in Shirokanedai, Minato City , a residential-leaning pocket of Tokyo that sits at some remove from the tourist circuits of Ginza and Roppongi. The address is deliberately unhurried. The spatial register here is intimate counter dining: a format in which the physical distance between the chef and the guest is part of the offer. You are not watching a performance from across a room; you are at the chef's bench, close enough to observe the geometry of each piece as it is formed.
The name itself carries weight. It derives from an image of a Jizo , the Buddhist guardian spirit who watches over children , that the chef received from a temple. The character chosen for 'sushi' reaches back to the fermented fish preparations that preceded modern nigirizushi, a deliberate signal about the chef's orientation toward the historical depth of the form rather than its contemporary shortcuts. That orientation shows in the details: gizzard shad shaped in the manner of the Edo-era Katsuyama hairstyle; shrimp paired with nori in a practice that echoes the food-stall tradition; a presentation of available toppings before the chef begins forming rice, a sequence drawn from an era before snacks became standard restaurant vocabulary. These are not decorative gestures. They are structural choices that communicate a specific point of view about what sushi is supposed to be.
The chef is, by the venue's own account, seriously interested in literature and classical sources. That interest surfaces in the conceptual architecture of the meal more than in any single dish. For the explorer-type diner , someone who reads menus as documents and wants to understand not just what they are eating but why it is composed the way it is , Jizozushi offers a denser level of conversation than most counters in this price tier.
Tokyo's serious sushi counters are predominantly structured around early or mid-evening seatings. Jizozushi's hours are not confirmed in available data, but the venue's low public profile and second-floor Shirokanedai address suggest it operates outside the high-visibility rhythm of the Ginza corridor. If late-night access to a Michelin-starred sushi counter is the goal , after a long flight day, after another dinner that ended early, or simply because that is when your evening opens up , this is a counter worth pursuing before defaulting to a hotel restaurant. The neighbourhood is quiet by Tokyo standards, which works in your favour: you are not navigating a busy commercial strip to reach it.
Edomae sushi, the style rooted in Tokyo, is built on curing, ageing, and preserving , techniques developed when refrigeration did not exist and the fish came from the nearby bay. The leading counters in this tradition are not chasing novelty; they are refining a set of inherited techniques with enough precision that the differences between practitioners become meaningful. Jizozushi sits in that lineage. Compared to the broader Tokyo market , see also Harutaka, Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongiten, and Sushi Kanesaka , it occupies the thoughtful-traditionalist corner rather than the technically maximalist one. Edomae Sushi Hanabusa and Hiroo Ishizaka offer further points of comparison for the diner building a map of Tokyo's counter scene.
For those extending the trip beyond Tokyo, the same depth of engagement with regional culinary tradition is available at Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, HAJIME in Osaka, and Goh in Fukuoka. If sushi specifically is the focus across borders, Sushi Shikon in Hong Kong and Shoukouwa in Singapore are the regional benchmarks worth knowing. For a broader view of where Jizozushi sits within the city's dining options, see our full Tokyo restaurants guide, and for planning the wider trip: Tokyo hotels, Tokyo bars, Tokyo wineries, and Tokyo experiences.
Book Jizozushi if you want a Michelin-starred Edomae counter that takes its historical references seriously and sits outside the tourist circuit. The ¥¥¥¥ price tier is earned by the precision of the work and the depth of the conceptual framework, not by a famous address. The low review count is not a warning sign; it is the reason a booking may still be achievable. If you care about the intellectual architecture of what you are eating , not just the quality of the fish , this counter repays the effort to get in.
Yes, for the right diner. At ¥¥¥¥ and with a 2024 Michelin star, the price reflects a meal structured around Edomae technique and deliberate historical reference , not a showcase omakase designed for visual impact. If you want to understand how traditional Tokyo sushi is supposed to work, this counter justifies the spend. If you want the full-spectacle experience, counters like Harutaka or Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongiten may match your expectations more directly.
Plan for at least four to six weeks in advance for a Michelin-starred Tokyo sushi counter at this price point. Jizozushi's low public profile means it does not sell out through aggregator platforms the way higher-visibility counters do, but the physical capacity of a counter dining room is small by definition. Contact the restaurant directly , or use a hotel concierge with local connections , rather than waiting for an online slot to appear.
Yes, with the right pairing. The intimate counter format, the depth of the chef's references, and the Michelin star make it a credible anniversary or celebration venue. It is not theatrical in the way some high-end Tokyo counters are, which is either an advantage or a drawback depending on who you are dining with. For a guest who wants atmosphere over intellectual rigour, consider whether a kaiseki format like RyuGin might suit better. For a guest who appreciates context and craft, Jizozushi is the stronger call.
In the same ¥¥¥¥ Edomae sushi tier: Harutaka is the cleaner-profile option with higher visibility; Sushi Kanesaka is the prestige-address choice in Ginza; Edomae Sushi Hanabusa offers another traditional-minded counter worth considering. If you want to move outside sushi entirely at the same price point, Hiroo Ishizaka and 1000 in Yokohama are reachable from central Tokyo. See our full Tokyo restaurants guide for the wider picture.
Jizozushi runs an omakase format, so ordering is not the operative question , sequence is. The chef presents the range of available toppings before service begins, in a practice drawn from the food-stall era of Tokyo sushi. Pay attention to the shad and the shrimp-with-nori pieces specifically: these are the cuts where the Edo-era references are most legible. Do not rush through the explanation of what is being set out. That presentation is part of the meal.
At ¥¥¥¥ with a 2024 Michelin star, yes , provided you are buying what it is actually selling, which is historical depth and technical rigour rather than a high-glamour setting or a famous address. Compared to Ginza-corridor counters at the same price, you are trading location prestige for a more considered, less performative experience. If prestige address matters to your evening, this is not the right trade. If the work on the plate matters more, it is.
Three things: the address is second floor, NK Building, Shirokanedai , not a ground-floor restaurant you will find by walking past it; hours and contact details are not publicly listed, so book through a hotel concierge or a Tokyo reservation service rather than searching for a direct online booking link; and the meal is structured around Edomae tradition, meaning the chef's choices are rooted in historical practice. Come with some knowledge of what nigirizushi was before the contemporary omakase format standardised it , you will get considerably more from the meal. Also see akordu in Nara and 6 in Okinawa if you are building a Japan itinerary around serious, research-oriented dining.
Yes, if Edomae technique and historical fidelity are what you are after. The chef presents toppings before forming each piece, follows old Edo-era conventions like pairing shrimp with nori, and shapes gizzard shad in the Katsuyama style — details that separate this from standard Michelin-starred omakase. At ¥¥¥¥, you are paying for craft and specificity, not spectacle. If you want a more contemporary or multi-course format, Florilège or L'Effervescence are better fits.
Book as early as possible — ideally four to six weeks out for preferred dates. Jizozushi holds a Michelin 1 Star (2024) and seats a small counter in a residential part of Shirokanedai that attracts serious diners rather than walk-in traffic, which means availability is tighter than the low-profile address might suggest. Hours are not publicly confirmed, so check the venue's official channels to verify service times when booking.
It is a strong choice for two people who care about sushi history and craft, less so for a group looking for a celebratory atmosphere with wine pairings. The Michelin 1 Star and the deliberate, historically rooted format give it weight as an occasion venue. For a larger group or a setting where the full dinner-party feel matters more than counter precision, HOMMAGE or RyuGin would be more practical.
Harutaka is the closest comparison — a Michelin-starred Edomae counter with similar technical rigour, though it sits in Ginza and draws a different crowd. For something more modern and ingredient-driven, Florilège (French tasting menu) or L'Effervescence offer Michelin-starred dining with more flexibility on format. RyuGin suits diners who want contemporary Japanese kaiseki at a comparable price point.
Jizozushi is omakase format — the chef decides the sequence. The presentation of available toppings before service begins is a deliberate nod to the Edo-era sushi stall tradition, and the gizzard shad shaped in the Katsuyama style is one of the signature pieces. There is no à la carte option to navigate; arrive ready to follow the chef's lead.
At ¥¥¥¥, Jizozushi sits at the top of Tokyo's sushi pricing tier, and the Michelin 1 Star (2024) confirms it earns that position by technical standards. The value case is strongest for diners specifically interested in Edomae tradition — fermentation, curing, and historical ritual — rather than those chasing the most contemporary or visual omakase experience. If you want comparable quality with a slightly more accessible price tier, Harutaka is worth comparing.
The restaurant is on the second floor of the NK Building in Shirokanedai, Minato City — a quiet residential neighbourhood, not a dining district, so factor in navigation time. The chef's approach is rooted in Edomae history and classical Japanese literature, which shapes a counter experience that is more studious than social. Phone and website details are not publicly listed, so reservation logistics will require some effort; a hotel concierge or specialist booking service will be useful.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
