Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan
Pairing-only omakase; book if that's your format.
JULIA is a couple-run omakase in Jingumae, Shibuya, where chef Nao Motohashi cooks and husband Kenichiro Motohashi leads a pairings-only wine programme focused on Japanese producers. Michelin Plate-recognised in 2024 and 2025 with a 4.7 Google rating, it earns its ¥¥¥¥ price through intimacy and a clear regional identity rooted in Ibaraki Prefecture. Book if Japanese wine interests you; the pairing format is non-negotiable.
JULIA holds a Google rating of 4.7 across 150 reviews, which for a quietly positioned, couple-run omakase in Shibuya's Jingumae neighbourhood is a meaningful signal. This is not a venue coasting on hype or a famous name. Chef Nao Motohashi cooks; her husband Kenichiro Motohashi pours. The division of labour is precise, and that precision is the reason to book.
The service model at JULIA is where it separates itself from the broader ¥¥¥¥ Tokyo field. Most restaurants at this price tier employ a formal front-of-house team where the sommelier is a function, not a collaborator. At JULIA, Kenichiro's role as sommelier is the editorial spine of the meal. The omakase set is structured entirely around pairings, and crucially, those pairings foreground Japanese wines alongside Japanese ingredients. For diners accustomed to French or Italian bottles anchoring a Tokyo tasting menu, this is a different register entirely. Kenichiro has positioned himself as an advocate for Japan as a wine-producing terroir, and the menu is built to argue that case course by course.
That argument is rooted in geography. Most ingredients at JULIA come from Ibaraki Prefecture, where Kenichiro was born and where the restaurant originally operated before relocating to Tokyo. The provenance isn't decorative; it shapes the flavour logic of the menu. Nao's cooking is described as self-taught and freewheeling, with a clear preference for vegetables and fish paired with fruit. The resulting cuisine is lighter and more colourful than the austere precision you'd find at a traditional kaiseki house. If you're looking for ceremony and lacquerware gravity, JULIA is not that. If you want a meal that feels personal, regionally anchored, and guided by a genuine point of view, it delivers.
Michelin has awarded JULIA a Plate in both 2024 and 2025. A Plate recognition signals cooking that meets Michelin's quality threshold without reaching Star level, which in practical terms means this is a serious kitchen without the reservations difficulty or price escalation that Stars bring. At ¥¥¥¥, JULIA sits in Tokyo's leading price tier, but the absence of a Star means you can book without the three-month lead time that venues like RyuGin require. Booking here is rated Easy by Pearl's standards, which is a genuine advantage for travellers planning on shorter timelines.
The atmosphere at JULIA is intimate rather than formal. The Jingumae address, on a quiet stretch of 3 Chome in Shibuya, keeps the room away from the noise and foot traffic of Omotesando. Expect a calm, low-energy environment that suits a long dinner rather than a lively night out. The room's energy is set by the couple's presence: attentive without being theatrical, warm without being performative. For a special occasion dinner, a date, or a business meal where the conversation matters as much as the food, that register is an asset. The noise level will not compete with what's on the table.
For first-timers, the key practical detail is that JULIA operates a pairings-only omakase. There is no à la carte option, and there is no way to eat here without engaging with the wine programme. If you want to drink minimally or prefer to order from a list, this format won't suit you. But if you are interested in Japanese wine as a category, and particularly in how domestic producers from regions like Nagano, Yamanashi, or Ibaraki are being matched with Japanese ingredients, this is one of the more focused opportunities to explore that in Tokyo. You won't find this approach at hakunei or nôl, which operate with different service philosophies.
The question of whether JULIA is worth the ¥¥¥¥ price depends on what you're buying. The Michelin Plate places it below Star-level restaurants in the formal hierarchy, but the couple-run format, the Japanese wine focus, and the Ibaraki provenance create an experience that is harder to replicate elsewhere in the city. You are paying partly for a specific editorial stance on Japanese food and wine, and partly for the intimacy of a room where the two people who built the concept are the two people serving you. That service dynamic is what justifies the price tier more than any single dish.
For a broader picture of where JULIA sits within Tokyo's dining scene, our full Tokyo restaurants guide covers the range from accessible to top-tier. If you're extending your trip, comparable venues with strong regional identities include HAJIME in Osaka, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, and akordu in Nara. For contemporary reference points internationally, Jungsik in Seoul offers a comparable price tier with a different national cuisine argument.
JULIA is located at 3 Chome-1-25 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo. The format is omakase with pairings only; there is no à la carte. Booking difficulty is rated Easy. Price range is ¥¥¥¥. Awards: Michelin Plate 2024 and 2025. Chef: Nao Motohashi. Sommelier: Kenichiro Motohashi. Google rating: 4.7 (150 reviews). For Tokyo hotels near Jingumae, see our full Tokyo hotels guide. For bar recommendations in the neighbourhood, see our full Tokyo bars guide.
If JULIA's format doesn't suit your plans, Tokyo has strong alternatives at the same price tier. FUSOU, HYÈNE, and KIBUN each offer different formats and atmospheres. For experiences beyond dining, our full Tokyo experiences guide covers the broader picture. If you're exploring Japan further, Goh in Fukuoka, 1000 in Yokohama, and 6 in Okinawa are worth adding to the itinerary. For a global contemporary comparison, César in New York City operates in a similar register.
Yes, with one condition: you need to be genuinely interested in Japanese wine. The ¥¥¥¥ price tier includes a pairings-only structure, so the wine programme isn't optional. If you engage with it, the combination of Ibaraki-sourced ingredients, Nao's lighter contemporary cooking style, and Kenichiro's focus on domestic Japanese producers delivers a meal with a clear point of view. For the same budget at a Star-level venue, you'd get more formal recognition but likely less intimacy and a harder booking. JULIA's Michelin Plate status keeps reservations accessible without compromising the quality argument.
There is no ordering at JULIA. The format is a fixed omakase set with pairings only. Nao's cooking leans toward vegetables and fish paired with fruit, with most ingredients sourced from Ibaraki Prefecture. The menu is seasonal and changes based on what the kitchen is working with. Come with an open disposition toward the format rather than specific expectations.
The pairings-only structure is the most important thing to understand before you book. You cannot opt out of the wine pairing; it is the architecture of the meal. Kenichiro's sommelier work is built around Japanese wines, which will be unfamiliar territory for many international visitors. The address is in Jingumae, Shibuya, in a quieter part of the neighbourhood. The atmosphere is calm and intimate. Dress smart-casual; the room is serious without being stiff. Google reviews sit at 4.7 across 150 ratings, and Michelin has recognised the kitchen with a Plate in both 2024 and 2025.
Seating capacity and bar configuration are not confirmed in JULIA's public record. Given the couple-run, intimate omakase format, the room is likely small. Contact the restaurant directly to ask about seating options. Booking is rated Easy by Pearl's standards, so securing a reservation should not be difficult regardless of seating preference.
If the format suits you, yes. The omakase at JULIA is built around a specific thesis: Japanese ingredients from Ibaraki, paired with Japanese wines, prepared in a lighter, more personal style than traditional kaiseki. Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025 confirms the kitchen is operating at a credible level. The value case rests on the couple-run intimacy and the wine programme. If you want a tasting menu without a mandatory pairing, or prefer French wine with your Japanese food, consider L'Effervescence or HOMMAGE instead.
Group capacity is not confirmed in available data. The omakase format and couple-run operation suggest a small room, which typically limits group sizes. If you are planning a celebration dinner for four or more, contact the restaurant directly to confirm whether the space and format can accommodate your party before booking.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JULIA | Contemporary | Restaurant Julia, helmed by chef-sommelier duo Nao and Kenichiro Motohashi, balances the warmth of a neighbourhood gem with ambitious culinary artistry. The Motohashis, partners in both business and l...; The wife is the chef, the husband the sommelier in this couple-run restaurant. The omakase set menu consists of pairings only. An evangelist to the world for Japan as a terroire, JULIA specialises in Japanese foodstuffs and Japanese wines. Most ingredients come from Ibaraki Prefecture, where the husband was born and the restaurant originated. Uniquely, the couple favours pairings of vegetables and fish with fruit. Self-taught and freewheeling, the cuisine is colourful and light.; Michelin Plate (2025); Chef: Nao Motohashi document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() { var el = document.getElementById("Achievements_chefs"); if (el && el.parentNode) { el.parentNode.removeChild(el); } });; Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Harutaka | Sushi | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| L'Effervescence | French | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| RyuGin | Kaiseki, Japanese | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| HOMMAGE | Innovtive French, French | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Crony | Innovative, French | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how JULIA measures up.
At ¥¥¥¥, JULIA justifies its price point if you're committed to the omakase-with-pairings format. The 4.7 Google rating across 150 reviews is strong for a quietly positioned, couple-run spot in Jingumae. The distinctive angle — Japanese wines matched to vegetables, fish, and fruit from Ibaraki Prefecture — gives the experience a coherence most Tokyo contemporaries at this price tier don't attempt. If you want flexibility or à la carte, the price-to-value case weakens considerably.
There is no ordering at JULIA. The format is omakase with pairings only — no à la carte, no menu customisation. Chef Nao Motohashi builds a set sequence, and sommelier Kenichiro Motohashi pairs it entirely with Japanese wines. Accepting that constraint is the prerequisite for booking here.
The format is non-negotiable: pairings only, omakase only, Japanese wines only. Nao Motohashi is self-taught, and the cuisine skews vegetable-forward and fruit-paired rather than the protein-heavy progression many omakase diners expect. The restaurant originated in Ibaraki Prefecture, and most ingredients still come from there — so this is a regional Japanese perspective, not a Tokyo-centric one. Booking difficulty is rated high, so plan well in advance.
Seating configuration details are not available in the venue record, so confirming counter availability isn't possible here. What is documented is that JULIA is a couple-run restaurant with an omakase-only format, which typically means a small, fixed-capacity dining room. check the venue's official channels to clarify seating options before booking.
Yes, with one condition: the tasting menu IS the only option, and it comes with pairings built in. If the Japanese wine-pairing angle appeals — especially the fruit-and-vegetable matching philosophy that chef-sommelier duo Nao and Kenichiro Motohashi have built around Ibaraki ingredients — the ¥¥¥¥ price point earns its keep. If you'd rather direct your own wine choices or skip pairings entirely, JULIA is structurally the wrong venue.
JULIA is a small, couple-run omakase restaurant in Jingumae, and the venue record does not document private dining or group booking capacity. For parties larger than four, verify directly whether the format and room size can accommodate your group before committing at the ¥¥¥¥ price tier.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
