Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan
Michelin counter sushi, hard to book, worth it.
Sushi Ichijo holds a Michelin star and brings rigorous Edo-style technique to a quieter Higashinihonbashi counter at ¥¥¥ — a tier below the most expensive Tokyo sushi rooms. Chef Satoshi Ichijo's red-vinegar rice and comparison-tasting preparations signal a kitchen where sourcing decisions drive the menu. Book well in advance; a hotel concierge call is the most reliable route to a reservation.
Sushi Ichijo is the right call for a special occasion dinner when you want Michelin-recognised Edo-style sushi without climbing to the four-symbol price tier. If you are planning a significant date night, a business meal where quality signals matter, or a solo pilgrimage to one of Tokyo's more considered sushi counters, this is a credible choice. If your priority is pure prestige or you want the most celebrated name on your receipt, Harutaka or Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongiten operate at a higher price point and carry heavier reputations. Ichijo is the option where you get Michelin credibility at ¥¥¥, not ¥¥¥¥.
Sushi Ichijo holds a Michelin star (2024) and a ranking of #548 on Opinionated About Dining's Leading Restaurants in Japan list for 2025, placing it firmly within the serious but not stratospheric tier of Tokyo sushi. The address is 3 Chome-1-3 Higashinihonbashi in Chuo City — east of the traditional sushi heartland around Ginza, but historically connected to Tokyo's old merchant quarters, where Edo-style sushi has deep roots. The neighbourhood is quieter than central Ginza, which shapes the mood: this is not a loud room.
The atmosphere at a counter like this runs composed and deliberate. Expect the kind of focus that comes with a small, skilled kitchen operating at pace: low conversation between pieces, attention on the chef, and a rhythm dictated by the sequence of nigiri rather than by the clock. It is not a room for extended side conversations if you are sitting at the counter. For a special occasion where the meal itself is the event, that restraint is a feature, not a limitation.
Chef Satoshi Ichijo works within the Edo-style tradition — a discipline defined by specific sourcing choices and technique rather than by a sprawling ingredient list. The Michelin documentation notes that Japanese halfbeak and horse mackerel are accented with ginger and a mirin-soy reduction, and that simmered conger eel is served in two preparations: salted and sauce-dipped, side by side, so the diner can compare. That comparison-tasting approach is a deliberate sourcing and technique statement. It tells you that the kitchen is confident enough in its ingredient quality to let two versions of the same fish make the argument. Rice is seasoned with red vinegar rather than the more common white vinegar , a marker of Edomae authenticity and a choice that affects flavour balance across the entire meal.
These decisions point to a kitchen where sourcing is the foundation, not the garnish. Edo-style sushi at this level is built on the quality and selection of fish, the skill of the aging and curing process, and the precision of vinegar-seasoned rice. When a menu highlights specific preparations for halfbeak and horse mackerel , fish that are relatively modest in prestige compared to tuna or sea urchin , it signals that the sourcing philosophy extends to the whole counter, not just the headline pieces. That is what justifies the price tier and separates this from a technically competent but ingredient-agnostic sushi experience.
For comparison, Sushi Kanesaka and Edomae Sushi Hanabusa also operate within the Edomae tradition in Tokyo, each with its own approach to rice seasoning and fish sourcing. If Edo-style sushi is the format you want to explore across a visit, comparing two or three counters across different meals is a legitimate strategy in Tokyo, where the density of quality at this tier is genuinely high.
If you are also considering other Tokyo dining options during your trip, Hiroo Ishizaka offers a different register entirely, and our full Tokyo restaurants guide covers the range of options across cuisines and price tiers. For wider trip planning, see also our Tokyo hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide.
If you are building a Japan itinerary beyond Tokyo, comparable serious sushi and kaiseki experiences exist at Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, HAJIME in Osaka, and Goh in Fukuoka. For Edomae-style sushi outside Japan, Sushi Shikon in Hong Kong and Shoukouwa in Singapore are the regional reference points worth knowing.
Booking difficulty at Sushi Ichijo is rated hard. At a Michelin-starred sushi counter in Tokyo operating at ¥¥¥, demand reliably exceeds availability. Book as far in advance as possible , weeks, not days. Walk-in availability is not something to plan around. No booking method, phone number, or website is confirmed in Pearl's current data; the most reliable approach is to ask your hotel concierge to call on your behalf, or to check reservation platforms that aggregate Tokyo sushi counters. A concierge call in Japanese is often the practical difference between a booking and a waitlist.
| Detail | Sushi Ichijo | Harutaka | Sushi Kanesaka |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisine | Edomae Sushi | Sushi | Edomae Sushi |
| Price tier | ¥¥¥ | ¥¥¥¥ | ¥¥¥¥ |
| Michelin | 1 Star (2024) | Yes | Yes |
| Booking difficulty | Hard | Hard | Hard |
| Leading for | Special occasion, solo | Prestige splurge | Edomae purists |
| Neighbourhood | Higashinihonbashi | Ginza area | Ginza area |
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sushi Ichijo | Sushi | The chef defends the traditions and skills of Edo-style sushi while showing creativity with some innovations of his own. Japanese halfbeak and horse mackerel are accented with ginger and mirin–soy reduction; simmered conger eel is served both salted and dipped in eel sauce for taste comparison. Nigiri is shaped using rice seasoned with red vinegar—a showcase of techniques cultivated over years of experience. Treading the path of the sushi chef was a dream in his teenage years. Steady devotion to craft is a lesson learned from sushi.; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Japan Ranked #548 (2025); Michelin 1 Star (2024) | Hard | — |
| Harutaka | Sushi | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| RyuGin | Kaiseki, Japanese | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| L'Effervescence | French | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| HOMMAGE | Innovtive French, French | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Florilège | French | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
check the venue's official channels before booking — omakase formats at Michelin-starred sushi counters in Tokyo are built around a fixed sequence of fish-led courses, leaving little room for substitution. Shellfish or finfish allergies are especially difficult to accommodate at this price point and format. If dietary restrictions are significant, a kaiseki restaurant may offer more flexibility.
Harutaka in Ginza is a direct alternative at a comparable tier — Michelin-recognised, Edo-style, and similarly difficult to book. For a step up in prestige and price, RyuGin offers a more theatrical multi-course format. If you want Edo-style sushi at a slightly lower booking difficulty, exploring counters outside central Tokyo can yield Michelin Bib Gourmand options at lower cost.
No dress code is confirmed in available venue data, but the setting — a Michelin-starred sushi counter in Chuo City — calls for neat, understated clothes. Avoid heavy perfume or cologne, which is standard etiquette at any serious sushi counter in Japan, as it interferes with the subtlety of the fish.
Yes, at ¥¥¥, Sushi Ichijo's Michelin-recognised format delivers clear technical value: red-vinegar-seasoned rice, Edo-style shaping, and specific course comparisons like salted versus sauce-dipped conger eel are the kind of deliberate craft touches that justify the price. If you want to eat à la carte or prefer variety over precision, this counter format is not the right fit.
Counter seating is the standard format at a sushi restaurant of this type — the chef works directly in front of guests, which is central to the Edo-style experience at Sushi Ichijo. Specific seating configurations are not confirmed in available data, so contact the restaurant when booking if a particular seat matters to you.
At ¥¥¥ with a 2024 Michelin star and an OAD ranking of #548 in Japan for 2025, Sushi Ichijo sits at a price point justified by verifiable recognition rather than hype. The Edo-style technique — red vinegar rice, fish-specific accents, deliberate course comparisons — points to a kitchen focused on craft over spectacle. For the price, you are paying for precision; if that trade-off suits you, it is worth it.
Yes — a Michelin-starred Edo-style counter in Tokyo is a strong choice for a dinner that needs to mark something. The format is focused and the setting is serious without being showy. Book as far ahead as possible given the hard booking difficulty; last-minute availability at this tier in Tokyo is rare.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
