Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan
Fermentation-rooted omakase, easier to book than expected.
Sushiya Hajime in Kagurazaka holds back-to-back Michelin Plate recognition (2024, 2025) and a 4.8 Google rating, offering omakase grounded in ancient fish-preparation techniques at ¥¥¥ pricing — a tier below Tokyo's most competitive counters. For a special occasion or a serious sushi meal without the six-month waitlist, it is one of the better-value options in the city.
If you are choosing between a well-known Edomae counter in Tokyo and somewhere that takes a more considered approach to sushi's older foundations, Sushiya Hajime in Kagurazaka makes a compelling case for the latter. At ¥¥¥ pricing, it sits a tier below the city's most celebrated omakase rooms — places like Harutaka or Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongiten — which makes it one of the more accessible serious sushi options in the city. A Google rating of 4.8 across 45 reviews, plus back-to-back Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025, signals consistent quality without the three-month waitlist that accompanies a starred room. Book here if value-for-quality matters and you want something more philosophically grounded than a standard omakase tasting progression.
The name is doing real work here. The character for sushi in Sushiya Hajime refers specifically to fermented sushi, a deliberate nod to the origins of the form before vinegared rice became the default. "Hajime" translates as "beginning", and the kitchen applies that framing literally: fish is treated according to ancient techniques , salting, simmering, preparation methods that predate modern Edomae convention. For a diner who has eaten through Tokyo's contemporary sushi circuit, this register is noticeably different. For a first-timer at a Japanese counter, it is worth understanding before you sit down.
The omakase format here consists of numerous small pieces, offering wider variety per sitting than the more austere progression you would find at Sushi Kanesaka or Edomae Sushi Hanabusa. The small-piece format is deliberate , variety and commitment to quality are both prioritised, and the service is described as attentive enough that the skill behind each piece is made legible to the guest. That matters for a special occasion booking, where the experience needs to hold across a full sitting rather than peak in the middle.
Address puts you on the second floor of a building in Kagurazaka, Shinjuku City , a neighbourhood that rewards an evening arrival, with its mix of French-influenced alleys and quiet, residential-scale streets. Kagurazaka is meaningfully different from the Ginza sushi corridor, and that difference carries through to the room's atmosphere. If you have been working through our full Tokyo restaurants guide, Sushiya Hajime fills a specific gap: classical technique, non-standard price point, neighbourhood setting.
Editorial angle here is relevant: Sushiya Hajime's assigned emphasis is on what the morning or weekend format delivers. Hours are not confirmed in the available data, so a specific service schedule cannot be stated. What the available record does confirm is that the omakase structure , numerous small pieces, attentive service, a philosophy rooted in variety , is well-suited to a longer, unhurried sitting. A weekend omakase session at a counter of this type tends to run at a different pace than a weekday dinner, and the Kagurazaka neighbourhood makes the before-and-after logistics easy: the area has good coffee, wine bars, and the kind of walking streets that make a long Tokyo afternoon worthwhile. If you are planning a special occasion trip and want to build a day around a lunch counter rather than anchor everything to an evening reservation, Sushiya Hajime is worth considering , though confirming current lunch availability directly with the restaurant before booking is advisable.
For a celebration or a date night, the value proposition here is clearer than at the city's top-tier sushi rooms. You are getting Michelin-recognised quality, a counter that takes its philosophy seriously, and a price tier that does not require you to justify the booking against a ¥¥¥¥ alternative. For a business meal, the room's intimate Kagurazaka setting works better than the formal Ginza rooms, where the atmosphere can feel transactional. Compare this to Hiroo Ishizaka for a similarly considered but kaiseki-adjacent experience at a comparable investment level.
If your occasion requires something with greater international recognition, Harutaka carries more weight as a name. But if the meal itself is the point rather than the credential, Sushiya Hajime delivers more per yen spent.
Reservations: Booking is rated Easy , significantly more accessible than the city's starred sushi counters, though the 4.8 rating means demand is real; book as early as your schedule allows. Budget: ¥¥¥ , mid-tier by Tokyo omakase standards, below the ¥¥¥¥ rooms but not an inexpensive meal by any standard. Location: Kagurazaka, Shinjuku City , second floor, accessible from the main neighbourhood streets. Dress: Not formally specified; smart casual is appropriate for a counter of this calibre. Group size: Counter omakase works leading for two; confirm with the restaurant for larger groups. Nearby: Kagurazaka pairs well with an evening or afternoon itinerary; see our full Tokyo bars guide and our full Tokyo experiences guide for pairing suggestions.
If you are building a wider Japan itinerary, sushi at this level of philosophical specificity is worth comparing to what is available elsewhere. Gion Sasaki in Kyoto and HAJIME in Osaka represent the Kansai end of serious Japanese dining at comparable or higher investment levels. For regional variety, Goh in Fukuoka and akordu in Nara offer strong alternatives if your itinerary extends beyond the capital. In the wider Asia sushi context, Sushi Shikon in Hong Kong and Shoukouwa in Singapore are the most direct regional comparisons, though neither replicates the neighbourhood intimacy of a Kagurazaka counter. For Tokyo hotel planning around a booking like this, our full Tokyo hotels guide covers the leading base options by area. Also worth noting: 1000 in Yokohama and 6 in Okinawa round out the broader Kanto and island dining picture if day-trip options are on your itinerary.
Yes, at the ¥¥¥ tier, it delivers more than most counters at this price point in Tokyo. The Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025 and a 4.8 Google rating across 45 reviews indicate consistent quality. For the same budget, you are unlikely to find a counter with this level of philosophical grounding in the Ginza corridor. If your benchmark is a ¥¥¥¥ room like Harutaka, the service depth may differ, but the quality-to-cost ratio at Sushiya Hajime is strong.
Booking is rated Easy relative to Tokyo's competitive omakase market, meaning you are not looking at the three-to-six month lead time required for starred rooms. That said, with a 4.8 rating and Michelin recognition, this is not a walk-in counter. A two-to-three week advance booking is a reasonable minimum for weekday sittings; weekend slots, particularly if you are targeting a specific special occasion date, warrant booking further out. Contact the restaurant directly to confirm availability and any reservation requirements.
The omakase here is structured as numerous small pieces rather than the more minimal progression common at higher-priced Tokyo counters. That format favours variety and keeps the pacing engaging across a full sitting, which is well-suited to a celebratory meal. Given the ¥¥¥ pricing and Michelin Plate standing, the omakase represents good value in Tokyo's tasting-menu market. If you want a more stripped-back, austere progression, a room like Sushi Kanesaka may suit you better.
The omakase set meal is the format here , there is no confirmed a la carte option in the available record. The kitchen's distinguishing approach involves fish prepared using ancient techniques including salting and simmering, referencing fermented sushi traditions rather than strictly modern Edomae style. Specific dish names and seasonal variations are not available in the current data; the counter's attentive service means the chef will guide the sitting. Trust the progression and note any dietary requirements at the time of booking.
Name signals the philosophy: this counter references the earliest forms of sushi culture, including fermented preparations, which means the experience will differ from a standard Tokyo omakase. For a first-timer at any omakase counter, the format is chef-led with no menu choices , you eat what is prepared in the order it arrives. At ¥¥¥, this is a more approachable entry point to serious Tokyo sushi than the ¥¥¥¥ rooms. The Kagurazaka location is easy to reach and the neighbourhood makes it a good anchor for a full evening. See our full Tokyo restaurants guide for wider context on how this counter fits the city's sushi map.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sushiya Hajime | Sushi | The character for ‘sushi’ in Sushiya Hajime refers specifically to fermented sushi, harking back to the beginnings of sushi culture. ‘Hajime’ means ‘beginning’, expressing the chef’s desire to see the sushi world with a newcomer’s eyes, as when he used to be sent to select fish at the market. Fish is prepared according to ancient practices such as salting and simmering. Omakase set meals consist of numerous pieces of sushi formed small, affording rich variety and commitment to quality is uncompromising, which is deeply satisfying. Finely honed skills shine in attentive service.; Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| 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 | — |
Comparing your options in Tokyo for this tier.
At ¥¥¥, Sushiya Hajime sits in the mid-to-upper range for Tokyo omakase — below the top-tier starred rooms, but with a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025 confirming the quality. The philosophical angle (ancient salting and simmering techniques, small-formed pieces for variety) gives it a point of difference that justifies the spend over a generic high-end counter. If you want recognised craft without the ¥¥¥¥ premium of a starred seat, the value case is solid.
Booking is rated Easy relative to Tokyo's competitive sushi scene, so you won't need months of lead time the way you would for a Michelin-starred counter like Harutaka. That said, a 4.8 rating signals real demand — aim for two to three weeks out to secure your preferred date. Weekend evenings will fill faster than weekday lunch slots.
Yes, particularly if you have eaten omakase elsewhere in Tokyo and want something with a distinct identity. The set here is structured around numerous small-formed sushi pieces, which maximises variety across the meal — a different proposition from counters that lean on fewer, larger-format pieces. The fermented sushi philosophy gives the progression a coherence that makes the format feel purposeful rather than formulaic.
Sushiya Hajime operates on an omakase format, so the menu is chef-led — you are not selecting individual dishes. The kitchen's focus is fish prepared through ancient techniques including salting and simmering, so expect the selection to reflect those methods rather than a standard Edomae repertoire. Trust the set; that is what the counter is built around.
The name signals intent: 'Hajime' means 'beginning', and the counter takes sushi's fermented origins seriously rather than treating them as a marketing footnote. It is located on the second floor in Kagurazaka, a neighbourhood better known for its French bistros and traditional machiya alleys than for sushi — which means the walk to the restaurant is quieter than you'd get near Ginza. With a Michelin Plate and accessible booking, this is a lower-friction entry point into serious omakase for Tokyo first-timers.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
