Some dining experiences exist only in Japan. This book introduces 50 restaurants that define why Japan remains the world’s most compelling dining destination. If you plan to eat in Japan, these are the places you cannot afford to miss.

This is not a guide shaped by stars, rankings, or trends, but a singular selection curated by a top foodie who has spent decades dining across the world. Over more than 50 years, the author has visited tens of thousands of restaurants, repeatedly returning to Japan-where cuisine is expressed as culture, craft, and philosophy. From this perspective, she selects 50 restaurants that stand above all others.

The sole criterion is simple: could this experience exist anywhere else? Only those that are truly irreplaceable are included-places that cannot be copied or recreated. These restaurants are rooted in their land, their seasons, their chefs, and their moment in time.

This book goes beyond the plate, exploring each chef’s background, culinary lineage, and the ideas behind every dish. Through in-depth interviews, readers discover not only what is served, but why it exists.

All photographs are taken by the author herself, capturing vivid, living moments that reflect the true essence of each experience. Together, words and images document Japanese dining as a living tradition, constantly evolving.

The book is presented in both English and Japanese.

Written by one of Japan’s most respected food critics and a four-time recipient of Tabelog’s Reviewer Award Gold, this work carries a clear wish: that readers will come to Japan for these 50 restaurants-and through them, encounter the depth and beauty of Japanese cuisine.


日本語要約

本書は、日本でしか体験できない特別な食体験に焦点を当て、世界中を食べ歩いた著者が厳選した50のレストランを紹介する一冊です。評価や流行ではなく、「他では再現できないか」という唯一の基準で選ばれた店だけを収録しています。

料理だけでなく、シェフの背景や技術の系譜、料理に込められた思想にも迫り、日本の食文化の本質を多角的に描き出します。掲載写真はすべて著者自身が撮影したもので、その場の臨場感や一瞬の輝きを伝えます。

英語と日本語の併記により、国内外の読者に向けて、日本料理の奥深さと美しさを体感させる内容となっています。