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Best Japanese Restaurants around the World

Best Japanese Restaurants around the World

Here’s the ultimate list for the best Japanese restaurants around the world submitted by local JOC readers.  Thank you so much for contributing to make this wonderful list!  If your favorite local restaurant is not shown below, please leave a comment on this post with name (website if you know), city, and country.  Thank you!

You can also read JOC readers’ notes for each restaurant in the comment section.

If you want to know Japanese grocery stores around the world, please click here.

Note: I’ll be adding them one by one when I get a chance.  The comments without my response means that I haven’t added to the list. 🙂

Countries

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ARGENTINA

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AUSTRALIA

Canberra

New South Wales

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Victoria

Western Australia

Online Stores

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AUSTRIA

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BELGIUM

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BRAZIL

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CANADA

Alberta

British Columbia

Manitoba

Nova Scotia

Ontario

Québec

Saskatchewan

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CHILE

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CHINA

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COLOMBIA

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CROATIA

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CYPRUS

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CZECH REPUBLIC

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DENMARK

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FINLAND

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FRANCE

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GERMANY

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GUAM

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HONG KONG

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HUNGARY

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INDIA

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INDONESIA

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IRELAND

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ISRAEL

  • Men Tenten Ramen B in Tel aviv
    2. Vegan traditional Japanese cooking, they make their own tofu: Tofu- AN in Derech HaAtsma’ut 74, Binyamina.

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ITALY

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JAMAICA

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JAPAN

  • Hiina No Yu in Wakayama

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KOREA

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MALAYSIA

  • Miyagi in Bandar Baru Bangi in Selangor

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MEXICO

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NETHERLANDS

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NEW ZEALAND

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NORWAY

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PAKISTAN

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PERU

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PHILIPPINES

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POLAND

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PORTUGAL

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ROMANIA

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SCOTLAND

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SINGAPORE

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SLOVAKIA

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SLOVENIA

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SOUTH AFRICA

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SPAIN

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SWITZERLAN

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SWEDEN

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TAIWAN

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THAILAND

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UNITED KINGDOM

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UNITED STATES

Alabama

Alaska

Arkansas

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Arizona

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California – Northern

California – Southern

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Colorado

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Connecticut

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Florida

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Georgia

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Hawaii

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Idaho

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Illinois

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Indiana

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Iowa

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Kansas

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Kentucky

Ramen Ya, Lexington in Kentucky

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Maryland

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Massachusetts

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Maryland

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Michigan

Ajishin in Novi, Michigan

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Minnesota

Mississippi

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Missouri

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Montana

Nebraska

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Nevada

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New Hampshire

New Mexico

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New Jersey

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New York

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North Carolina

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North Dakota

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Ohio

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Oklahoma

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Oregon

Syun Izakaya in Hillsboro, Oregon

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Pennsylvania

Issei Noodle in downtown Lancaster

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Road Island

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South Carolina

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Tennessee

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Texas

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Utah

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Virginia

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Washington

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Washington DC

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Wisconsin

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VIETNAM

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  3. Miho G

    Southern California
    Nannbankan (Santa Monica) https://www.yelp.com/biz/nanbankan-los-angeles
    Their Yakitoris are very authentic
    Sushi Gen (Little Tokyo) http://www.sushigen-dtla.com/
    Their Nigiris are so much more like ones in Japan. Pricy but it’s place to go for traditional authentic Sushi
    Kanpai Sushi (Marina Del Ray) http://kanpai-sushi.net/
    It’s bit more reasonable than Sushi Gen but still serves authentic Japanese food including Sushi. I’ve met owner before. She is all about keeping authenticity. They have great selection of Sake not just typical ones that you see in Japanese grocery stores.

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  4. Koren Ramos

    Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
    Dwarf no Cachette – a wonderful little Japanese cafe that specializes in authentic Japanese food.
    Kyu Bistro – another wonderful cafe that has a great variety of ramen and home of the Hiroshima hot dog.

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  6. Michiko

    Hi Nami! Here are some of my favorite places here in Washington state!

    Tsukushinbo (Seattle, WA)
    Issian (Seattle, WA in Wallingford neighborhood)
    Taka Sushi (Lynnwood, WA- They are the only place that I know of that serves Okinawa Soba in Washington!)

    We have alot of izakaya type and sushi places, but these ones stood out the most. I’ll keep you updated when I discover some more great ones!

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    • Thank you Michiko! This is wonderful! Wow, I don’t know any place around here in the bay area that serves Okinawa Soba! How cool! Thank you for your list. I look forward to adding more of your favorite from you. 🙂

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  7. Chris Tao

    Sushi Sake – Richardson, Texas
    Yama Izakaya & Sushi – Preston Road, Plano, TX
    Sutadonya – Legacy Drive, Plano, TX

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  9. Amy

    Oh my goodness. There’s soooo many amazing Japanese restaurants in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Kishimoto, Guu, Kingyo, Santouka (ramen), Yama Café, Raisu, Zakkusshi, Minami, Miku just to name a few.

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  10. Josh Symons

    In Melbourne there is Tetsujin for kaiten sushi and yakiniku
    Gypsy and Pig for Tonkatsu
    Gensuke for Ramen
    Izakaya Chuji for izakaya style and many many many more!

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  11. Raven

    Oh boy where to start….
    Let’s start on the cheaper side. If you’re looking for your standard fair with some creative Americanized rolls Sushi Blvd in Sunnyvale is my recommendation. The best futo maki I’ve had is there. Everything I’ve had has been good and portions are on the larger size.
    For good cheap ramen it’s hard to go wrong with Maru Ichi in Mountain View. One warning though, is that this is a cash only place.
    For your standard price range and standard fair I’d recommend Akane Japanese Restaurant in Los Altos, Kanpai in Palo Alto, or Octopus in Menlo Park. These are your classic Japanese restaurants that you can find around the country but they are always good to have as a fall back. Kanpai doesn’t do bento boxes if your into that though. For a restaurant that does practically all I recommend Seto Japanese Cuisine in Sunnyvale. It’s a bit out of the way but prices and food are good and the menu is truly long with some dishes you don’t traditionally see served at restaurants.
    On the pricier side my first recommendation is Fuki Sushi in Palo Alto. It has an extensive menu and if I remember correctly also has a tatami room if you’re looking for that.
    After that I’d recommend Sumika in Los Altos. It’s far from your traditional restaurant with most of it’s menu items being grilled. Though not the greatest place for vegetarians it is possible to make it work. I would consider it to be more of an upscale izakaya. Only warning is you have to get to it through a parking lot as there is no streetside access.
    I’ll undoubtedly think of more but these were the first few that popped into my head. We’re lucky to have so many restaurants in the Bay Area!

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  16. Samantha lee

    Singapore
    Teppei Japanese Restaurant
    1 Tras Link #01-18 Orchid Hotel (Tanjong Pagar MRT) Tel:+65 6222 7363 (Please call to reserve seats)
    Open daily: 12 noon – 2.30 pm; 6.30 pm – 10.30 pm

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  17. Michal

    Great idea!
    New country to the list: Israel

    1. Ramen: MEN TEN TEN in Tel aviv, Israel.
    2. Vegan traditional Japanese cooking, they make their own tofu: Tofu- AN in Derech HaAtsma’ut 74, Binyamina.

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  19. Laurie Draegeth

    All of these in the United States:
    Yoshimatsu, Tucson, Arizona;
    Samurai, Tucson, Arizona;
    Ikkyu, Tucson, Arizona

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  20. Charlotte Tham

    Nanbantei in Singapore is one of the best place to get some good yakitori. The place is small and the food is authentic. Price is reasonable too. This is a place where I will go for my Japanese fix for yakitori

    14 Scotts Road #05-132,
    Far East Plaza
    Singapore (228213)

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  21. Natasha

    I live in Barcelona- Kibuka on Calle Goya or Calle Verdi is the best Japanese there. Really delicious, lots of variety, but their classic rolls and nigiri are fantastic

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  22. Natasha

    London- Cafe Japan on Finchley Road. Tiny place run by Japanese people. I’ve been going there with my family for over 20 years. It’s changed hands over the years but still very good.

    New Zealand- When I was in a city called Dunedin, I went to a sushi place called Jizo. Brilliant!

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  26. Marnille Umawing

    Just the thought of sharing this comment makes me salivate and run to the nearest Japanese resto in my place. Now, her are my favorite places:

    For Katsu – Yabu: The House of Katsu ( http://www.munchpunch.com/yabu-house-of-katsu)
    For Ramen – Ippudo (http://www.ippudoph.com/)
    For Rice Bowls – Ooma (http://www.munchpunch.com/ooma-sm-megamall/menu)
    For Sushi and Sashimi – Minami Saki by Astoria (http://www.astoriaplaza.com/index.php/facilities/dining/15-minami-saki-japanese-restaurant)

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  27. Ricardo López

    FRANCE:
    Strasbourg: MATSUMOTOYA: http://restaurant-matsumotoya.com/
    A resto 100% japanese with a menu that explores traditional japanese cuisine. There is no sushi. Delivery available, it includes bentos too! Reservation is almost mandatory, because the place is commonly at its full capacity.

    Paris: Kodawari Raimen: https://www.kodawari-ramen.com/
    One of the most popular noodles bar at this moment in Paris. Great deco, good ramen with local products. Commonly u will need to wait to get a table.

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  31. Gen Sumiko T.

    In Canada – Quebec – Quebec City
    I suggest Tora-ya Ramen and Hosaka-ya Sushi. The only 2 restaurant in the city iwned by Japanese.
    In Canada – Ontario – Toronto/Etobicoke
    I suggest Ginko restaurant
    In France – Paris
    I suggest restaurant Zen and Kunitoraya
    In France – Bordeaux
    I suggest restaurant le café japonais
    I hope this helps!

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  33. For Singapore, I will encourage two .. IZY, on Club Street — the BEST miso soup ever (oh, and all the main stuff fab too…) and The Flying Squirrel off Telok Ayer Road — it’s a ‘hole in the wall’ with a great Malaysian/Japanese chef, the right amount of attitude

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  34. Kim Vanelderen

    This is a great idea!

    My favourite Japanese restaurant in Brussels is “Sakagura (bento and sake bar)”. It’s a smaller restaurant specialised in bento, donburi, sake and snacks that go well with sake. At lunch time, their “don of the day” and “bento of the day” are usually great value.

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  43. Tyler

    These are all southern California. Fun fact…many of the really authentic everyday Japanese places are not in the city of LA…but instead in Torrance/Gardena. I haven’t had a chance to get over there too much, but there are a lot of highly rated izakaya, yakitori, ramen, etc. This is in large part due to the fact that until recently, all of the major Japanese automakers had their US headquarters there.

    Similarly, if you ever want authentic Chinese food, I have literally nowhere to recommend in the city of LA, all the good stuff is in the San Gabriel Valley. So yes, basically do the opposite of what you would do in any other city…go to the suburbs!

    Torihei in Torrance
    Otafuku Noodle House in Gardena
    Marugame Monzo in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles
    Gyutan Tsukasa in the Mitsuwa Marketplace in Costa Mesa
    Cream Pan in Tustin

    There are dozens of ramen places, but ever since we’ve gotten back from Japan I haven’t been impressed with any of them :((

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  47. The best Japanese restaurant in Chicago is Kaizan in my opinion. Their premium omakase is amazing, creative and really good value. It is a small restaurant, so reservation is strongly recommended.

    Roka Akor, also in Chicago, has some delicious dishes such as miso black cod, grilled Japanese wagyu beef and green tea custard. I don’t recommend sushi rolls here though.

    As for ramen restaurants in Chicago, I like Wasabi and Ramen Takeya.

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  50. Jackie

    These are all in Toronto, Ontario (Canada). Zakkushi for yakitori. Ematei for all round. Hiro Sushi, Zen Japanese for sushi.

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  51. Rochelle

    Hi Nami, here are a few Japanese-owned South Bay places you and the family might be interested in!

    Izakaya-style:
    – Gochi Japanese Fusion Tapas (Cupertino; Gamba Karaoke next door!)
    – En Japanese Tapas (Santa Clara)
    – Dan Izakaya Restaurant (San Jose)

    Sushi:
    – Tomi Sushi (San Jose, next to Mitsuwa Marketplace)
    – Sushi Tomi (Mountain View location; same as above)

    Ramen:
    – Taka Ramen (San Jose; Authentic Hakata-style)
    – Shalala Ramen (Mountain View)

    Japanese Curry:
    – Curry House Restaurants Cupertino (chain, great kid plates!)

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  52. Stefan pennefather

    Australia Queensland Cairns
    riki yakiniku good Japanese BBQ for anyone up north
    Or Ganbaranaba if you feel like Ramen

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  55. Adalberto Ikegami

    Sushi Nami – São Paulo – Brazil http://www.sushinamisp.com.br
    It Sushi – São Paulo – Brazil
    http://www.itsushi.com
    Aoyama – São Paulo – Brazil
    http://www.restauranteaoyama.com.br
    Sushi Lika – São Paulo – Brazil
    https://m.facebook.com/pages/Sushi-Lika/196153150413474
    DJAPA São Paulo – Brazil
    http://www.djapa.com.br
    Nosu culinaria japonesa – São Paulo – Brazil
    http://www.nosu.com.br/phone/index.html
    Karaoke porque sim – São Paulo – Brazil
    http://www.karaokeboxporquesim.com.br
    Aska – São Paulo – Brazil
    https://restaurantesjaponeses.com.br/aska
    Kazu – São Paulo – Brazil
    http://lamenkazu.com.br
    Tanabe’s – Maringá – Brazil
    http://www.restaurantetanabes.com.br

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  57. Eliane

    As a JOC-Fan and having lived in kobe for one year, I can highly recommend https://www.nikonikotei.de/ in Mainz. It‘s a cute japanese restaurant, owned and runned by japanese people. They have quite a lot of different dishes and it tastes originally like back in my days in Japan.

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  59. Steve & Paula W.

    Thank you for your great website – we’re cooking out-of-this-world ramen and donburi now because of you! I recommend the Sakura Japanese Restaurant; Church Corner Mall; Riccarton Rd.; Christchurch, New Zealand. Also, just down the walkway from Sakura is Patisserie Yahagi, a Japanese pastry & dessert place. The two of them together make a great combo – have dinner at Sakura, and pick up some pastries at Yahagi on the way out.

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  60. Lindsey Nguyen

    I personally want to recommend Shiki Japanese Restaurant in London. Very homey and the food delicious

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  62. JC Yama at Rotterdam is the best I’ve eaten in The Netherlands (in my opinion, it’s better than Michelin star Okura in Amsterdam). Owner chef Hiroaki Yamamoto previously worked at Okura, and loves creating cuisines that unique local ingredients that include herbs, grasses and wild plants he finds in the Netherlands. Every visit is highly memorable experience.

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  65. Dominic Audy

    Montréal, Canada. Nozy. http://www.restaurantnozy.ca

    It’s an authentic teishoku restaurant with a little Northern Japan twist (the owner-chef is from Hokkaido). Super seasonal – the menu is short and changes constantly. Typical: Kamo Nanban Soba, Anko Nabe, Uni Don, kaisen don, crab dishes,, always a sashimi option and a yakiniku option and a grilled fish, and the one soup three sides meal that evolves all year.

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    • Reese

      Nozy sounds wonderful! Thanks for letting us know, Dominic. It’s nice when a restaurant changes things up based on seasons.

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  69. Giulia

    Hi Nami, in Florence (Italy) my favorite Japanese restaurants are: 1 Iyo-Iyo Sushi
    2 Banki Ramen
    3 Mangiappone (take-away).
    Have a nice day!

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  73. Las Vegas has a huge japanese community. Here are my favorites:
    – aburiya raku
    – sweets raku
    – kabuto
    – izakaya go
    – hachi
    – ramen sora
    – trattoria nakamura-ya
    – kame omakase
    – sushi takashi
    – hashi (ramen)
    – sekushi

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    • Reese

      What a great list, Alex. And 5 stars for Kame Omakase? It must be amazing! Thanks for sharing your favorites with us.

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  75. Jolee

    Domo in Denver, CO! Traditional Japanese homestyle country cooking, with unique and super cool ambience. There is also a really neat little museum connected to the restaurant and a lovely garden. We love this place!!

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    • Reese

      Sounds like a must-stop place if anyone ever visits Denver! What a great concept to incorporate Japanese homestyle cooking with a museum and a garden in a modern interpretation. We’d love to visit! Thank you Jolee.

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      • Vincenzo Catano

        You’re welcome!
        I almost forgot, there’s also Poporoya in Milan that is another big star. There are two location: a sushi bar and a restaurant.
        The sushi bar is famous here for his cirashi( a bit modified and “improved”) but has also typical dishes. The restaurant, on the other hand, at lunch offers set menus that every time take me back to Japan. I hope you’ll appreciate my opinion! 🙂

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        • Reese

          Of course, we’d love to have your contribution. Added Poporoya sushi bar and the restaurant to Milan. Thanks so much, Vincenzo.

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  79. Molly

    Hi there! I absolutely love Issei Noodle in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania USA! There’s an anime convention there every year and Issei Noodle is right down the street! I absolutely love their Tonkatsu ramen. They have lots of vegetarian options, too!

    http://www.isseinoodle.com/

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  81. I think you missed one in Las Vegas. Osaka, the oldest Japanese Restaurant Vegas, continues to shin with their premium quality of sushi. Don’t get me wrong, the others are great, just should have added Osaka Japanese Bistro too. Thanks for sharing as it is a great list as we travel.

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    • Reese

      Thanks for letting us know. That’s we rely on readers like you to build on the list. Osaka Japanese Bistro is now added to Las Vegas:)

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  84. Yen

    Adelaide, Sa, Australia:
    Ryo’s noodles
    Nagomi
    Nishiki
    Ichitaro
    Ginza miyako
    Wasai
    En
    Contemporary Japanese deli

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  87. Scott Haithcock

    H&L Asian Market
    5300 Rivers Avenue
    North Charleston, South Carolina
    Great selection of diverse Asian products-Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, etc.

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