The Best Sushi Near Gen Hakone Gora, by the Record

1. Michelin Guide 1 Star

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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A standup sushi bar, no stools, no snacks, no omakase theater. This Sasazuka counter serves nigiri only, piece by piece, in the spirit of the Edo street stalls that invented the form. The chef is openly skeptical of sushi's upmarket drift, and the room reflects that. The Michelin Guide awarded it a Bib Gourmand, which probably amuses him. Regulars lean on the counter and talk to him like a neighbor, because that's exactly what he is.

1. Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand

An omakase sushi counter in a residential corner of Setagaya where the chef structures the meal like a rakugo performance, light snacks setting the scene before the sushi proper begins. The progression moves from delicate squid through tuna, peaks with gizzard shad, and closes with egg. The chef occasionally breaks the fourth wall with a remark to the room, which is either charming or slightly theatrical depending on your mood.

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant

A sushi counter in Shimomeguro where the name nods to the chef's daughter and, quietly, to his favorite rock band. The team moves like it. Tuna is sliced thin and stacked high so the fat melts on contact, and the house roll combines tuna, sea urchin, and salmon roe in a way that feels almost excessive, which is the point. The energy in the room is genuine and a little infectious.

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant