"Ichiro Ozaki's sushi-kappo counter held a Michelin star for nine straight years — book the private room to close a deal."
About Ozaki
Ichiro Ozaki was thirty-five when he opened his own room in Azabu-Juban in February 2006. The son of a sushi chef, he trained in kaiseki at a Ginza restaurant while teaching himself sushi at the family shop, and the restaurant he built runs both traditions in a single seating: a procession of seasonal kappo dishes that lands, at the end, on sushi. The formula carried the counter to nine consecutive years of one Michelin star in the Tokyo guide. It remains one of the quietest serious bookings in the Tokyo dining guide — a hideout on a back street three minutes from Azabu-Juban station.
The Kitchen
The course reads like a kaiseki menu that keeps its promise to end at the sushi counter. Winter is the time to go: seko-gani — female snow crab, packed with roe and miso — is the dish regulars plan around, and the shirako and soft-shell-turtle croquettes that open the meal are the kind of delicacies most sushi counters never attempt. Then the nigiri arrives: tuna, sea urchin, white shrimp, rice seasoned to carry twenty courses' worth of momentum. Courses run ¥30,000 to ¥40,000 with a 10% service charge, which in the current Tokyo market — where the famous Ginza counters clear ¥50,000 before drinks — is honest pricing for a star-calibre kitchen. Ozaki cooks for diners who want both halves of Japanese formal dining without booking two nights. For the orthodox version of each half, compare Kyubey in Ginza and Kikunoi Akasaka, study the field in our guide to the best sushi restaurants worldwide, and read the seven signs of a great restaurant for why a twenty-year-old counter with no PR machine keeps filling.
The Room
Two floors in a quiet building a few minutes' walk from Azabu-Juban station: sixteen seats around the ground-floor counter, and upstairs a run of private rooms taking two to twenty diners — rare capacity for a restaurant of this calibre in Tokyo. The counter is bright hinoki and close enough to watch the knife work; the private rooms are tatami-calm and built for conversation. Sound stays low everywhere. Dress smart; no jackets required. Closed Sundays and the New Year week.
Best for Closing a Deal
Book Ozaki to close a deal because it solves the three problems of business dining in Tokyo at once: the private rooms upstairs seat two to twenty with real acoustic privacy, the single omakase format removes ordering negotiations entirely, and the kappo-into-sushi arc gives the table a built-in rhythm — serious conversation through the cooked courses, handshakes over the nigiri. Tabelog's own diners tag it first for business meals. See more restaurants for closing a deal.
Not for
Not for the Edomae purist — Ozaki runs cooked kappo courses first and sushi last. If you want twenty straight pieces of nigiri and nothing else, book a dedicated sushi counter.
Frequently Asked
Is Ozaki worth it?
Yes, if you want kaiseki-grade cooking and a sushi finale in one seating. Ichiro Ozaki held one Michelin star for nine consecutive years with this hybrid format, and at ¥30,000 to ¥40,000 the course undercuts most starred Ginza counters by a wide margin. The seasonal openers — seko crab in winter, shirako, soft-shell-turtle croquettes — are reason enough on their own.
How do I book Ozaki?
Reserve through the restaurant's website or Pocket Concierge; hotel concierges also book it reliably. The room is closed Sundays, and lunch operates only by reservation made at least a day ahead. The upstairs private rooms — the best seats for a business dinner — are limited and should be requested two to three weeks out for a weekend.
What is the dress code at Ozaki?
Smart. This is a hideout kappo room in Azabu-Juban rather than a hotel dining room, so there is no jacket rule, but the counter's tone rewards a collared shirt or equivalent. For tatami private rooms, wear socks you are happy to be seen in — shoes come off at the door.
What is the average price at Ozaki?
Plan on ¥30,000 to ¥40,000 per person for the omakase before drinks, plus a 10% service charge. Sake and wine push a full evening toward ¥45,000–55,000 a head. Lunch, by advance reservation, is the gentler entry point. Cards — Visa, JCB, Amex, Diners — are accepted.
Does Ozaki have private rooms for business dinners?
Yes — the second floor holds private rooms seating anywhere from two to twenty, which is why Tabelog diners tag Ozaki first for business occasions. For a client dinner where the conversation matters more than the counter theatre, it is one of the most useful rooms in Minato-ku; Sushi Shō offers the counter-side alternative.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Ozaki
Book through the restaurant's site or Pocket Concierge. Closed Sundays; lunch must be reserved by the day before. Private rooms go first — ask early.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
AddressAqua Court 1F, 3-4-5 Azabujuban, Minato-ku, Tokyo
NeighbourhoodAzabu-Juban
CuisineSushi-Kappo
PriceCourses ¥30,000–40,000; 10% service charge; lunch by advance reservation only
Dress CodeSmart
Seating33 seats — 16 at the ground-floor counter, private rooms for 2 to 20 upstairs
ReservationDirect / Pocket Concierge
