The Verdict
Eight seats. ¥52,800. One seating a night. Chef Masamichi Amamoto runs his counter in Higashi-Azabu, a few minutes from Akabanebashi station and within sight of Tokyo Tower, and it holds two Michelin stars in the Tokyo guide. A native of Hakata, he trained for roughly a decade under the late chef Nagano at the Aoyama sushi-ya Umi before opening here in 2016 and earning both stars within months. The room seats so few that a reservation is among the hardest in the city.
The Kitchen
Chef-owner Masamichi Amamoto cooks strict seasonal Edomae sushi, the Tokyo style built on aged tuna, kombu-cured white fish and nikiri-brushed nigiri. Hallmark courses include Edomae golden cuttlefish, anago sea eel sourced from Tsushima and kasugodai young sea bream from Izumi, with live botan shrimp dressed in karasumi mullet roe. The fish changes with the catch, timed to peak availability at each port, so the omakase is never quite the same twice.
Dinner omakase is ¥52,800 per person, tax included, plus a ten per cent service charge, served to just eight seats at a single nightly seating. The shop sits at 1-7-9 Higashiazabu in Minato-ku, its exterior styled after the old shopfronts of Kyoto’s Gion, with a bamboo-thatch interior behind a dramatic noren. The dated proof is unambiguous: two stars in the Michelin Guide Tokyo, held since shortly after the 2016 opening.
The Room
The counter is the room: eight seats of plain hinoki, a single nightly seating, and Amamoto working an arm’s length away. The volume is low and the pace deliberate, set by the chef rather than the table. Lighting is warm and close, the mood closer to a private workshop than a restaurant. There is no dress code written down, but guests arrive smart; this is not a place for a loud party.
Best for Impress Clients
Book this counter to impress a client or a guest who knows sushi, because the eight seats signal you planned months ahead, the omakase moves at the chef’s pace, and there is no menu to negotiate. The single seating means an unhurried evening with no second turn pressing behind you. Examples: a quiet thank-you to a Tokyo partner, a once-a-year treat, a deal sealed over the last piece of tamago.
Not For
Not for a spontaneous night out or a group. Seats are released monthly and book out at once, the shop does not take third-party reservations, and walk-ins are turned away.
Common Questions
How much does dinner cost at Higashiazabu Amamoto?
The dinner omakase is ¥52,800 per person, with tax included and a ten per cent service charge added on top. It is a single set course of seasonal Edomae sushi decided by the chef, so there is no à la carte ordering and the price covers the full progression of nigiri and small dishes.
How do you get a reservation at Amamoto?
Reservations are released monthly and tend to fill immediately. The shop does not accept third-party booking platforms and is generally contacted directly, often through an existing guest, which is part of why it is considered one of the hardest tables in Tokyo. There are only eight counter seats at one seating each night.
How many Michelin stars does Higashiazabu Amamoto have?
It holds two Michelin stars in the Michelin Guide Tokyo, which it earned within months of opening in 2016 and has retained since. The recognition is for chef Masamichi Amamoto’s seasonal Edomae sushi rather than for any tasting kitchen, and the counter remains a fixed two-star entry in the guide.
Where is Higashiazabu Amamoto?
The sushi-ya is at 1-7-9 Higashiazabu in Minato-ku, central Tokyo, a roughly four-minute walk from Akabanebashi station and within view of Tokyo Tower. The discreet frontage is styled after the old shopfronts of Kyoto’s Gion district, with a single noren marking the entrance to the eight-seat counter inside.
Also in Tokyo
Explore the full Tokyo restaurant guide, or compare the counter with Sushi Saito and Hakkoku.