Why are there so many Michelin-starred restaurants in Japan?
You might know it for its beautiful cherry blossoms and cool anime, but did you know that Japan is also famous for its food? In fact, Japan has a whopping 577 restaurants that hold Michelin stars. But why does Japan have so many Michelin-starred restaurants?
Well, it’s all about the chefs’ dedication, commitment, and passion. Japanese chefs work really hard to perfect their craft. They spend years learning about their cuisine and how to make it just right. Plus, they use the freshest ingredients from different regions of Japan. This combination of hard work, fresh ingredients, and a love for food is what makes Japanese cuisine so special. And the Michelin Guide recognizes this by awarding so many stars to Japanese restaurants.
What is a Michelin star?
The Michelin star comes from the Michelin Guide. This guide was created by two brothers, Édouard and André Michelin. They were in charge of the Michelin company in France, which makes tires.
The Michelin Guide started as a small red book in 1900. The goal was to get more people to drive cars. This was a big deal in France at that time because there were less than 3,000 cars in the whole country in 1889.
The Michelin Guide was made for drivers in France. It has helpful things like maps, how-to guides for fixing and changing tires, and lists of places to fix cars, hotels, and gas stations all over France.
In 1926, the Michelin Guide started giving stars to really good restaurants. At first, these restaurants could only get one star. But by 1931, they had a system of zero to three stars.
In 1936, the Michelin star system was made and slowly became a worldwide standard for good food. Michelin stars are very special, just like Oscars are for movies and Grammys are for music:
- One star: A really good restaurant in its group.
- Two stars: Amazing food, worth going out of your way for.
- Three stars: Fantastic food, worth making a special trip for.
The first Michelin Asia Handbook came out on November 22, 2007. Restaurants in Tokyo, Japan, did really well. Five restaurants, including Hamadaya, Kanda, Koju, Sukiyabashi Jiro, and Sushi Mizutani, got three stars.
Japan dominates the top 10 most expensive Michelin restaurants in the world.
You can get a meal at Soya Sauce, a Michelin-starred chicken rice restaurant in Hong Kong, for about $1.50 per plate. This is the cheapest meal you can get at a Michelin-starred restaurant in the world. But most restaurants with a Michelin star charge a lot more.
Some Michelin-starred restaurants usually charge between $300 and $400 USD for a meal. Sometimes, it can be even more expensive.
The food website Chef’s Pencil wanted to find out which Michelin-starred restaurant is the most expensive in the world. So, they looked at the dinner menus at more than 450 restaurants all over the world. They made a list of the top 10 most expensive restaurants and how much their meals cost, not including drinks and service fees.
| RANK | RESTAURANT | LOCATION | PRICE/PERSON |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sublimotion | Ibiza, Spain | 1,740 USD |
| 2 | Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet | Shanghai, China | 1,422 USD |
| 3 | Kitcho Arashiyama Honten | Kyoto, Japan | 910 USD |
| 4 | Azabu Kadowaki | Tokyo, Japan | 825 USD |
| 5 | Masa | New York, USA | 800 USD |
| 6 | Joel Robuchon | Tokyo, Japan | 637 USD |
| 7 | Kikunoi Honten | Kyoto, Japan | 637 USD |
| 8 | Gion Maruyama | Kyoto, Japan | 637 USD |
| 9 | Guy Savoy | Paris, France | 615 USD |
| 10 | Piazza Duomo | Alba, Italy | 580 USD |
Out of the top 10 most expensive restaurants with Michelin stars, half of them are in Japan. This includes places in Tokyo and Kyoto. There’s also a restaurant in Tokyo run by Joel Robuchon that serves French food. The only restaurant in the United States that made the top 10, Masa, is a Japanese restaurant.
According to a website called Chef’s Pencil, Japan has more Michelin-starred restaurants for each person living there than any other country. And Tokyo has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city in the world.
Why are restaurants in Japan so expensive?
Chef Masaharu Morimoto, who is famous for being on cooking shows like “Iron Chef” and “Iron Chef America,” says there are a few reasons why food at Michelin-starred Japanese restaurants is so expensive.
One reason is that these restaurants get seafood that’s in season from all over the world. This makes the cost of the ingredients go up. Also, it costs a lot to ship and store the seafood because fresh fish doesn’t stay good for very long.
Mr. Morimoto says another important thing is how skilled the chef is. This includes how precise and creative they are when they prepare and present the food. Japanese restaurants might be small, but the chef pays a lot of attention to each guest.
He says, “Restaurants often don’t have a lot of seats. They want to give guests a special, comfortable dining experience. Many Japanese sushi restaurants only have up to eight seats and no waiters or other staff.”
Mr. Morimoto says that many fancy Japanese restaurants serve meals in a style called Omakase. In this style, the chefs pick the dishes themselves. This lets them create a unique food adventure that gives diners an amazing experience. The meals are made with the freshest fish and the best ingredients.
Sukiyabashi Jiro: The World of Elite Sushi Dining
One restaurant that serves Omakase meals is the famous Sukiyabashi Jiro in Ginza, Tokyo. It’s run by a sushi master named Jiro Ono. This was the first sushi restaurant in the world to get three Michelin stars in 2007. One special thing about this restaurant is that it only has 10 seats, so getting a reservation can be hard.
In 2011, a movie called “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” was made by a director named David Gelb. This movie showed the world what the restaurant was like. Then, on April 23, 2014, something special happened. Former US President Barack Obama and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had lunch at the restaurant. This made the restaurant even more famous.
Cost at Sukiyabashi Jiro’s restaurant
Having lunch at Sukiyabashi Jiro costs about ¥30,000 (around $230) for each person, and this doesn’t include tax. People who eat there get a special Omakase-style menu with 20 pieces of sushi. If someone books a table but doesn’t show up, they have to pay a fine of ¥16,200 (about $123) per person.
But having enough money might not be enough to eat here. The restaurant is often booked for several months or even a year. To get a table, you need to be a regular customer, have a special connection, or book through a big hotel like the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, the Park Hyatt Tokyo, or the Shangri-La Hotel.
In November 2019, Sukiyabashi Jiro lost its Michelin star because it doesn’t take reservations from the public. But it’s still a popular place for many food lovers, including some of the best chefs in the world.
Average cost of a meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant by country
There are many restaurants on the list of Michelin-starred restaurants with the most expensive meals. But if you look at the average cost of a meal in each country, Japan is not the most expensive.
A survey by Chef’s Pencil in September 2021 looked at the average prices of meals at restaurants with two and three Michelin stars in different countries. Japan came in fourth place.
Denmark has the most expensive meals at Michelin restaurants in the world, with an average price of $404 per person. Singapore is second with an average price of $346 per person, and Sweden is third with an average price of $327 per person.
In Japan, the average cost of a meal at a restaurant with two or three Michelin stars is $322 per person.
