Miyamasou

The story

Miyamasou Kyoto: Japanese Tsumikusa Cuisine in Hanase, Two Michelin Stars (2026)

Miyamasou, a Japanese restaurant and inn at 375 Hanase Harachicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, holds two Michelin stars for excellent cooking (2026). The kitchen works in Tsumikusa cuisine, a style built on the herb gathering that Heian aristocrats once enjoyed as a pastime.

Cooking with mountain herbs and river fish

Chefs pick wild grasses by hand each day in the mountains and along the riverbanks. Fishers and hunters bring in the rest, and the kitchen adapts its techniques to each ingredient. Sweetfish from Hanase, which feed on fresh moss in fast clear streams, were once offered to the Imperial Palace and are still served here during their season.

A temple guesthouse with a long history

The site dates to 1892, when a family of Shinto priests opened it as a temple guesthouse beside Bujoji Temple. The restaurant began serving guests in 1937. Sotoji Nakamura, a master of Sukiya-zukuri architecture, renovated the buildings, and the annex guestrooms have large glass windows that look onto a clear stream and earthen walls.

Chef and cooking style

Hisato Nakahigashi, the fourth-generation owner, continues to develop Tsumikusa cuisine. He grew up hiking and swimming in the Hanase mountains, then trained at a French auberge as a teenager. Guide recognition includes a Gault&Millau score of 16.5 (2026).