Mutsukari

The story

Mutsukari, Tokyo: Michelin-Starred Japanese Restaurant in Ginza

Mutsukari is a Japanese restaurant at 6F, 5-5-19 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, and it holds one Michelin Star in the 2026 guide. The Green Guide also gave it 5 Radishes the same year.

Chef Yoshihisa Akiyama

Akiyama was born in Ibaraki in 1974. He trained at Kappo Suzuki, then studied Buddhist temple cooking at the shojin restaurant Gesshinkyo. He became head chef of Mutsukari in 2008. In 2024 the restaurant ranked 25th worldwide and 3rd in Japan on the World's Best Vegetable Restaurants Top 100.

The vegetable course and seasonal menus

Saikontan is a vegetable course limited to one party a day. It uses 30 to 50 vegetables, and the chef cooks and plates it himself on ceramics ranging from antiques to contemporary pieces. The restaurant notes that it is not vegan, since dairy, egg and bonito dashi may appear.

The chef's course changes monthly. A June menu paired a hamo (pike conger) soup with charcoal-grilled live ayu and sudachi. It also had a beef cutlet with mustard sauce and finished with vegetable rice and the house shaved ice.

Rooms

Mutsukari serves dinner at the counter and in private rooms. The 8th-floor special room takes four to eight guests, and there is a fully private room on the 6th floor.