The story
In a quiet residential corner of Tokyo’s Shirokane district, Sushi Matsuura offers an experience that feels more like visiting a private gallery than a restaurant. The space, designed to evoke an art gallery, sets the stage for Chef Hisashi Udatsu’s meticulous Edomae sushi. It is a place where world-class technique and the finest ingredients meet warm, artful hospitality.
Chef Udatsu’s path to sushi began in childhood, drawn by the sweet-sour aroma of seasoned rice and tamagoyaki from the small sushi shop next to his family’s butcher shop. After training in Kanda, Ginza, and Nishi-Azabu, he opened his own restaurant in 2019. His approach is deeply rooted in tradition yet constantly explores new expressions.
For Chef Udatsu, harmony between people, ingredients, and the land is everything. The soul of his sushi is the rice: organic grains from Kikuchi, Kumamoto, cooked with care to achieve a texture that gently yields and pairs perfectly with the fish. The vinegar is a custom blend of three pure rice vinegars from Kyoto’s Iio Jozo, creating a shari with depth and balance.
Fish is chosen daily at Toyosu Market, prepared with traditional methods like salting and dehydration. The salt, essential to sushi, comes from Itoshima in Fukuoka—Chef Udatsu boils seawater from the region in-house to concentrate its pure minerals. Soy sauces from across Japan are selected for their character: a soft, rich brew from Itoshima, a wood-fired depth from Wakayama, and an elegant umami from a 100% domestic soybean producer.
One signature creation is the “Herb Roll,” inspired by pesticide-free herbs from Kajitani Farm in Hiroshima. It is a piece unique to Sushi Matsuura, reflecting the chef’s belief that each piece of sushi is a bridge between the ocean, the land, and the people who cultivate them.
This dedication earned Sushi Matsuura a Michelin one star for 2026, a recognition of its high-quality cooking. The omakase courses—available for both lunch and dinner—unfold as a narrative of the seasons. Guests can choose from a lunch-only selection or a more extensive dinner course that showcases the restaurant’s signature specialties. A vegetarian course, suitable for vegans, is also available with advance notice.
The atmosphere is one of refined calm. Counter dining allows guests to watch Chef Udatsu at work, while the art-gallery aesthetic adds a layer of quiet beauty. It is an invitation to experience sushi not just as a meal, but as an expression of respect, gratitude, and conviction.
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