Tenoshima

The story

Tenoshima: Modern Japanese Cuisine in Tokyo's Minami Aoyama

A New Form of Japanese Cuisine

In Tokyo’s Minami Aoyama, Tenoshima explores a style of Japanese cooking that feels both familiar and entirely new. The restaurant’s theme is “modern folk art” (現代の民藝), a philosophy rooted in the belief that real things often look simple, even unremarkable, yet hold a charm that endures for decades. Chef and team draw on this idea to create dishes that are direct, seasonally driven, and approachable.

“We aim for ‘everyone’s washoku’,” the team explains, seeking to lower the formality often associated with kaiseki and make Japanese food enjoyable for a global audience. The ideal is a space where guests feel a sense of togetherness—a ichiza kenryū (one-sitting establishment) where the counter dining experience fosters connection.

What to Expect

The dinner menu is an omakase course at 25,300 yen (tax included, plus 10% service charge), accompanied by a drink pairing option at 9,900 yen. The kitchen works with seasonal ingredients sourced from across Japan, treating each product with sincerity. While the menu changes frequently, the approach is consistent: modest, deeply flavored dishes that speak to the essence of the ingredients.

The restaurant also offers a selection of takeaway items—such as hand-formed sushi rolls and inarizushi—though takeout is currently paused. The dashi, made with Honshibushi katsuobushi and Rishiri kombu, is available for home cooking.

Recognition and Recognition

Tenoshima’s commitment to thoughtful, unpretentious cuisine earned it a Michelin 1 Star in 2026. The award reflects the high quality cooking that emerges from a kitchen guided by the words of mentor Murata Yoshihiro: “Real things always look fake, and fake things always look real. Real things are plain, but they have a charm that will be loved 20 or 100 years later.”

The restaurant is open for dinner Monday through Saturday, with last entry at 20:00. Located near Aoyama-Itchome station, it occupies the second floor of a building overlooking Aoba Park.