Yakumo Uezu

The story

Yakumo Uezu, Tokyo – Chef Naoki Uezu's Michelin-Starred Kaiseki

In the quiet residential area of Yakumo, a short distance from central Tokyo, Yakumo Uezu offers an intimate kaiseki experience. The restaurant is intentionally small – just nine counter seats – creating a space where guests can forget the bustle of daily city life and focus on the season's finest ingredients.

Chef Naoki Uezu was born in Okinawa in 1980. He spent 16 years at Kikunoi Tokyo, training under Yoshihiro Murata and becoming chef de cuisine in 2017. After a stint as executive chef at Haryamashita, he opened Yakumo Uezu in February 2021. His cooking is rooted in the kaiseki tradition: a multi-course meal that follows the rhythm of the Japanese calendar.

The evening course is the only option, priced at 23,000 yen (tax and service included). It unfolds through a progression of dishes: appetizers, an assortment of small bites (hassun), a sashimi plate, a soup, two grilled dishes, rice cooked in a pot, and dessert. Each course reflects the chef's careful selection of seasonal ingredients, a practice that lies at the heart of Japanese kaiseki.

The quality of this meticulous approach earned Yakumo Uezu a Michelin One Star in the 2026 guide, recognising its high-level cooking. The recognition is a natural fit for a restaurant dedicated to an unhurried, thoughtful expression of Japanese cuisine.

For those who wish to enjoy the food at home, the restaurant offers takeaway by advance reservation. Options include seasonal seasoned rice, mackerel or conger eel stick sushi, and dashimaki tamago (rolled omelette). The counter seats can also be booked for private use, and dietary accommodations such as allergies or vegan requests are possible with advance notice.

Yakumo Uezu is a place for unhurried evenings, where the focus remains on the food, the season, and the quiet comfort of a perfectly paced meal.