The Sea of Japan’s Spoils: 5 Best Sushi Restaurants in Kanazawa

As one of the prefectures bordering the Sea of Japan, it shouldn't’ be surprising that Ishikawa Prefecture is one of the prefectures in Japan best known for its seafood. 

And the most well-known way of preparing seafood in Japan? Sushi. This iconic food of a slice of fish on a nugget of rice is far and away Japan’s greatest culinary export. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that it’s possible to find sushi in any part of the world now.

But to try sushi at its finest and freshest, visitors to Japan would do well to visit Kanazawa, the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture. Sushi chefs in the city have the privilege of choosing their seafood from the Omicho Market, Kanazawa’s central and most famous seafood market. 

In fact, eagle-eyed gourmets can spot them and their apprentices walking the grounds each morning, looking for the freshest catch. 

It seems ludicrous that sushi needs an explanation, being the most famous Japanese food by far. Nonetheless, the origins of sushi are worth taking a look into. 

Sushi has existed in many forms from as far back as the Yayoi period, roughly 300 BC to 300 AD. But the nigiri-type sushi that we are familiar with today first took shape in the Edo period, around the 1820s — what we know today as Edomae-style sushi.

The equivalent of fast food in the Tokyo Bay area, the prototypical nigirizushi back then looked a bit different; they were much larger — impossible for most people to eat in a single bite, not unlike a spam musubi — and had significantly less vinegar mixed into the rice.

Find out more: Find Your New Favorite Among These 9 Different Types of Sushi

However, as this style of sushi was taking off at a time before mechanical refrigeration was a possibility, the fish had to be heavily vinegared to avoid spoilage, especially in the summer heat. This led to the immense popularity of maguro-zuke, vinegared tuna, and gizzard shad (kohada) prepared in a similar manner. 

Now, sushi has graduated from its status as a fast food. Now it ranges from the hyper-luxurious omakase sushi, like the kind that was propelled to stardom by Sukiyabashi Jiro of Jiro Dreams of Sushi fame, to conveyor belt sushi (known as kaitenzushi) where shrimp, squid and fish circulate in endless rounds around a restaurant until sniped by a hungry guest. 

Quick and affordable, kaitenzushi is considered among the lowest level of sushi — but in Kanazawa, even kaitenzushi is still delicious, given the incredible freshness of the seafood.

Here, we’ll list some of the best places to get sushi in Ishikawa’s capital city to suit every budget.

Ranking in the Tabelog Top 100 in 2022 and the recipient of a Tabelog Bronze Award in 2024, Otome Sushi is an easy people’s favorite. As of the time of writing, it maintains a score of 4.09 on Tabelog — a ludicrously high score where anything above 3.5 is considered practically divine. 

Not to mention, in the special edition of the Michelin Guide Hokuriku 2021, Otome Sushi received two Michelin stars for excellence in sushi, only one of two restaurants to do so — resulting in a huge influx of visitors looking to try to secure a seat at its counter. 

The restaurant is a short distance southwest of the Kanazawa Castle Ruins, which makes it a popular spot for people visiting the castle’s magnificent grounds, wanting to end the day off with a Michelin-recommended sushi meal. 

Regulars note that reservations are especially difficult to secure in winter, so adjust your expectations accordingly. (It only makes sense — fish store up fat for the winter to insulate against colder waters, so sushi is likewise at its most flavorful in the winter months.)

Maimon Sushi is a nationwide sushi franchise with its origins in Kanazawa — some might argue that it’s Kanazawa’s greatest export. It’s a national icon, with outlets all over the nation. It might be the most famous for its kaitenzushi (conveyor belt sushi) restaurants, of which there are even several in Tokyo. 

But there’s nothing quite like getting it at the source. The most famous — and convenient — location to try this famous sushi is far and away in Kanazawa Station. Though there are multiple Maimon Sushi outlets scattered throughout Kanazawa, the Kanazawa Station outlet is arguably just as much a city institution as the Kenroku-en Gardens or Omicho Market itself. 

Straight off the shinkansen bullet train, many visitors often make a beeline straight for the wooden lattices of its facade, through which sushi chefs can be seen busily hand-crafting sushi — no conveyor belt to be found here. 

That is, if there isn’t a huge line outside — which during peak holiday periods, there often is. It’s no wonder — the most expensive sushi set is just over ¥5,000 at the time of writing, which is an absolute steal for the volume and quality you get.

It’s not a high-end, personalized omakase experience where each piece of sushi is presented individually by hand — but it doesn’t intend to be either. It’s excellent quality and phenomenal value. 

The only other sushi restaurant to receive two Michelin stars in the Michelin Guide Hokuriku 2021, Kikuya is also famously difficult to secure a reservation for. It’s actually less than 10 minutes’ walk south of Otome Sushi, making that small area one of the highest concentrations of Michelin stars for sushi in the world. 

The restaurant first opened in 2011, and was actually first made famous due to the stark contrast between the top-notch quality of its sushi and its uncomfortable, cramped interior, where six guests would sit shoulder to shoulder with each other.

Hilariously, what made the restaurant so distinctive in the first place is now gone, thanks to a relocation in 2020. That same year saw the restaurant reopen on the banks of the Sai River, in more spacious new premises that now accommodates eight guests at the counter. 

However, the sushi quality remains unchanged — and the dining experience might be even better now, thanks to a little more breathing room. 

While it’s south of the Kenroku-en Gardens, it’s unfortunately not near any major train lines — the nearest one being the Nomachi tram line. But good things come to those who persevere. (Or, for those willing to fork out a little bit of money, you could also just take a taxi, it’s a popular enough destination that every taxi driver in the city knows about it.) 

A Michelin star doesn’t come easy, and two is an order of magnitude even more difficult to achieve. Kikuya proves it’s at the top of its game.

Located just outside the central Omicho Market, Okina Sushi is a Kanazawa legend. Being active for 50 years, this restaurant has the best value for money in the whole city, and it’s not even close. A few years ago, the restaurant was known for offering a full set menu for just ¥2,500 — an insane deal to celebrate their 47th anniversary.

This same deal isn’t in effect any more (to be expected in this economy, of course), but Okina Sushi still remains one of the best value-for-money sushi restaurants in Kanazawa, if not the best. On average, you can expect to spend about ¥4,000 for dinner, plus a little more for drinks. It’s an absolute steal for a full course of omakase sushi.

While they only speak Japanese, the couple that run it are known for leaping over language barriers with their warm and friendly attitude towards their customers. It’s not uncommon for the proprietress to invite guests to sculpt their own nigiri and roll maki for themselves. 

The owner-chef and his wife haven’t stated their intentions to retire, but as they’re well into their 70s, it’s highly recommended to make a reservation and experience it for yourself while they’re still running the business.

What’s better than one sushi chef? Two sushi chefs. A married couple who were both sushi chefs even before they tied the knot, the Nakamuras started Kanazawa Sushi Yojiro in 2019 to great critical and public acclaim alike. 

Interestingly, Kanazawa Sushi Yojiro has a very unique service system more akin to a traditional kappo restaurant. Guests taking a seat at the counter will be presented with a box of sushi toppings for the day; whole filets of hon-maguro bluefin tuna, or tightly curled kuruma-ebi tiger prawns, or horsehair crabs, depending on the season. 

From these, guests are allowed to pick their preferred toppings from the box — as well as how many nigiri they’d like of each one. Maybe you’d like one of each? Or maybe out of your eight-piece selection, you want half of them to be kanpachi (yellowtail) and the other half to be swordfish. This choose-it-yourself concept lets Yojiro flip the concept of “omakase” on its head — the Nakamuras leave it to you to decide the menu.

But the real best part? Its affordability. Kanazawa Sushi Yojiro (like Okina Sushi above it) does away with different prices for lunch and dinner — which also lets potential visitors do away with weighing the price-performance difference between the two. 

A fun, unique sushi experience for dinner with a special someone — but at lunchtime prices? Instant appeal. 

Craving more experiences in Kanazawa? Dive into Kanazawa’s premium seafood, explore their local specialties, join the vibrant nightlife in Katamachi, or take a look at the best things to do in Kanazawa with our extensive 3-day itinerary.

In Japanese, omakase translates to “I leave it to you.” As such, omakase sushi is a style of sushi where the menu is decided entirely by the chef, depending on what ingredients they can procure on the day itself.

The omakase style lets chefs serve their guests the freshest possible ingredients, prepared in the best possible way. It’s the finest way to discover the full depth of a chef’s knowledge of his craft — and the purest way to experience sushi. 

In general, most omakase sushi chefs intend for sushi to be eaten exactly the way they serve it. As such, wasabi is usually factored into the overall flavor profile of the sushi, and integrated into the shari rice when it’s being made by the chef. Guests are encouraged to give it a shot as-is!

Nonetheless, for those who absolutely can’t stand wasabi, or who have allergies, it’s a simple matter for the chef to remove it. Most, if not all sushi chefs, will gladly acquiesce. 

If making a reservation on byFood, just let the concierge team know by way of the Notes section. 

Explore our full list of sushi restaurants in Japan.

Having sushi in Kanazawa is highly recommended for two reasons. Firstly, as one of the prefectures bordering the Sea of Japan, the seafood in Ishikawa Prefecture is extremely fresh. An omakase sushi experience in Kanazawa can rank among the best sushi experiences in all of Japan. 

Secondly, the prices are significantly more affordable. Kanazawa’s easy access to seafood (meaning reduced transport and storage costs) and relatively lower cost of living, especially in comparison to Tokyo, makes prices much lower. 

An equivalent omakase sushi experience in Tokyo could be half the price in Kanazawa.

Take a look and reserve one of the best sushi restaurants in Tokyo.