Tosho

As even the towns in the deepest parts of Japan’s countryside start to feel the effects of 21st-century modernization, Hiroshima’s Tosho plays an important role: freezing a part of traditional Japan in time — at least for the duration of one meal. Made entirely from Japanese hinoki cypress, with its construction overseen by a shrine carpenter, Tosho transports diners back into Japan’s past. It’s known to be one of Hiroshima’s most popular choices for celebrating special occasions, such as weddings and engagement parties, and was even the place where Prime Minister Kishida Fumio brought the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, before the G7 Summit in 2023. Naturally, the cuisine at Tosho is immaculate, making use of local ingredients like tofu and seasonal vegetables to further enhance the sense of place and time. Chief among these is the vaunted Hiroshima beef, which has been called by some wagyu connoisseurs as the region’s best-kept secret. This is supplemented with an extensive selection of drinks, which includes 10 of the region’s best sake varieties at any given time. An abundance of windowside seats let diners gaze out into the 100-year-old garden as they enjoy their meal, be they from private rooms or regular table seating. Carp in various shades of black, orange and white swim through the ponds to the lulling sounds of the waterfalls. While the iconic Japanese momiji is best known for its brilliant red hue in autumn, the deep green sight of its leaves in spring induce a sense of calm. Depending on the season, the garden also blushes pink with crepe myrtle, or explodes into a bright white blizzard of plum blossoms. From within the restaurant’s sukiya-style interior, guests can observe these seasonal changes through Tosho’s traditional yukimi-shoji-style windows, which have a shoji paper screen on top, and glass below.