Fugu Restaurants in Japan(29)
COURSE MENUTorafugu-tei Ginza
Transporting its fugu live from Nagasaki fisheries in under 15 hours, this tiger pufferfish specialist is said to have fish so fresh that it continues to swim on the plate. Enjoy it in a number of different ways, from fried to boiled to raw.
SEAT RESERVATIONFugu Fukuji
For a once-in-a-lifetime dinner, grab a seat at the top-rated pufferfish restaurant in Tokyo.
COURSE MENUGenpin Ginza 1-chome
Starting out as a humble shop in Fujiidera, Osaka, this tora-fugu specialist restaurant now has over 70 branches scattered all across Japan. Every day, its chefs transform this famously poisonous fish into delectable dishes like tecchiri hotpot.
SEAT RESERVATIONBar Agiyao
Sip French white wines and savor seafood at Bar Agiyao in Kyoto, a small izakaya with a big heart for Kyoto's food culture. Anticipate sophisticated ambience, 18 wine varieties, and a menu blending French and Spanish cuisine.
COURSE MENUHakata Nakasu Rokusantei
With over 60 years of history, this Nakasu riverside restaurant serves the deadly poisonous fugu in various forms from hotpot to sashimi, alongside other local Fukuoka delicacies. Expert chefs prepare it at the counter right before guests’ eyes.
COURSE MENUShimakawa
This Hakata restaurant has "conveying the seasons" with fresh seafood from the Genkai Sea for over 30 years, with local delicacies at the forefront like pufferfish, longtooth grouper, pike conger and devil stinger.
COURSE MENUHakata Hodoyoshi
Active in the competitive Hakata restaurant scene for over 60 years, this restaurant serves up local seafood delicacies like longtooth grouper and fugu pufferfish, alongside Kagoshima kuroge wagyu beef and kurobuta pork.
COURSE MENUEtouke
Emblem of exquisite seafood by way of Fukuoka — Etouke is a posh but well-grounded sanctuary to experience the freshest sashimi in town.
COURSE MENUTokuzomaru Shimoda
At the tail of the Izu Peninsula, this crowd-pulling, Shimoda-based seafood restaurant brings delectable red bream and seafood delicacies to the cheerful fisherman town.
SEAT RESERVATIONTakoyasu
Pufferfish in fall and winter, eel and sea bass in summer and spring; this Osaka seafood restaurant is the place to be year-round.
SEAT RESERVATIONFugu Club Miyawaki Bettei
Blowfish dining at its finest. Fugu Club Miyawaki Bettei offers several creative and delicious fugu dishes, to be enjoyed in a beautiful kominka-style house.
SEAT RESERVATIONYoshiko
Private-room Japanese pufferfish dining, at a family restaurant run by a married couple of culinary experts.
SEAT RESERVATIONFukumasa
Japanese fugu (blowfish) in Hiroshima, served in the elegant surroundings of a kaiseki restaurant.
SEAT RESERVATIONHakata Izumi
A Japanese blowfish restaurant with almost a century of experience under its belt — where better in Fukuoka to try it?
SEAT RESERVATIONRyotei Okazaki
What better way to indulge the finest torafugu than at a ryotei which has been standing since the early Showa period?
SEAT RESERVATIONIzumi
Fugu pufferfish is a must-try for any Japanophile foodie — go for the best with this 2022 Michelin-starred blowfish restaurant in Tokyo.
SEAT RESERVATIONFuguryori Tomoe
The chef’s dedication to mastering fugu cuisine has made this restaurant one of the most famous pufferfish restaurants in Japan.
SEAT RESERVATIONShin-Gi-Tai Wolf Hakata
Soft-shell turtle hotpot and grilled blowfish are novel menu items for even seasoned foodies, but Shin-gi-tai Wolf makes these dishes feel as accessible and tasty as home cooking in its cleanly designed dining space.
SEAT RESERVATIONAjiman
At Ajiman, fugu, the quintessential Japanese fish, is prepared inventively and expertly.
SEAT RESERVATIONFugu Makino
Catch a bite of Japan’s most iconic winter delicacy, fugu pufferfish, at one of the country’s top purveyors.
SEAT RESERVATIONRyotei Yamadaya Usuki
Arguably the most famous name in fugu pufferfish, this Oita restaurant is where the legacy began.
SEAT RESERVATIONSushi Hanayoshi
Born to a family of soba restaurant owners, Hanayoshi’s chef Yoshioka Ryohei has been preparing artful sushi with hand-picked seafood and sake since 2006 in his hometown of Niseko.
SEAT RESERVATIONMaruyasu
In peak fugu season, get yours prepared at one of the best fugu restaurants in the country.
SEAT RESERVATIONGuenpin Umedahigashidori
A classy, contemporary space where you can enjoy a fantastically-priced fugu blowfish meal, along with delicious crab dishes.
SEAT RESERVATIONFugu Yoshi Ikeda
Enjoy Japan’s famous (and famously deadly) fugu blowfish, at a restaurant with years of experience in preparing the delicious fish.
SEAT RESERVATIONKitahachi (Kishiwada)
This 2021 Michelin-starred chef takes the scientific approach to fugu cooking, honed over a 60-year career in the business.
SEAT RESERVATIONTokuyama
An accessible entry point into the often inscrutable world of Japanese haute cuisine, Tokuyama is just minutes from Nishiazabu Station.
SEAT RESERVATIONUsukifugu Yamadaya Marunouchi
The former holder of three Michelin stars at its peak, this Tokyo fugu restaurant offers tender, flavorful pufferfish from the Bungo Strait that flows between Kyushu and Shikoku.
Recent Reviews from Guests
Fugu is one of the most Japanese of ingredients: the famously poisonous Japanese blowfish which requires a special license to cook. Don’t let that put you off though, once the culinary masters take their knives to this potentially-deadly delicacy, it turns from a hazard into a pure savory delight. Especially if you’re visiting the fugu heartlands of Osaka, you really shouldn’t leave Japan without trying it.
A typical Japanese fugu meal will consist of around half a dozen styles or more: deep-fried, hot pot, grilled, jellied with noodles — it’s a real feast. The highlight of it all is the fugu sashimi, which is usually served on a large platter with the thin, translucent pieces fanned out like the petals of a chrysanthemum.
If you’re set on trying this delicious and versatile fish for yourself, then reserve your spot at one of these premium blowfish restaurants to get the very best quality. Knowing you’re in the hands of a competent and licensed chef, you can relax and enjoy tucking into one of Japan’s most iconic dishes at one of these fugu restaurants in Japan.