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Restaurants in Japan: lead lists

Japan has one of the densest restaurant markets in the world, from small family-run counters to chains. Many independent restaurants depend on Google Maps and local review sites to attract both locals and inbound tourists.

Top 10 prefectures by number of restaurants

  1. 1Tokyo67,185
  2. 2Osaka39,639
  3. 3Aichi29,632
  4. 4Kanagawa28,178
  5. 5Hokkaido22,317
  6. 6Hyogo22,055
  7. 7Fukuoka21,096
  8. 8Saitama19,870
  9. 9Chiba17,212
  10. 10Shizuoka15,184

Source: 2021 Economic Census for Business Activity, category β€œEating and drinking places” (as of June 1, 2021). Numbers in brackets below use the same source.

Browse by prefecture

Hokkaido & Tohoku

Hokkaido (22,317)Aomori (5,586)Iwate (4,805)Miyagi (8,448)Akita (3,929)Yamagata (4,816)Fukushima (6,741)

Kanto

Tokyo (67,185)Kanagawa (28,178)Saitama (19,870)Chiba (17,212)Ibaraki (9,253)Tochigi (7,329)Gunma (7,148)

Chubu

Niigata (8,616)Toyama (3,979)Ishikawa (5,235)Fukui (3,632)Yamanashi (4,096)Nagano (9,382)Gifu (8,939)Shizuoka (15,184)Aichi (29,632)

Kansai

Osaka (39,639)Kyoto (11,520)Hyogo (22,055)Nara (3,764)Wakayama (4,215)Shiga (4,236)Mie (6,381)

Chugoku & Shikoku

Tottori (2,293)Shimane (2,555)Okayama (6,286)Hiroshima (11,493)Yamaguchi (4,824)Tokushima (3,097)Kagawa (4,057)Ehime (5,409)Kochi (3,809)

Kyushu & Okinawa

Fukuoka (21,096)Saga (3,447)Nagasaki (5,522)Kumamoto (6,369)Oita (4,775)Miyazaki (5,538)Kagoshima (6,779)Okinawa (8,522)

Tokyo's 23 wards

Chiyoda (3,062)Chuo (4,195)Minato (4,544)Shinjuku (4,921)Bunkyo (1,280)Taito (2,662)Sumida (1,614)Koto (1,905)Shinagawa (2,242)Meguro (1,418)Ota (2,814)Setagaya (2,907)Shibuya (4,026)Nakano (1,383)Suginami (2,393)Toshima (2,264)Kita (1,271)Arakawa (810)Itabashi (1,683)Nerima (1,752)Adachi (2,065)Katsushika (1,585)Edogawa (1,516)

Doing business with restaurants in Japan

Owners are often the chef and manager at the same time, so decisions are quick but time is short. Simple, visual proposals work best. Inbound tourism has made English menus, cashless payments and online reservations practical topics.

Call between lunch and dinner service, roughly 2 pm to 5 pm Japan time. Avoid the year-end party season in December and Golden Week in early May.

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