Iida and Hajime obtain three stars in the Michelin Guide Kyoto & Osaka 2018

In this year’s edition, Iida in Kyoto and Hajime in Osaka have achieved three stars while 25 restaurants receive one star for the first time.

See the full list here

Michael Ellis, International Director of the Michelin guides said: “The elegant, ancient city of Kyoto and the vibrant food city Osaka have different charms but both attract a lot of foreign tourists. I know these cities are also close to Japanese hearts. I am delighted to share with our clients the discoveries that our inspectors have made”.

With the new three star additions, Iida and Hajime, this brings the total of three starred restaurants in Kyoto & Osaka to 12. Iida, located in Kyoto, specialises in Japanese cuisine and changes the menu monthly. Chef Hajime Yoneda of Hajime takes an inventive approach to the cuisine and has created a menu inspired by the themes of earth and space – and the natural way of things.

Although there are no new two starred

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restaurants this year, a total of 40 restaurants retain their stars in this year’s selection with 23 in Kyoto and 17 based in Osaka.

This year’s guide also sees 25 newcomers to the one star category bringing the total to 139 restaurants; 12 in Kyoto and 13 in Osaka.

The Michelin Guide Kyoto & Osaka selection also includes 221 restaurants awarded a Bib Gourmand, 34 of which are newly added to this year’s list; 18 in Kyoto and 16 in Osaka. The Bib Gourmand distinction recognises those restaurants offering quality food at a maximum of 5,000JPY. It also reflects the continuing trend for competitively priced, less structured and more flexible dining. All cuisine categories have been considered this year in the selection.

In total, this year’s edition features 412 restaurants and 86 hotels and ryokans, located in Kyoto and Osaka.

The Michelin Guide will be on sale in stores on Friday, 10 November.

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