The 13 best Japanese restaurants in Boston

Named by the James Beard Foundation as a 2023 semi-finalist for Outstanding Restaurant, Pagu and Chef Tracy Chang shine. Her famed Guchi’s Midnight Ramen (featuring flavorful broth, pork belly, umami oil, nori and a six-minute egg) is on the menu alongside modern Japanese-fusion small plates. Start with a Japanese-inspired cocktail or sake, then try the salmon ceviche and squid ink unagi bao, before bellying up to the suckling pig or roasted big eye tuna collar (both of which serve up to six people). The dessert menu offers unique treats such as matcha cookies and black sesame tofu with tea syrup and tofu foam.

In the heart of Davis Square, Tsurumen’s pride and joy is its steaming bowl of Osaka-style ramen. The intimate restaurant typically accrues a line, but it’s worth the wait. Fresh ramen, tender pork and flavorful broth anchor each bowl. Tsurumen opened in Boston with the goal to only operate for 1000 days, however, in July of 2021, the team announced it was here to stay, with a new goal: to become “the King of Ramen shops.”

This swanky South End sushi spot is high-concept and high-priced, but its luxe interpretations of Japanese specialties are worth it. Creative sushi rolls feature ingredients such as truffle, caviar, microgreens and delicate sauces. Entrées includes teriyaki ribeye, lamb chop, seafood risotto and Chilean sea bass, while noodles are bathed in lucious sauces or hearty broths. Put your faith in the chef for the six- or nine-course tasting menu, with optional additions of truffle and Japanese A5 Wagyu steak. There’s also more than 50 sakes and cocktails, including the smoking “Yuzu Spirit,” made with ginza suzume soju and liquid nitrogen.

This Brookline standby is always packed, and for good reason. Sit in a booth, a table, the tatami room or the sushi bar, and choose from an extensive menu of standard and creative sushi offerings. Go traditional (rich salmon sashimi), daring (foie gras nigiri with spicy daikon radish, scallion, sesame and ponzu sauce) or cute (ladybug maki containing spicy seafood salad and sweet potato tempura inside, cherry tomato and black tobiko outside). There’s also mouthwatering rice dishes, like the lump crab fried rice and the veg katsu curry—so this spot is sure to satiate any sort of specialized craving.

Clear out your bank account and then clear your weekend, because o ya’s singular dining experience is one to be savored. Owners Tim and Nancy Cushman set a new bar for special-event dining with o ya’s opening in 2007; even today, the restaurant regularly wins accolades as one of the best restaurants in all of New England. Settle in for the nightly omakase, a chef’s choice menu of 20 courses, from nigiri to cooked dishes.

This cozy haunt in Cambridge is everything you envision when it comes to Japanese noodles and ramen. Huge bowls feature thick, house-made noodles, and your only choice is whether you want two pieces of pork or five. You’ll receive a hearty Japanese congratulations if you manage to finish your bowl. Communal tables encourage chatting with strangers. The restaurant’s name means “talk about your dreams,” and you may even be asked to share yours out loud with everyone.

With only two nightly seatings and nine seats at the tasting counter, you have to act fast to scoop up a reservation for this coveted omakase experience. Tucked behind Chef Colin Lynch’s speakeasy-esque tiki bar and restaurant Shore Leave, No Relation will welcome you in the back room for your 6pm or 8:30pm time to dine. Come hungry and ready to feast upon the 14 dishes expertly prepared in front of you, with the option to add on a sake pairing to complete the experience.

This hip izakaya in The Verb Hotel serves Japanese tavern-style fare with craft beers and frozen cocktails. The rock ‘n roll vibe is strong (as is the sake program) and gives a nod (or more of a head bang) to the pulse of Japan with sushi, a robata-grilled yakitori and street food small plates. All levels of culinary adventure are satisfied, with dishes such as funky chicken ramen, Peruvian marinated Wagyu short rib, chicken katsu rice and shrimp toast. Dig into a full robata-grilled hamachi fish, when available.

Uni built its reputation on incredible sashimi and izakaya offerings, and the menu still shines, plating up the freshest ingredients from Maine uni to local unagi. Though this Back Bay establishment has mastered the classics, it also isn't afraid to experiment and impart new flavors in dishes that change with the season (past highlights have included coconut, passion fruit and watermelon). The sake list is impressive as well, with numerous unfiltered and unpasteurized options.

With a backdrop of waterfront views, the interior of Encore Boston Harbor’s Mystique is a sexy space with a menu that follows suit. With carefully-crafted robata grills (hello, avocado bomb), sushi selections and an array of dishes like tik tok chicken, A5 Miyazaki Wagyu sirloin and Singapore street noodles, it puts a modern spin on traditional pan-Asian delicacies. The beverage selection boasts a distinctive sake selection, unique hand-crafted cocktails and special large format "party drinks" perfect for sharing.

Following a history of Japanese tradition and Chinese favorites influencing modern Peruvian cuisine, Ruka presents this combination to great success, from chilled dishes such as Japanese salad with hūka-fū dressing and their hamachi ceviche (charred jalapeno, coconut, leche de tigre, avocado, okinawan chips and sushi rice) to hot dishes like yakitori bar ‘shrooms, yucca wasabi puffs and pork belly buns. Enhancing the experience are cocktails made with both Japanese whiskeys and Peruvian piscos.

Situated inside the Four Seasons One Dalton, this spot attracts diners for its global reputation, with locations from the Maldives to Mykonos. The interiors are super sleek, and the modern-Japanese menu is served izakaya style from three kitchens: the main, the sushi counter and the robata grill. Some dishes rely on local specialities, including the ise ebi no oven yaki (1.5lb of roasted Boston lobster with shiso ponzu butter), while there are also brand classics like their special maki and nigiri variations.

Elegant nooks, sleek lighting and a loungey vibe set the stage for standout sushi and cocktails at this Back Bay spot. The extensive maki list includes classic rolls such as rainbow and spider, as well as unique offerings like its neighborhood namesake, Backbay (asparagus, cucumber and avocado wrapped with seared tuna) as well as the Douzo Special (shrimp tempura, seafood salad, tobiko, eel sauce, sriracha and avocado, wrapped with tuna and soy paper). The toro (fatty tuna) is not to be missed, and you can also order skewers, udon, ramen and a selection of rice dishes. Lunch brings an additional variety of bento specials and donburi.