Dubai.

Sagetsu by Tetsuya is Dubai's only two-Michelin-star restaurant, helmed by Japanese-born, internationally acclaimed chef Tetsuya Wakuda. Located on the 24th floor of The Link at One&Only One Za'abeel, it offers a breathtaking fusion of French technique and Japanese culinary philosophy across a seasonally evolving tasting menu.

Hidemasa is a Japanese fine-dining restaurant in DIFC, founded and named after Chef Hidemasa Yamamoto — a Michelin three-star alumnus with 41+ years of experience, including as Executive Chef of Mandarin Oriental Tokyo. The à la carte and counter menu spans omakase nigiri, sashimi, black cod, and teppanyaki, with daily ingredients flown from Japan.

Itadaku is a Japanese family-run restaurant in Jumeirah 1, led by Chef Sakagami and Manager Sakagami — both Japanese — with JETRO 'Taste of Japan' verification. The restaurant serves halal, alcohol-free traditional Japanese cuisine with seasonal ingredients sourced directly from producers across Japan, offering an omakase menu at AED 525 per person designed to recreate the full Japanese dining experience abroad.

Hōseki — meaning 'gemstone' — is Dubai's first and most decorated Japanese omakase, holding one Michelin star every year since 2022. Sixth-generation Tokyo sushi master Chef Masahiro Sugiyama crafts a daily-changing counter menu using fish flown from Toyosu Market.

Iki Sushi is one of Dubai's most exclusive Japanese dining experiences: just eight seats per seating, with all seafood sourced 100% from Japan by head chef Koji Sagawa, who brings 40 years of experience and the distinction of helping Hōseki achieve its first Michelin star.

KEN by Kamatsuda is a Japanese-owned omakase restaurant at The Dubai EDITION hotel, opened in March 2025 by Chef-Owner Ken Kamatsuda, who trained and ran an exclusive members-only restaurant in Japan. Specialising in rare Awa Wagyu and premium Toyosu-sourced seafood, the interactive open-kitchen counter offers three tasting menus from AED 1,350 to AED 5,000 per person.

Nobu Dubai at Atlantis The Palm is the flagship UAE outpost of the globally iconic Japanese-Peruvian restaurant founded by Japanese culinary legend Nobuyuki Matsuhisa. Relocated to the spectacular Royal Bridge on the 22nd floor in 2023, it delivers Nobu's signature black cod, rock shrimp tempura, and innovative sushi in a breathtaking Palm Jumeirah setting.

Nobu One Za'abeel is the brand's third and newest Dubai outpost, opened in January 2026 on the 24th floor of The Link at One&Only One Za'abeel — the world's longest cantilevered inhabited building. It brings Nobu Matsuhisa's signature Japanese-Peruvian cuisine to an architecturally extraordinary setting alongside a late-night DJ lounge.

TakaHisa is Dubai's premier home-grown Japanese omakase, founded and operated by three Japanese nationals including sushi master Chef Takashi Namekata and wagyu master Chef Hisao Ueda. It is the only Japanese restaurant in the 2025 Michelin Guide Dubai and holds Gault & Millau's 3 Toques and Home-Grown Restaurant of the Year 2025.

TakaHisa's second Dubai location brings the same Michelin-recognised Japanese ownership and chef team — sushi master Chef Taka Namekata and wagyu master Chef Hisa Ueda — to a sweeping fourth-floor perch in Volante Tower overlooking the Burj Khalifa. The Downtown outpost uniquely also serves Japanese breakfast.

Umi Kei opened in March 2025 at Jumeirah's newest ultra-luxury property, Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab. Chef Yukou Nishimura, whose family has upheld Japanese culinary tradition across generations, oversees an izakaya-inspired menu drawing from Japan and Hong Kong experience — featuring robata-grilled A5 wagyu (AED 495), sashimi chiku omakase platters, house-made ramen, and a signature Late Night Ramen Club.

Nobu by the Beach is Nobu Matsuhisa's first-ever beach club concept globally, opened in 2023 at the spectacular Atlantis The Royal on Palm Jumeirah. It combines Nobu's celebrated Japanese-Peruvian all-day dining with an oceanfront pool club and a dedicated Robotayaki bar.

Omakaseya is a refined Japanese omakase and sushi restaurant on the first floor of the Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel in Deira, led by Chef Yusuke who brings 20 years of Japanese culinary experience. Ingredients including Hokkaido sea urchin, Hon-maguro bluefin tuna, and Ikura are air-shipped directly from Japan, and management communicates with guests in Japanese, underscoring its authentic operational identity.

TOMO is Dubai's best-known home-grown Japanese rooftop restaurant, founded and led by veteran Japanese chef Chitoshi Takahashi, who spent over three decades at Kisaku in the Khaleej Palace Hotel before opening TOMO on the 17th floor of Raffles Dubai. The name means 'lifelong friend' in Japanese, reflecting a philosophy of honest, tradition-rooted cuisine.

The second branch of Mogiya in Al Barsha 1 extends owner Takahiro Mogi's Japanese dining group into one of Dubai's most densely populated residential neighbourhoods. The same formula of A5 wagyu beef (imported directly from Japan), fresh sushi and sashimi, ramen, and BBQ hotpot is applied, offering Japanese expats and residents in Al Barsha an accessible neighbourhood Japanese destination.

Mogiya is a Japanese-owned restaurant by Takahiro Mogi — who also operates Fujiya and Kimura-ya in Dubai — named after the owner himself ('Mogi's restaurant'). Opened in February 2023 at Hampton by Hilton Al Seef on the historic Dubai Creek waterfront, it is led by Chef Yusuke (20 years' Japanese culinary experience) with seafood and ingredients air-shipped directly from Japan.

Kiku at Le Méridien Dubai is a long-established Japanese restaurant celebrated for its sushi and sake bar, teppanyaki table, and private tatami room. Executive Chef Yoshiyuki Seno brings 27 years of Japanese culinary mastery, sourcing otoro and akami from Tsukiji Market, fresh Hokkaido uni, and Kobe beef from Kansai.

Dubai's original Japanese fine-dining institution, Miyako has anchored Hyatt Regency Dubai since 1987, making it the first Japanese restaurant in the entire Middle East. Three dining spaces — live teppanyaki room, sushi bar, and intimate tatami room — deliver an authentic multi-format experience.

Dubai's first teppanyaki restaurant, Minato opened in 1993 inside the city's original five-star hotel and has been led by Japanese Chef Nakagawa for decades, offering a celebrated nightly sushi and teppanyaki buffet alongside traditional tatami rooms.

Akabeko opened in May 2024 as Dubai's first dedicated Japanese A5 wagyu yakiniku restaurant, housed in voco Dubai The Palm. Executive Chef Yosuke Matsuoka leads a nose-to-tail concept featuring up to 12 unique wagyu cuts cooked tableside, named after the legendary Japanese good-fortune red cow symbol.

Roka Dubai occupies Zaha Hadid's iconic Opus building in Business Bay, bringing the Zuma Group's signature contemporary Japanese robatayaki cuisine — and some of Dubai's finest Burj Khalifa terrace views — to the Downtown district.

The Robata is a dedicated robatayaki omakase restaurant on the terrace of Banyan Tree Dubai, operated by the fully Japanese team behind TakaHisa. Traditional binchotan charcoal grilling meets Japan's finest seasonal seafood and A5 Kobe beef, with open views of Ain Dubai.

Zuma Dubai is DIFC's benchmark contemporary Japanese izakaya, globally renowned for its robata grill, premium sushi counter, and signature sake bar — holding MENA 50 Best No. 34 (2026) and Michelin Guide selection across every edition since the inaugural Dubai guide.

Fujiya is Dubai's original authentic Japanese izakaya, founded in 2018 by Japanese entrepreneur Takahiro Mogi at the Millennium Airport Hotel in Al Garhoud. Led by Chef Aiko Hayakawa — a former sumo wrestler turned Japanese culinary professional — the restaurant serves wagyu BBQ, shabu-shabu hotpot, ramen, sushi, and yakitori, all with concept, design, owner, and staff coming directly from Japan.

Hisaya is the Dubai Marina outpost of Takahiro Mogi's Japanese dining group, confirmed by Khaleej Times as part of the group that also includes Fujiya, Kimura-ya, and Mogiya. Located at the Stella Di Mare Dubai Marina Hotel, the izakaya-style restaurant features A5 Kurohana Japanese wagyu, signature Hisaya ramen, yakitori skewers, sushi, and a Fukuoka-specialty mizutaki chicken hotpot.

Kimura-ya is a celebrated Japanese restaurant chain with approximately 200 outlets across Japan, and this JBR branch at the Al Habtoor Grand Resort marks its first UAE establishment. Owned in Dubai by Japanese entrepreneur Takahiro Mogi, the restaurant features a menu designed by Japanese chefs and interiors by Japanese designer Mayuka Kojima, offering izakaya classics including wagyu yakiniku, shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, sushi, and ramen.

The Business Bay branch of Kimura-ya at the Anantara Downtown Dubai Hotel brings the acclaimed ~200-location Japanese izakaya chain to the heart of Downtown Dubai. Same Japanese ownership as the other Dubai branches, with a menu designed by Japanese chefs covering wagyu shabu-shabu, yakiniku BBQ, sushi, ramen, and premium Japanese beverages.

The Al Jaddaf branch of the Kimura-ya Japanese izakaya chain sits on the first floor of the Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf, serving the same acclaimed formula of wagyu BBQ, Japanese hotpot, sushi, and traditional small plates under Japanese ownership. This branch specifically offers halal-certified menu options alongside the standard JETRO-verified Japanese menu.

The Sheraton Dubai Creek branch of Kimura-ya is the group's fourth and most-reviewed Dubai location, occupying the historic hotel on Baniyas Street in Deira. A featured outdoor terrace overlooking the Creek adds a distinctive setting to the authentic izakaya menu of wagyu BBQ, sashimi, sushi, and Japanese hotpots under Japanese ownership.

Mitsu-Ya is a Japanese-owned izakaya and omakase sushi bar hidden within the Sunken Garden at the Ritz-Carlton DIFC, founded by Chef Mitsu Arai from Chiba, Japan. The name translates as 'Mitsu's house,' reflecting the personal, chef-driven philosophy behind a menu that spans ramen, sushi, and small-plate izakaya fare.

Konjiki Hototogisu is Dubai's only Michelin Bib Gourmand ramen restaurant, a direct export from the original Tokyo shop founded in a Shibuya alley by ramen master Atsushi Yamamoto in 2006. The signature shoyu and shio clam ramen — handmade noodles, no MSG, no ready-made bases — now serves Dubai's Mall of the Emirates.

Inspired by Japan's two most beloved dishes, MaKiRa at Dusit Thani Dubai is a vibrant rolls-and-bowls concept featuring Japanese sushi expert Chef Go at an open counter, premium wagyu and salmon, and celebrated ramen including the signature tan-tan broth.

Dubai's pioneer ramen house, opened in 2018, serves handmade noodles crafted from imported Japanese flour under the guidance of Japanese chef Toshiyuki. Rich, MSG-free broths and traditional techniques make it a rare authentic stop in the city.

Founded in 1997 by Japanese chef and Goodwill Ambassador Shinji Taniuchi, Bentoya Kitchen is Dubai's longest-standing Japanese casual dining institution, serving authentic ramen, sushi, bento boxes, and donburi across multiple city branches.