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Tokyo — The City With the Most Michelin Stars
Tokyo is the world’s city with the most Michelin stars — the 2026 edition of the Tokyo Michelin Guide lists 234 starred restaurants, including 12 three-star establishments. Tokyo’s relentless pursuit of food perfection is unmatched globally: a bowl of ramen can be studied and refined over 30 years, a single rice ball can be elevated to an art form. This artisan spirit makes Tokyo a true world food capital.
Departing from China, Tokyo has two main airports: Narita International Airport (Narita; primarily international flights) and Haneda International Airport (Haneda; primarily Asia routes). The 2026 expansion of Haneda’s Terminal 4 is complete, improving arrival efficiency by approximately 30%.
Complete Guide to Three-Star Restaurant Reservations
Tokyo’s hardest-to-book restaurants typically require 3–6 months of advance booking, often through extremely complex lottery or referral systems.
Sukiyabashi Jiro (Jiro Ono): The world’s most famous sushi restaurant, made globally known by the documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.” Master Jiro Ono is over 95 years old; his son Yoshikazu handles most of the work. A six-piece sushi omakase lunch runs approximately ¥30,000 (approximately CNY 1,400) — but the official website doesn’t accept reservations; you must go through a hotel concierge or personal introduction.
Kanda Sushi: Tabelog rating 4.8+; lunch sets approximately ¥15,000; requires staying at the Imperial Hotel to book.
Makimura: French-Japanese fusion; Michelin three-star; official website lottery required.
Robuchon: French cuisine; Tokyo’s only three-star French restaurant; in Ebisu with spectacular views.
Quintessence: French cuisine; consistently top-ranked on Tabelog; reservation-only via website lottery or credit card pre-authorization.
Reserving through a hotel concierge has approximately 70% higher success rates than calling directly. Top restaurants typically require credit card pre-authorization; last-minute cancellations may incur 50% cancellation fees.
Ginza: Ramen Alley for Affordable Dining
Ginza isn’t only high-end restaurants. In the basement level B2 of Ginza Six (opposite the Wako Building), there’s a “Ramen Alley” housing 8 of Tokyo’s most representative ramen brands — each an independent shop of the highest quality.
Recommended: Japanese Soba Tsuta (Asia’s Top 50 Ramen, Michelin one-star; soy sauce ramen approximately ¥1,200); Nijyo (representative miso ramen — over 20 miso varieties blended); AFURI (yuzu salt ramen; light refreshing style; approximately 60% female clientele).
Tsukiji Market (still preserving some outer market trading in 2026) is another food paradise: the early morning tuna auction (5–6am) is not open to the public, but approximately 30 surrounding sushi shops open at 7am. Visitors can eat the freshest sushi in Tokyo at the city’s lowest prices. Daiwa Sushi and Sushi Matsuri are the two most popular spots — queue approximately 1–2 hours, but worth it.
Pre-book teamLab Borderless tickets on Klook to avoid 2+ hours of on-site queuing. teamLab Borderless is the world’s most influential immersive digital art exhibition — 2026 has updated 20% of new works. Wandering through digitally constructed flower seas, waterfalls, and light-and-shadow labyrinths is a completely different experience from any traditional museum.
Transport: Complete Suica (IC Card) Guide
Tokyo’s subway is one of the world’s most complex urban rail systems — 13 metro lines cover the entire city. Buy a Suica card (the equivalent of a transit card for the subway and buses) — tap in at the gate and never buy single tickets again.
Suica cards are available at any JR East station ticketing machine. The card deposit is ¥500; you choose your top-up amount. When the balance runs low, ticketing machines support Chinese-language interface for top-ups. Suica can also be used at convenience stores, airports, and some restaurants — genuinely “one card for all of Tokyo.”
From Narita Airport to the city, the Narita Express (N’EX) is recommended — approximately 90 minutes to Tokyo Station; ¥3,250/person (Suica + separate purchase). If you have heavy luggage, consider pre-booking the Airport Express ticket on Klook in advance — same price as on-site but with a guaranteed seat.
Tokyo Shopping and Souvenir Recommendations
Tokyo is a shopping paradise spanning luxury goods to affordable drugstores. Ginza suits high-end shopping (Ginza Mitsukoshi, Wako); Shibuya suits younger shoppers (Parco, 109); Akihabara is the mecca for anime culture and electronics; Shinjuku has the densest concentration of drugstores at the lowest prices.
Souvenir recommendations: Tokyo Banana (banana cake; airport-limited versions only at the airport); Ginza Nendo Baumkuchen (approximately ¥1,200; beautiful and delicious); Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory (cheese cookies; available at airport duty-free); Shiroi Koibito (Hokkaido brand; available at some Tokyo department stores).
Narita Airport duty-free is your last shopping opportunity — prices are slightly lower than in-city duty-free, especially for Japanese whisky (Suntory, Yamazaki) and Shiseido skincare. Arrive 2.5 hours before your flight to check in, check baggage, and still have time to browse.
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