Makimura

Makimura, also written in Japanese as まき村, is a highly regarded Japanese restaurant in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It operates in the kappo kaiseki tradition, in which guests are served a carefully sequenced tasting menu prepared by the chef, with the food and service shaped around seasonal ingredients and the character of the dining room. The restaurant is run by chef Akio Makimura and is particularly associated with seafood-centered cuisine influenced by Aomori, in northern Japan. The restaurant has operated for more than 25 years, although its present premises date from May 10, 2010. Its current location is near Ōmorikaigan Station in Shinagawa. Makimura is known for its intimate scale: it generally offers only one seating per night and has limited capacity. The resulting scarcity of reservations, together with the restaurant's strong reputation among local diners, has become part of its identity. Makimura's tasting menu is built primarily around seafood and traditional Japanese techniques. Its best-known dish is tai chazuke, sea bream served with rice flavored with green tea. The dish exemplifies the restaurant's emphasis on restrained presentation, regional influence, and the use of familiar Japanese ingredients in a refined tasting-menu setting. The restaurant received three Michelin stars every year from 2015 through 2024, placing it among Tokyo's most highly rated restaurants during that period. It was not listed in the 2025 Michelin Guide, ending that consecutive Michelin-star listing. Other recognition includes Tabelog Gold in 2024, Tabelog Silver in 2019–2023 and 2025, Tabelog Bronze in 2018, and inclusion in the Tokyo Hyakumaiten selections in 2021, 2023, and 2025. Makimura is best understood as a chef-led destination restaurant rather than a broad restaurant chain or packaged-food brand. Its positioning rests on limited access, intimate hospitality, seasonal Japanese cuisine, and sustained critical recognition. Publicly available reference material provides little information about corporate ownership, financial performance, expansion plans, or a wider operating network.

Makimura is a Japanese kappo kaiseki restaurant in Shinagawa, Tokyo, operated by chef Akio Makimura. The restaurant has been open for more than 25 years, but its present location dates from May 10, 2010. It is situated near Ōmorikaigan Station and is known for its very small scale, with generally one seating per night. This format contributes to the difficulty of obtaining a reservation and reinforces the restaurant's intimate, chef-centered character. Its cuisine is primarily seafood-based and incorporates influences from Aomori. The menu is presented as a tasting experience rather than a broad à la carte offering, with the chef directing the sequence of dishes. Makimura's signature preparation is tai chazuke, combining sea bream with rice flavored by green tea. The dish reflects the restaurant's use of traditional Japanese ingredients and understated presentation. Makimura's strongest public milestone has been its Michelin recognition. It held three Michelin stars in every edition from 2015 through 2024. The restaurant was not included in the 2025 Michelin listing. Separately, Tabelog awarded it Bronze in 2018, Silver from 2019 through 2023, Gold in 2024, and Silver again in 2025. Makimura was also selected for Tokyo Hyakumaiten in 2021, 2023, and 2025. The available reference material does not identify a founding year, ownership structure, corporate parent, financial results, additional locations, or a formal expansion strategy. Makimura is therefore best documented as a single, chef-led destination restaurant whose reputation is based on seasonal seafood cuisine, limited seating, local patronage, and major culinary awards.

• 2025

  End of the documented Michelin listing

  [1]Makimuraen.wikipedia.org

  Makimura was not listed in the 2025 Michelin Guide after receiving three stars annually from 2015 through 2024.

• 2024

  Tabelog Gold recognition

  [1]Makimuraen.wikipedia.org

  Makimura received the Tabelog Gold Award after several years of Silver recognition.

• 2021

  Tokyo Hyakumaiten selection

  [1]Makimuraen.wikipedia.org

  Makimura was included in the Tokyo Hyakumaiten selections.

• 2018

  Tabelog Bronze recognition

  [1]Makimuraen.wikipedia.org

  Makimura received a Tabelog Bronze Award.

• 2015

  First year in the documented Michelin three-star run

  [1]Makimuraen.wikipedia.org

  Makimura received three Michelin stars, beginning a run that continued through 2024.

• 2010

  Move to the current location

  [1]Makimuraen.wikipedia.org

  Makimura began operating at its current Shinagawa location on May 10, 2010.

An intimate, highly selective Tokyo kappo kaiseki restaurant focused on seasonal seafood, Aomori-influenced Japanese cooking, and chef-led hospitality.

• Restaurant tasting menu

  Seasonal kappo kaiseki tasting menu

  Makimura's principal offering is a chef-directed Japanese tasting menu. The menu emphasizes seasonal ingredients, seafood, and techniques associated with kappo and kaiseki cooking. Available descriptions identify Aomori influences and a small, intimate dining format rather than a standardized chain menu.

• Signature dish

  Tai chazuke

  Tai chazuke is Makimura's signature preparation. It features sea bream with rice flavored by green tea, combining a traditional Japanese rice-and-tea format with the restaurant's seafood-focused cooking. It is the dish most specifically associated with Makimura in the available reference material.

1. 1Makimuraen.wikipedia.org