The hushed, reverent atmosphere here is well suited to owner-chef Koichi Minamishima's awe-inspiring knife skills. He works with both local seafood and fish flown direct from Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo to produce his peerless sushi. This is the best Japanese restaurant in Melbourne.

This is one of Melbourne's best Japanese restaurants. It's certainly its most ambitious. There's a New York-style sushi bar at street level, a pumping izakaya-style basement and an upstairs private dining room – Kuro – for intimate kaiseki-style meals.

In 2018, this Euro-Japanese fine diner moved from its home in Daylesford to Carlton. We're glad it's made the move to the city. The dishes here, delivered thoughtfully across several multi-course options, are a compelling argument for fusion done the right way.

Some of the city’s finest sushi and sashimi is served at Kenzan’s intimate 12-seat counter. And in the main and private dining rooms, à la carte Japanese standards ranging from sukiyaki to shabu-shabu. A Melbourne institution since 1981.

Izakayas are Japanese bars where the eating is just as important as the drinking. That's true at this CBD favourite. There's a selection of drinking-friendly dishes that accompany the excellent sakes and Japanese-influenced cocktails.

A large, colourful restaurant with a menu that touches on nearly every aspect of Japanese cuisine. Here you'll find sushi, gyoza, tempura, plus hearty bowls of braised-beef curry. Plus a fun drinks list that includes sakes, Japanese-influenced cocktails and craft beers from Tokyo.

This sister restaurant to Fitzroy's Ichi Ni Nana Izakaya has all of its sibling's great Japanese drinking and dining, with one key difference: stunning views out over Port Phillip Bay.

Take a seat at the stone counter for a 10-course sushi degustation, or order an assortment of sashimi, miso-marinated black cod and savoury steamed custard topped with foie gras à la carte.

The cyberpunk facade of this two-level Japanese diner is almost as impressive as the action in the sprawling open kitchen, where chefs turn skewered meat over jumping flames. Visit for elevated rice and noodle dishes, spanner-crab-filled hand rolls and cocktails named after the neighbourhoods of Tokyo.

In a suburb full of good Japanese food, this sushi bar and eatery stands out from the pack. Come for impeccable seafood by an expert sushi chef, plus nostalgic bento and noodles dishes in an understated dining room.

Inside a Prahran cafe, this tiny bar devoted to chirashi seats just 12 diners a day (and books out fast). But you can try still try its beautifully presented sushi by pre-ordering a takeaway box.

The menu at this new-wave Japanese diner is far from traditional, but the flavour-punching dishes stay true to the simplicity of Japanese cuisine. Expect cold dishes, donburi and hits from the Hibachi grill.

There are over 80 sakes at this slick Japanese bar and eatery, which is housed in a former bank. Unlike many izakayas – which can get quite dark – Kumo's space is light, open and airy.

We recommend you make a booking at this bustling modern-Japanese restaurant. Even though Ocha opened back in 2011, it's still to this day a difficult task to get a walk-in table here on a weekend.

This playful Taiwanese-Japanese restaurant in South Melbourne (no relation to Fitzroy's Peko Peko) is a fun eatery that doesn't take itself or its delicious menu too seriously.

This intimate restaurant – with a nondescript entrance under an office building – specialises in the Japanese tradition of tempura: a battering and frying technique that leads to surprisingly light and refreshing dishes.

Meaning ‘community’ in Japanese, Machi is inspired by its St Kilda location and eclectic culture. Come here for excellent gyoza, Wagyu beef and Kyoto-inspired dishes.

This Japanese restaurant has a particular emphasis on traditional fare – sushi and sashimi, namely – as well as sake: there's an imposing and ever-growing selection on offer.

Sake and '80s throwbacks flow freely in this neon-lit eatery. It breaks the mould with nori tacos, ramen gnocchi and a list of fun cocktails infused with Japanese flavours. And there’s a function space upstairs big enough for 60 salarymen.

Landing somewhere between a hip izakaya and a conbini, this place specialises in Hamamatsu-style gyoza served in a hot-and-crisp spiral. It also has a monthly soft-serve flavour for dessert and a beer vending machine for cold Japanese suds.

Departing from San Telmo's Latin American flavours, here the group focuses on yakitori and kushiyaki cooked over traditional binchotan charcoal. Also, masterfully-sliced sashimi and sake, in a fit-out that resembles a scene straight from the streets of Tokyo.

An all-you-can-eat Japanese barbeque joint where you’ll be cooking wagyu over the coals and sipping ice-cold matcha beer.

This adventurous Japanese Diner is plating up Wagyu tataki, soba noodle salads, prawn sandos and Iced Vovo mille-feuille.

Tucked beneath an apartment block, an ex-Kisume and Nobu chef perfects the Japanese art of robatayaki using a charcoal-powered parrilla grill. Take a seat at the bar overlooking the small but efficient kitchen for yakitori served every way and a diverse selection of sake by the glass.