Sushi Rakumi

Sushi Rakumi sits on Kyoto's Shirakawa canal on the north side of Gion, in a district lined with cherry trees that light the second-floor waiting room each spring. The kitchen presents Edomae sushi shaped by Kyoto's culinary habits, a combination the restaurant frames as distinct to this address.

The sushi is made by Nomura Kazuya, who trained at Sushi Yoshitake in Tokyo while on staff at Gion Sasaki before taking over the counter here.

Dinner runs in two fixed seatings, 17:00 to 19:00 and 19:30 to 21:30, Tuesday through Saturday. A dinner omakase runs from roughly 25,000 to 30,000 yen per person depending on the night's menu. Lunch is also offered, starting around 10,000 yen, with pricing open to discussion. The restaurant is closed Sundays, the second and fourth Mondays, and additional irregular dates.

Reservations are taken only by phone, with the line open from 11:00 to 22:00, and bookings can be made up to the last day of the second month ahead. There is no online booking system. The address is 332-6 Miyoshichō in Higashiyama Ward, a five-minute walk from Keihan Sanjo Station or six minutes from the Tozai Line's Sanjo-Keihan Station. No on-site parking is available, so arriving by train is the practical option.