Just got back from an eventful trip to Japan. The Tokyo part started off with amazing meals, two favorites were Harutaka (1*) and Ginza Kojyu (2*). IMO Harutaka should be at least 2* if not 3. We opted for a mix of warm starters and nigiri, and every course was flawlessly prepared. Ginza Kojyu was simply fantastic, all my favorite ingredients were present, hairy crab, awabi, a5 wagyu, uni, conger eel, etc. I highly recommend both places! (A side note: on our flight back to JFK on ANA the Japanese cuisine was also curated by chef Okuda of Kojyu.)

I had two spots booked in Sapporo at the end of the trip, Hanakoji Sawada (3*) and Sushisai Wakichi (2*), however the big earthquake wiped out power on the entire island for a couple of days, and the reservations had to be cancelled. We were safe in Sapporo, but ppl near the epicenter suffered great losses. Here's to hoping they will recover quickly without any major aftershocks.