I don't think the Tokyo Michelin guide did such a bad job on their first attempt. If it was possible to pour the same time and intensity of research into an annual update, then it may become a very good list for this city in, say, 10 years time. Who knows how well the first Michelin guide really reflected French dining options in its first edition. It's taken years to become what it is. The hope is that the Michelin Tokyo guide will eventually become better and better at reflecting this city, the Pellegrino World's Best list is obviously getting more out of touch and irrelevant each year.

The Guardian article is riddled with comments I simply don't agree with. The most striking one is:

"The best foods to try in Kyoto are simple edo mai-sushi, which is hand-pressed nigiri made with rice and raw fish. Edo mai means 'in front of Tokyo Bay' - they use fish freshly caught from the bay."

Which is so strange I'm going to assume that they meant Tokyo and not Kyoto.