Satying in Japan 19 nights in May. Wondering how many of you recommend making dinner reservations while on the trip. I am a foodie and would love to check out some of the best food at the best value. But, I am hesitant to make too many reservations, as I dont want to restric our plans too much.

I guess my primary concern is with Tokyo, but am open to other suggestions per the itenerary.

Ueno 4 nights
hakone 1 night
kyoto 3 nights
hiroshima 1 night
osaka 1 night
koyasan 1 night (dinner included)
kanazawa 1 night
shirikawa-go 1 night (dinner included)
takayama 2 nights (dinner included)
shibu-onsen 1 night (dinner included)
shinjuku 2 nights

I don't recommend reservations. A surprising number of establishments don't take reservations (and the ones that do are usually for parties). Most restaurants have chairs or benches outside the door or at the entrance specifically for people waiting for a table. You'll find that reservations are only recommended for high-end, high-demand places. However, if you already have a list of restaurants you are going to hit, hand it over to your concierge and they can check up whether they take reservations and take care of it for you.

OT, but I'm starting to feel like your travel agent for this specific trip. It may be more beneficial for you to hire a local travel agent that can handle all the planning and questions you have. You'll probably get faster and more concise help.

Gosh, I can't agree with the other post. If you really want to venture to the finer establishments, at least in Tokyo, and especially on a busier night (Thur-Sat), I'd highly recommend you book at least a few days if not a few weeks in advance.

It won't always be required, but for the really great places, it always is. I usually lean on my hotel concierge for this, whom I would email weeks ahead of time, as I don't speak Japanese and it's all streamlined that way.

I'd check out Zagat, Bento, SunnyPages, EatPia.com and other sources for reviews. PM me with any special requests. Enjoy.

Depends on what you mean by best food / best value. For me high end restaurants generally tend to be out of my price range so it's not the best value for me, but it might be for someone else.

The vast majority of times when eating out I just show up, the only times I have made reservations were for group celebrations/parties etc.

Thanks for the info. While i enjoy high end fine dining, I am looking more for the high quality, not quite best in the city types of places that locals good for good food that is priced right for what it is.

Think about the hidden gems and best places in your town, thats what I want to find in Japan.

I think I'll ask around once I get there, hopefully meet some locals who are in the know.

I do have a travel agent, but she- I am sure, gets a cut on her referrals.

Peace!

I really like La Bombance in Roppongi. The owner and his wife are very nice hosts even though I don't speak a word of Japanese and they speak maybe about 5 words of English.

http://www.bombance.com/

Since you are saying that you are looking for good local places, I think reservations are less of issue. Many of those places may not take them, or would only take the from someone who was living in Japan. Usually, reservations are done for group events, business, etc. I reserve much less in Japan than in the States for personal eating out. If you have some a specific place you want to eat (especially if it is well-known) then it maybe worth trying to reserve through a travel agent, the concierge, or if you have a Japanese friend they maybe could call for you from abroad.

Outside of ramen shops and very cheap places, I've never heard of restaurants that don't take reservations. If you have a specific place you want to go, reservations are always a good idea. Even if the place isn't full, you'll often get a better table if you reserve. (Of course you should be sure to call and cancel though if you can't make it.)

Especially on Thursday and Friday nights in Tokyo, good restaurants tend to be fully booked. There's nothing worse than wandering around when you're hungry on a Friday night looking for a restaurant with an empty table, and finally ending up someplace mediocre.

That's what I figured; that's how most foodies are. For sushi of course, there's the area right outside of Tsukiji Market; Daiwa Sushi is probably the most popular and talked about, and hence the one with the largest line and wait. You can also check out the bar at the end of Ebisu brewery for fresh beer for a decent price. There are a few excellent yet hidden tonkatsu establishments just north of Ueno Park, or else you can go to the favorite, Isen in Ginza. All the above do not take reservations.

Good strategy; most locals have their favorites.

Gotcha.

[QUOTE=ninja138;15918130]That's what I figured; that's how most foodies are. For sushi of course, there's the area right outside of Tsukiji Market; Daiwa Sushi is probably the most popular and talked about, and hence the one with the largest line and wait. You can also check out the bar at the end of Ebisu brewery for fresh beer for a decent price. There are a few excellent yet hidden tonkatsu establishments just north of Ueno Park, or else you can go to the favorite, Isen in Ginza. All the above do not take reservations.

QUOTE]

Excellent, thank you. Do you by chance know the names of the Katsu places in Ueno? Aside from some good Negimaki, Katsu is what I look forward to the most.

A side note about sushi. My sense is that most people in Japan eat dinner a bit later than in the US, so 7-9PM might be the busiest time. However, sushi busy time is usually early. Most good places start running out of fish at around 7 or 8, so you'll find them busy at 5 or 5:30.

Gosh. That sounds very odd to me. Perhaps it's a Kansai thing. Plenty of fish behind the counters in Tokyo. I haven't noticed good sushi restaurants being busy at 5pm. (I'm not even sure they operate at 5pm).

This thread wins the prize for the most misinformation in the fewest number of posts. To the OP, I recommend you look in www.chowhound.com for the ins and outs of eating in Japan.

Really? One of my favorite shops that features some great fish from local waters always has a line by 5:30. Another favorite typically starts running out of fish by about 7:30. Not talking about kaiten here. Seems like a common knowledge thing. I'll check with some friends. Maybe I'm mistaken.

Thank you! I thought I had dropped into some parallel-universe Japan here....