Tokyo executes quietly, obsessively, and better than almost anywhere else on earth. A firsthand restaurant and coffee guide from a former pastry chef and sommelier.

Kanazawa is one of Japan’s most underrated cities — and one of its most rewarding. This is my guide to the best of what it has to offer, from cult-status curry and fresh crab croquettes at Omicho Market to hand-painted kutani porcelain, urushi lacquerware ateliers, and tea experiences tucked inside Edo-period geisha houses. If you’re ready to go beyond the obvious, this is where to start.

Hakone is a mountain escape best done slowly — two nights, a ryokan, and enough time to do the ropeway, the open-air museum, and the quietly excellent eating and drinking scene in Gora. Here’s where to go.

Kyoto is Japan’s cultural soul — and its food scene reflects exactly that. From intimate kaiseki hidden inside Nishiki Market to Prohibition-era speakeasies and 300-year-old matcha producers, here are the best places to eat and drink in Kyoto.

Osaka lives by kuidaore — eat until you drop — and this guide takes that seriously. From Kuromon Market and a MICHELIN-selected yakitori omakase to wagashi shops and three of the best cocktail bars in Japan, this is a pastry chef and sommelier’s personal guide to Japan’s most food-obsessed city.