Hajime

With three Michelin stars to its name, Hajime is considered one of the best restaurants in Osaka. It’ll be a very special meal, but whether it’s worth the sticker shock or not depends on how much you like rarefied fine dining. Go only if you’re willing to splurge.

[Hajime - image © Florentyna Leow]

With its gorgeous, creative dishes blending the best of French and Japanese techniques, Hajime Yoneda’s restaurant earned 3 Michelin stars within a year and a half of its opening. The intricately-plated food here almost seems less about sustenance than about artistic fulfillment - each plate is a literal work of art. Indeed, most of his dishes aim to celebrate nature, earth, and space. His signature dish, ‘Chikyu’ or ‘Earth,’ is made with a whopping 110 vegetables, grains, herbs, and seafood foam, representing the cycle of life on the planet on a plate.

Hajime seats 7 people at a time, and you’ll need to make a reservation through their official website. Interestingly enough, they ban food photography to ensure that you consume the dishes at the right time and temperature, though you may be able to obtain permission beforehand if photographing your food is important to you.

With a standard tasting menu priced at around JPY42,000 per head, and wine pairing options priced between JPY14,000 - JPY27,000, this isn’t the most financially accessible dinner around, nor will it be great value for most travelers. If you regularly splash out on meals like this, Hajime is probably a good restaurant for you. Otherwise, this might not be a good choice. Take your hard-earned cash and spend it on a nice sushi meal instead.

For more Osaka French cuisine choices, see our Best French Restaurants In Osaka page.

English name:
Hajime

Japanese name:
ハジメ

English address:
1F iPlace Edobori, 1-9-11 Edobori, Nishi-ku, Osaka-shi, 550-0002

Japanese address:
〒550-0002 大阪市西区江戸堀1-9-11 アイ・プラス江戸堀1F

Opening hours:
5:30pm-8:30pm
Closed irregulary

Price:
Expensive

Non-smoking section:
Completely Non-Smoking

Reservations:
Necessary

Nearest Transport:
Subway: 2-minute walk from exit 7 of Higobashi Station on the Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line.

Telephone:
+81-6-6447-6688

Website: Official website (11 languages)

Customer Reviews:
Read customer reviews of Hajime on TripAdvisor.

Near To Here:
Hajime is located in Osaka’s Central district. See our complete list of things to do in Central Osaka, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

Best Osaka Restaurants
See our list of the best Osaka restaurants for even more ideas about great places to eat in Osaka.

Where Are These Places Located?

• Open the Osaka map
• You will see the list of places on the left hand side. (Click the 3-line icon in the top left corner if not). Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want.
• Click the name of the place in the list. Its location pin will be highlighted on the map.
• Map pins are color coded - BLUE: Hotels / Ryokan / Guesthouses | VIOLET: Ryokan | PINK: Places to Eat | GREEN: Shops | YELLOW: Things to See and Do
• If you’re using the map on your phone, open the map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location.

---