Miyamaso awarded three Michelin stars

Hisato Nakahigashi’s Miyamaso in Kyoto was promoted to three Michelin stars in the Michelin Guide Kyoto Osaka 2026, according to Michelin’s April 23 selection and an Asahi Shimbun report published on May 15. The award made Miyamaso the first new three-star restaurant in Kyoto in six years, Michelin said. (guide.michelin.com) The restaurant had held two stars since 2011, according to Michelin’s guide and Asahi. Nakahigashi said at the ceremony in Osaka that he had long aimed for the top rating. ### How did Miyamaso move up to three stars? The Michelin Guide Kyoto Osaka 2026 listed Miyamaso among the region’s three-star restaurants when the full selection was unveiled on April 23. Michelin described the promotion as a new three-star entry in Kyoto and said the city now has six three-star restaurants. (guide.michelin.com) Miyamaso’s own Michelin listing now identifies the restaurant as “Three Stars: Exceptional cuisine” in the 2026 guide. Michelin’s inspector notes describe the restaurant as rooted in seasonal mountain ingredients and “tsumikusa” cuisine built around wild plants and other produce from the surrounding satoyama landscape. ### What kind of restaurant is Miyamaso? (guide.michelin.com) Kyoto’s Miyamaso is a Japanese restaurant known for mountain cuisine using local ingredients including wild grasses, mountain vegetables, river fish, mushrooms and game, according to Michelin’s Japanese and English listings. Michelin said the menu reflects the changing seasons in Hanase, a mountainous area north of central Kyoto. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin’s English listing quotes Nakahigashi as saying that “picking plants that grow in the wild gives us a true sense of the season.” Michelin’s older restaurant description said the menu also incorporates some seafood, reflecting the history of the Saba Highway trade route into Kyoto. ### What did Hisato Nakahigashi say about the award? (guide.michelin.com) Asahi reported that Nakahigashi told a news conference after the ceremony that he had “always wanted” three Michelin stars. A photograph caption in Asahi’s May 15 report placed his remarks at an April 23 event in Osaka following the award ceremony for the Kyoto Osaka 2026 guide. The Michelin Guide identifies Nakahigashi as the chef behind Miyamaso. Michelin’s restaurant page says his cooking expresses the natural setting of Hanase through dishes centered on foraged plants and other mountain ingredients. (guide.michelin.com) ### How long had Miyamaso been at two stars? Michelin’s Japanese announcement said Miyamaso received one star in the guide’s first edition in 2010 and was raised to two stars the following year. (guide.michelin.com) Asahi likewise reported that the restaurant had held two Michelin stars since 2011 before this year’s promotion. The same Michelin announcement said Miyamaso has also been selected for a Green Star since the 2021 edition. (asahi.com) Michelin uses the Green Star to recognize restaurants for sustainability-related practices. ### What else was in the Kyoto Osaka 2026 guide? Michelin said the Kyoto Osaka 2026 selection added one new three-star restaurant, five new two-star restaurants and 19 new one-star restaurants. (guide.michelin.com) The guide also added 12 new Bib Gourmand entries and announced the first Sommelier Award for the Kyoto Osaka area. The full Kyoto Osaka 2026 selection was released on April 23 through Michelin’s website and app, Michelin said in a pre-ceremony notice and in the published results. (guide.michelin.com) Readers looking for Miyamaso’s current listing can find it in Michelin’s 2026 Kyoto restaurant pages, where the restaurant is now marked with three stars. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2)