10 Best Sushi Spots in Sapporo and Otaru, Hokkaido! Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Guide-

Update-date: Nov 14 2023

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

Categories: Sushi Sapporo Hokkaido Otaru

10 Best Sushi Spots in Sapporo and Otaru, Hokkaido!

One of the best things about Hokkaido is its super fresh seafood! When winter arrives, fish and shellfish from this area are even more delicious. Here is a list of 10 awesome sushi spots you must try while visiting Sapporo or Otaru.

See full listings of Sushi restaurants found in and around Sapporo, Hokkaido, and Otaru.

1. Otaru Masazushi Main Branch (Otaru)

Unbeatable Freshness! 10 Sushi Spots in Sapporo and Otaru, Hokkaido

Located on Otaru Sushi Street (Sushiya-dori), the historical [Otaru Masazushi Main Branch] is more than 70 years old. Their ingredients are carefully selected from a market in Sapporo, to ensure their sushi is always super fresh and tasty. Their specialty is a 300kg Canadian bluefin tuna from the Atlantic Ocean, which is considered the highest-grade tuna in the world. The sweet fish is so tender that it literally melts on top of your tongue. If you want to try different ingredients, order the set called [Masazushi Takumi] (5,800 JPY) and you'll get 12 nigiri (hand-formed sushi) of seasonal products.

Otaru Masazushi Main Branch

Open: [Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - Sunday, Holidays, Day Before Holidays] 11:00 - 22:00
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 3,500 JPY
Access: Get off at JR Otaru Station. It is approximately 3 to 4 minutes by taxi from the station.
Address: 1-1-1 Hanazono, Otaru, Hokkaido Map
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2. Otaru Takeno Sushi (Otaru)

The wooden interiors and classical illumination of [Otaru Takeno Sushi] create a lovely quiet atmosphere. Here you can savor delicious sushi made with fresh seafood from the surrounding areas, such as sea urchin and mantis shrimp caught in the nearby sea, or botan shrimp from Haboro and scallops from Uchiura Bay, both from along Hokkaido. Plus, the prices are pretty convenient: a set including 6 nigiri sushi, grilled butter scallops, fried squid tentacles, and miso soup comes for as little as 2,000 JPY (excl. tax). Also, pay attention to the glass vessel the dish is arranged on - it's gorgeous and it makes your sushi look like colorful gems!

Otaru Takeno Sushi

Open: [Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - Sunday, national holidays, days before national holidays] Lunch 10:30 - 16:00. Dinner 17:00 - 21:00.
Closed: Irregular
Average price: -
Access: Next to Kitaichi Glass on Sakaimachi Dori. A ten-minute walk from JR Otaru Station.
Address: 2-22 Sakai-machi , Otaru, Hokkaido Map
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3. Sushiya no Yamada (Susukino)

[Sushiya no Yamada] is conveniently located at a 3-minute walk from Susukino Station, and its owner has been making top-grade sushi for over 40 years. The ingredients are not only from Hokkaido, as they also stock from Kyushu in search of the best-quality fish, while the rice is a Hokkaido-made brand called Yumepirika. If you can't decide what to order, go for the [Kita no Sushi] (4,000 JPY plus tax). You'll be served a luxurious meal composed of 10 nigiri: fatty tuna, flounder, shrimp, scallop, surf clam, crab, salmon, sea urchin, ikura, and abalone.

Sushiya no Yamada

Open: 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Closed: [Sundays, Holidays]
Average price: [Dinner] 10,000 JPY
Access: Three minute walk from Susukino Station on the Sapporo Municipal Subway Line. Proceed along Sapporo Ekimaedori street toward Nakajimakoen Station, turn left at the third corner and it will be on your right-hand side.
Address: Shinjukudori No.20 Keiwa Bldg. 1F , 4-2 Minami Gojo Nishi , Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido Map
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4. Sushi Isono (Odori)

Opened in 2013, [Sushi Isono] is a popular location with refined white-themed interiors, where you can lay back and enjoy authentic sushi in a casual atmosphere. You'll get to stuff your cheeks with botan-shrimp sushi that you can only find in Hokkaido, extra fatty tuna nigiri, and many other delicacies made with fresh seafood carefully selected by the owner. There's also a wide assortment of drinks, including beer, shochu, wine and champagne, so don't forget to ask the owner what goes best with your food. Also, go ahead and enjoy a nice chat with him across the counter.

Sushi Isono

Open: [Tuesday - Sunday] Dinner 6:00 pm - 0:00 am (L.O. 11:30 pm)

[Saturday, Sunday] Lunch: 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm (L.O. 2:00 pm) Reservations are required in advance for the lunch service.
Closed: Monday
Average price: [Dinner] 10,000 JPY
Access: 5 minutes walk from the exits No.1 and No.10 of Subway Odori Station
Address: 1F, Minami Nijo Bldg., 7-8-2 Minami Ni-jo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido Map
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5. Sushi Saiko (Susukino)

If you're in the mood for the finest-quality sushi served in a refined Japanese-style restaurant, treat yourself to a special meal at [Sushi Saiko]. Only local Hokkaido products are used for their sushi, including the uncommon kinki (broadbanded thornyhead), a natural king salmon produced in Hokkaido known as "Masunosuke", and other rare ingredients you wouldn't expect to find! You can choose between an [Omakase] set composed of 12 pieces (5,000 JPY), and a 10,000 JPY course. Also worth mentioning is the unique way you'll be served your food: the sushi pieces, which break apart easily, are individually handed over to you by the chef, according to your eating pace. Reservation is required for all seats, so remember to book yours beforehand.

Sushi Saiko

Open: [Weekdays, Saturdays, Days before holidays] Hours 6:00 pm - 12:00 am, however, may close if ingredients run out
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 10,000 JPY
Access: Depart Susukino Station on the Sapporo City Subway Line, head along Gojodori street, located in the basement of the #4 Green Building.
Address: NEXT Bldg. 1F, 3-6-6, Minami Rokujyo Nishi , Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido Map
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6. Sushi Watanabe Sapporo Branch (Susukino)

8. Sushi Watanabe Sapporo Branch (Susukino)

Having trained at a famed Japanese restaurant in Tokyo, the chef of this restaurant knows how to make proper "Ezo-style Sushi", which is the Hokkaido version, made with local ingredients, of Edo-style sushi (the kind found in Tokyo). The sushi rice is seasoned with red vinegar, which maximizes the original flavor of the fish. The only available options are omakase (chef's choice) courses: the [Mini Course] is 10,000 JPY (excl. tax), the [Full Course] 13,000 JPY (excl. tax), while the [Chef's Whim Course] costs 16,000 JPY (excl. tax). There are also delicious a-la-carte items featuring not only seafood but also seasonal vegetables from Hokkaido.

Sushi Watanabe Sapporo branch

Open: Lunch 11:30 am - 1:30 pm (L.O. 1:00 pm), Dinner 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm *Last entry is 9:00 pm
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 15,000 JPY / [Lunch] 5,000 JPY
Access: 4 minutes walk from [Susukino Station]
Address: 4F, Plaza 6-4 Bldg., 4-1 Minami 6-jo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido Map
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7. Otaru Orizushi (Otaru)

[Otaru Orizushi] owes its high reputation to using only seafood caught in the coastal waters of Hokkaido. The restaurant is a renovated stone cellar with a modern design and jazz music playing in the background, and behind the counter there are café-style fancy tables. The [Hanabusa Nigiri 12-piece Assortment] (4,500 JPY) is a luxurious platter containing the most recommended seafood of the day, with a focus on local seasonal products. You can even get a nigiri of the so-called "Tsuri-kinki" (channel rockfish), a brand name that only a few ships are allowed to use!

Otaru Orizushi

Open: [Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - Sunday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] Lunch 11:30 am - 3:00 pm / Dinner 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm (L.O. 8:30 pm)
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 7,000 JPY / [Lunch] 4,000 JPY
Access: 9 minutes walk from [Otaru Station] on JR Hakodate Main Line. Along the Naka-dori Street which is next to prefectural road No. 17 (Otaru Rinko Line) in the west. Behind the Nitori Otaru Art Base.
Address: 1-2-8 Ironai, Otaru city, Hokkaido Map
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8. Kita no Donburiya Takinami Shokudo (Otaru)

5. Kita no Donburiya Takinami Shokudo (Otaru)

This eatery is directly managed by a fishery inside Sankaku Market, only a few steps away from Otaru Station. In its lively interior, you'll get to decide your order by looking at the colorful food photos covering the entire wall. The most recommended item is the [Classic Wagamama-don] (from 1,800 JPY excl. tax), which is a rice bowl you can top with 3-4 ingredients that you like out of the 9 most popular options. You also get to choose the amount of rice, based on how hungry you feel! Alternatively, the [Uni-don], topped with additive-free sea urchin and the gorgeous [Loaded Ikura-don] (2,000 JPY excl. tax) are also customer favorites.

Kita no Donburiya Takinami Shokudo

Open: 8:00 - 17:00
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 1,500 JPY
Access: Located within “Otaru Triangle Market,” right outside of Otaru Station.
Address: Sankaku Ichiba-nai, 3-10-16 Inaho, Otaru, Hokkaido Map
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9. Shikama - Sushi & Japanese Cuisine (Otaru)

3. Shikama - Sushi & Japanese Cuisine (Otaru)

The historical [Shikama - Sushi & Japanese Cuisine] is well-known as the first restaurant run by a female sushi chef. The most popular menu item, the [Shikama Nigiri] (3,500 JPY), is a luxurious assortment of high-grade ingredients like sea urchin, ikura (salmon roe), crab, and fatty tuna, which is ideal if you want a taste of Hokkaido's best local products. Another recommended dish is the [Shikama Chirashi] (3,500 JPY), topped with a generous amount of seasonal fish caught from the shore in front of Otaru. If you grab a seat at the counter, 3 huge showcases filled with seafood will be there to whet your appetite! Chatting with the chef is also part of the fun.

Shikama -Sushi & Japanese Cuisine

Open: [Monday, Wednesday - Sunday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] 11:00 am - 10:00 pm (L.O. 9:30 pm) During weekdays, we have a break from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
Closed: Tuesday
Average price: [Dinner] 7,000 JPY / [Lunch] 3,000 JPY
Access: From JR Otaru Station, turn right at the National Route No. 5, turn left at Inaho Icchome Intersection, and turn right at Sushiyadori-mae-temae Intersection
Address: 1-2-5, Hanazono, Otaru city, Hokkaido

10. Sushiya no Saito (Susukino)

[Sushiya no Saito] is a restaurant in the entertainment district of Susukino. Their 10-piece [Okimari] nigiri assortment includes bluefin tuna, scallop, botan shirmps, and abalone and usually comes for 5,500 JPY, but at lunch, it's served for the special price of 4,950 JPY. Of course, you can also just order the nigiri you like individually. One recommendation is their hon-maguro nigiri, which is made with top-grade bluefin tuna from Toi, Hokkaido. It has plenty of delicious fat and a rich flavor. The restaurant's attention to detail is meticulous: for example, the wasabi used to flavor their sushi is stocked all the way from Shizuoka Prefecture, where they carefully select the best product available.

Sushiya no Saito

Open: Normal hours 5:00pm- 12:00 am (Until 10:00pm on Sundays and days before holidays)
Closed: Wednesdays
Average price: [Dinner] 12,960 JPY
Access: With JR Sapporo Station behind you, walk 4-5 minutes south along Ekimae Dori towards Nakajima Koen Station.
Address: Plaza 6 - 4 Bldg. 1F, 4 Minami Rokujo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido

There you go! Make sure to go visit the restaurants that caught your attention, and enjoy all the fresh seafood that Hokkaido has to offer!

Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.