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Michelin Guide Book - Tokyo is the culinary capital of the world

With the release of the Michelin Guide in 2008, Tokyo has been recognized as a shining star in the world of cuisine. Michelin’s Tokyo Guide awarded 191 stars to 150 restaurants in the capital city of Japan, the highest number of stars awarded in any city. Paris previously held the top spot, with only 65 stars. Eight establishments in Tokyo, three French restaurants, two sushi bars and three traditional Japanese restaurants, received Michelin’s highest rating of 3 stars.
According to Michelin, a team of three undercover European and two Japanese inspectors spent a year and a half visiting 1,500 of Tokyo’s estimated 160,000 restaurants to decide on the ratings. The guidebook rates restaurants on excellence in cooking, service, décor and upkeep. The announcement by the Michelin Guide was treated as front-page news and was broadcast widely on TV. The glowing reviews for Tokyo’s restaurants was also seen as confirmation of the value of something that the Japanese have long seen as a source of national pride – the mastery of sushi, sashimi and all the other famously subtle elements of Japan’s indigenous cuisine. The guide sold 120,000 copies in just three days.
The announcement by the Michelin Guide was treated as front-page news and was broadcast widely on TV. The glowing reviews for Tokyo’s restaurants was also seen as confirmation of the value of something that the Japanese have long seen as a source of national pride – the mastery of sushi, sashimi and all the other famously subtle elements of Japan’s indigenous cuisine. The guide sold 120,000 copies in just three days.