Michelin Guide announces new Kobe and Awaji Island restaurant selection

The Michelin Guide has announced the launch of a new restaurant selection for the Kobe and Awaji Island areas in Japan. This marks the first new area expansion in the country in five years, following the previous addition of Nara.

The selection will cover Kobe City and several municipalities on Awaji Island, including Awaji, Sumoto, and Minamiawaji. Michelin inspectors have already begun investigations in the region to evaluate establishments based on global standards. The results will be officially unveiled on February 16, 2027, during the ‘Michelin Guide Restaurant Ceremony Tokyo/Kansai 2027’.

The decision to include these areas highlights the region's diverse culinary landscape, ranging from world-renowned Kobe beef and Seto Inland Sea seafood to Awaji Island's agricultural products like onions and Awaji beef. Michelin International Director Gwendaelle Prennec noted that the area offers a unique combination of urban sophistication in Kobe and the natural abundance of Awaji Island, connected by the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge.