Sushi Arai, located a 6-8 minute walk from Ginza Station, is a sushi restaurant that boasts top-class ratings across Japan—a place you must visit at least once in your life. It has been selected as one of the top sushi restaurants in Tokyo from 2021 to 2025, as well as receiving Tabelog Gold and Silver awards from 2017 to 2026.The restaurant features counter seating on the second floor and in the basement, where the second chef showcases his skills. Occasionally, there are online reservations available on Tabelog for solo diners, allowing you a chance to visit even without a reservation.Here’s the menu I enjoyed:-----------------------------◾️ Edamame We started the course with Shizuoka-grown edamame, lightly salted with grain salt. This dish pairs perfectly with drinks.◾️ Octopus Tender octopus stewed slowly from Sagami Bay, seasoned with a delicate balance of sweetness and saltiness while retaining its characteristic chewiness.◾️ Aji Aji from Ishikawa, aged for a day to enhance its umami. It’s delightful to enjoy it with different seasonings like salt and sudachi, soy sauce, and wasabi.◾️ Abalone Large abalone steamed for 4.5 hours, offering a delightful texture. While it’s delicious on its own, the rice porridge made with rice oil and abalone broth was incredibly flavorful!◾️ Bonito Tataki of bonito caught in Kesennuma, with a soft texture and rich fat. The crispy skin and smooth flesh create a wonderful contrast, pairing excellently with ginger and green onion soy sauce or yama wasabi soy sauce.◾️ Chutoro Chutoro hand rolls made with tuna from the Funka Bay in Hokkaido. The crispy nori, perfect saltiness, and melting tuna fat create a harmonious balance.◾️ Sweetfish Beautifully grilled sweetfish, prepared to give a crunchy texture to the scales. The contrast between the fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth flesh and the crispy scales is captivating.◾️ Flounder Flounder nigiri with a delightful texture and mild flavor. The rice has a strong acidity, allowing you to fully appreciate its taste and saltiness.◾️ Striped Horse Mackerel Natural striped horse mackerel nigiri from Tosa, Kochi. Despite being generously coated with soy sauce, the rich fat of the fish stands out impressively.◾️ Spanish Mackerel Nigiri of Spanish mackerel cut slightly thicker. The fluffy, tender texture of the fish and the small rice create a perfect balance in your mouth.◾️ Red Snapper Nigiri of red snapper with a distinct, firm texture. The sharp aroma of wasabi enhances the deliciousness of the kombu-marinated red snapper.◾️ Kohada Kohada nigiri, a classic Edo-style sushi. It has a strong acidity, yet as you chew, a mysterious sweetness unfolds.◾️ Squid Nigiri of squid finely chopped and shaped. It has a rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture while still retaining some elasticity, allowing you to enjoy the harmony with the rice.◾️ Kasugodai Nigiri of kasugodai, marinated in sweet vinegar, adding sweetness and acidity. The hidden knife cuts allow the sweet vinegar flavor to seep in, making it an exquisite dish.◾️ Lean Tuna Nigiri of lean tuna with a crispy texture. The balance of marinating time in soy sauce, the shape of the nigiri, and the rice was all perfect!◾️ Chutoro A piece of chutoro with an unexpectedly rich fat content. By intentionally serving it slightly cold, it warms up to body temperature as you eat, enhancing the sweetness of the fat.◾️ Otoro The ultimate nigiri sushi with the rich melt-in-your-mouth fat characteristic of otoro. It has a slightly stronger acidity in the rice compared to chutoro, without any heaviness.◾️ Horse Mackerel Thick and rich horse mackerel nigiri from Shimane. The flavor of the blue fish fat is completely different from that of tuna, making it irresistible!◾️ Sweet Shrimp Large, satisfying sweet shrimp nigiri from Amakusa, Kumamoto. The delightful texture and the umami of the shrimp expand with each bite.◾️ Salmon Roe A small rice bowl of salmon roe seasoned gently with soy sauce and kombu. The moment you pop it in your mouth, it bursts and releases an explosion of flavor, enhanced by the aroma of nori.◾️ Sea Urchin Gunkan maki made with luxurious purple sea urchin from Kushiro, Hokkaido. It’s incredibly creamy, melting in your mouth while you savor its rich sweetness.◾️ Egg The course concluded with a high-quality egg resembling castella. -----------------------------The price is on the higher side, but you can truly enjoy the finest sushi, service, and atmosphere, so I highly recommend visiting.Thank you for the meal!*Instagram Gourmet Account https://www.instagram.com/shunsuke.naka/ (Followers have surpassed 10,000!)*Gourmet Blog https://syn-gourmet.com*Comprehensive Links https://lit.link/syngourmet