Diners' Choice: Japanese restaurants in East Bay

OpenTable

Updated 05 November 2026

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Japanese cuisine in East Bay? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyses more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favourites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Blue Sakana - Blackhawk (Formerly Blue Gingko - Blackhawk)

4.9

4.9 (180)

$30 and under

Japanese

San Ramon

About the restaurant

Come to unwind, stay for the unexpected

Blue Sakana is an Izakaya style restaurant with share plates where friends can go to have a drink and unwind after a long day. Chef and owner, JD prepares Japanese influenced dishes from around the world consisting of an eclectic mix of local and seasonal meat, noodle, sashimi, and traditional sushi specialties, with an emphasis on a unique variety of fresh seafood.

The staff welcomes you into their house and offers up comfort, hospitality and fun. Blue Sakana Blackhawk features an outdoor patio and a full bar, stocked with an extensive selection of sake, where our team happily introduce diners to the world of sake.

Top review

RoseGold

Dined on 29 Oct 2026

I just found my new go to Japanese Restaurant in the Tri Valley! Blue Sakana is right in line with the top tier Japanese restaurants in our area, but service, ambiance and selection was even broader than most. The Rolls, Sashimi, and spare ribs were delicious. I'm going back soon to try the other things on the menu. The staff was very accommodating and came to check frequently, unlike other restaurants. Send your friends to keep them open in the dyeing Blackhawk Plaza.

Aozora Japanese Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (692)

$30 and under

Japanese

Danville

About the restaurant

Aozora Japanese Restaurant brings Danville the finest Japanese flavors and style. Enjoy our menu featuring delicious shared plates and entrees from the kitchen, beautifully crafted sushi rolls from the sushi bar, and enticing drinks from the bar.

Top review

PamfiliaGold

Dined 4 days ago

We are always satisfied here. The steak and ribs were delicious.

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Experience

Four Courses, Four Wines: Exclusive Aozora Pairing

Hana Japan Steak & Seafood - Dublin

4.8

4.8 (533)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Dublin

About the restaurant

A local family-owned favorite since 1978, Hana Japan Steak & Seafood in Dublin brings together fire, flavor, and a chef-led hibachi experience that makes dinner feel like a celebration. Every reservation is for our interactive teppanyaki tables, where skilled chefs cook steak, seafood, chicken, and vegetables in front of you with showmanship and crowd-favorite moments like the onion volcano.

Perfect for birthdays, date nights, family gatherings, graduations, and group dinners, Hana Japan has served generations of Bay Area guests for nearly 50 years. Enjoy USDA Choice Black Angus steak, fresh seafood, vegetarian options, and favorites like Hibachi Salmon, New York Steak, and House Dry-Aged Ribeye. Dinners include Hana salad with organic dressing, soup, steamed rice, and seasonal vegetables. Fried rice is available as an upgrade.

Birthday guests dining with parties of 4+ enjoy a free entrée, up to $39 off, kids <10 $20 off. Reservations strongly recommended. On-time arrival required.

Top review

Heidi

Dined 2 days ago

We had a great time. The food was very good, and the prices more than fair. The staff was attentive and generous with their time. Great place! We'll be back.

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Experience

Hibachi Classics - $45 per guest

Experience

Hibachi Premiere -$69.50 per guest

Kinda Izakaya

4.7

4.7 (12)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Oakland

About the restaurant

Kinda Izakaya is a Japanese-style casual bar or pub ,which mainly serves alcoholic beverages and
variety of nibble such as Yakitori, Sashimi, small bite.

Top review

Diane

Dined 6 days ago

This is a great place, and the food is top-notch and authentic. Great service too.

Tancho Japanese Restaurant

4.6

4.6 (33)

$50 and over

Japanese

Castro Valley

About the restaurant

Seasonal Edomae-style sushi omakase led by Chef Jeffrey, featuring 12 chef-selected courses, sourced primarily from the Toyosu Fish Market through our sister restaurant Sushi Kinsen in Redwood City.
$95 per person · approx. 80 minutes
Optional à la carte supplements available.
Counter and table seating offered. OpenTable reservations are currently for tables only. If you are interested in a counter reservation, please visit our website: https://www.tanchojapaneserestaurant.com

Top review

Clarissa

Dined 6 days ago

Worth the experience! Our second time and each time they do not disappoint. We enjoyed all the delicious dishes and the service at Tancho.

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Experience

Tancho Chef's Bar Counter Omakase $95

Experience

Tancho Table Friendly Omakase $95

Yoshi's Oakland

4.7

4.7 (8530)

$30 and under

Japanese

Oakland

About the restaurant

Yoshi's has served Japan's best traditional dishes to Bay Area patrons since 1972. The menu highlights artfully arranged sushi, fresh grilled seafood, classic Japanese dishes, and vegetarian fare. Patrons can kick off their shoes in the traditional Japanese tatami seating or dine at tables. Expert sushi chefs create sushi and sashimi to order either in the restaurant or in the jazz house. Start the evening in the cocktail lounge before dinner or have a nightcap after taking in a show in the jazz house.

Top review

Isabelo

Dined 1 day ago

6 for a fabulous dinner & cocktails followed by a wonderful sold out sax /Grover Washington tribute - unbelievable performance!! Seats were best in the house - both that was cozy comfortable in front & center of the stage! Could not ask for more ore or better! We’ll definitely be back for this group- Grover Washington Tribute is the bomb!!! Thank you Trina from Yoshi’s ❤️

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4.6

4.6 (2354)

$30 and under

Japanese

Walnut Creek

About the restaurant

Nestled in the heart of Walnut Creek, Sasa is an experience. A beautifully transformed 100-year-old building and be transported to a world of culinary delights. The ambiance is both elegant and inviting, with a serene waterfall and Asian-inspired decor setting the stage for a memorable evening.
Sasa's menu is a testament to Chef Philip Yang's passion for Japanese-inspired cuisine. He masterfully blends fresh, seasonal ingredients with global influences, creating a symphony of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. From exquisitely crafted sushi and sashimi to innovative small plates, each dish is a work of art.
Indulge in the melt-in-your-mouth Salmon Melt, a harmonious blend of crab, avocado, and parmesan aioli. Savor the vibrant flavors of the Rainbow Roll, bursting with fresh fish and vibrant colors. Their extensive sake selection and expertly crafted cocktails offer the perfect complement to your meal. Now serving lunch, reverse happy hour, and try our flat iron steak.

Top review

Priya

Dined on 24 Oct 2026

Great service and great food and drinks as always.

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Happy Hour Daily from 5:00pm-6:00pm

Akemi Berkeley

4.5

4.5 (522)

$30 and under

Japanese

Berkeley

About the restaurant

Opened in February 2015, AKEMI is the latest incarnation of miyuki on 1695 Solano Avenue in North Berkeley (Albany border) in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Along with a revamped interior and exterior that includes salvaged wood and upgraded kitchen equipment, AKEMI features an updated menu spotlighting fresh ingredients and well-crafted flavors while retaining customer classics such as our sushi rolls.

AKEMI is the new name we bestow upon the beauty that is good food with good people in a good place.

For outdoor reservations please call the restaurant.

Top review

SusanGold

Dined on 24 Oct 2026

Early dinner with my daughter. Several families with children but mostly empty. The place filled up by 6;00. Service was good and the food outstanding!! The avocado roll was fresh and so good I craved another but I was full after my entree. My daughter had salmon beautifully plated. I will definitely return.

Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant - Lone Tree Brentwood

4.4

4.4 (471)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Brentwood

About the restaurant

Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant in Brentwood invites you to experience the otherworldly flavors of authentic Japanese cuisine using a blend of fresh ingredients and spices. Along with a meal, diners will also have the chance to appreciate the entertaining environment as experienced chefs cook foods on open hibachi grills. You can opt for seating around one of the grills so you can watch as the chefs work their magic. The spicy tuna roll, kappa roll, chicken teriyaki, vegetable tempura and edamame are just some of the authentic Japanese dishes found at Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant. There are also plenty of combination platters, specials and side menu options to help customize your meal experience. Make sure you start off with one of the highly appetizing starters at Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant.

Top review

Marissa

Dined on 29 Sept 2026

Love our cook he was awesome as well as our waitress food was delicious like always thank you

Hana Japan Steak & Seafood - Berkeley

4.4

4.4 (534)

$31 to $50

Japanese (Hibachi)

Berkeley

About the restaurant

A local family-owned favorite since 1978, Hana Japan Steak & Seafood in Berkeley brings together fire, flavor, and a chef-led hibachi experience that makes dinner feel like a celebration. Every reservation is for our interactive teppanyaki tables, where skilled chefs cook steak, seafood, chicken, and vegetables in front of you with showmanship and crowd-favorite moments like the onion volcano.

Perfect for birthdays, date nights, family gatherings, graduations, and group dinners, Hana Japan has served generations of Bay Area guests for nearly 50 years. Enjoy USDA Choice Black Angus steak, fresh seafood, vegetarian options, and favorites like Hibachi Salmon, New York Steak, and House Dry-Aged Ribeye. Dinners include Hana salad with organic dressing, soup, steamed rice, and seasonal vegetables. Fried rice is available as an upgrade.

Birthday guests dining with parties of 4+ enjoy a free entrée, up to $39 off, kids <10 $20 off. Reservations strongly recommended. On-time arrival required.

Top review

JaVecia

Dined on 2 Nov 2026

It made reservations for my family to celebrate me twin brother and I birthday! We had an amazing time!! Our cook was so funny and entertaining we really enjoyed his charisma, jokes and of course the food.

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Experience

Hibachi Premiere -$69.50 per guest

Experience

Hibachi Classics - $45 per guest

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