Hokkaido is located in the northernmost part of Japan and is completely surrounded by the sea.
Many people visit Hokkaido from across the world every year for the treasure trove of seafood delights it is known for, like shrimp, crab, sea urchin, and salmon roe.
However, you can't just go to Hokkaido and expect to easily find delicious sushi at every turn.
While there are many sushi restaurants, many of them are just taking advantage of being located in Hokkaido, and the restaurants offering truly exceptional quality sushi are few and far between.
This article will be listing our recommended sushi restaurants in Hokkaido, creating a ranking of "definitely should visit" sushi spots for those of you who are planning a visit to Hokkaido.
Be sure to take a look!

Sushi Tanabe is a 3 Michelin star sushi restaurant on par with the likes of "Sushi Minato."
Like "Sushi Minato," where talented sushi chefs with experience at Tokyo's 3 Michelin star restaurants put on a display of their skills, Sushi Takanabe has an atmosphere similar to "Ginza Kyubey," with chefs bustling around forming sushi behind 2 counters.
Putting aside whether or not the restaurant deserves its 3-star rating, you're sure to enjoy the nigiri sushi here carefully made with high-quality ingredients from Hokkaido for as little as 8,950 yen.
Reservations are relatively easy to get since the restaurant has a roomy 24 seats, and they also have no troubles communicating with foreign guests, as there have been many in recent years.
This restaurant is perfect for those who want a convenient experience with authentic Hokkaido sushi.

◆Sushi Takanabe (Sapporo)
Michelin Hokkaido 3 Stars
Address: 6-3-3 Kita 4 Jonishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido
Phone: 011-219-2202
Hours: 17:00-21:30
Budget: 15,000-19,999 yen
Closed: Sundays, holidays, some Wednesdays (depending on Chuo Farmers Market)
Credit cards accepted (VISA, MASTER, JCB, AMEX, Diners)

This famous restaurant is said to be the pioneer of Edo-mae sushi in Hokkaido since it was introduced to the area around 40 years ago.
The owner, Chef Shimamiya, received an award acknowledging his accomplishments as a sushi chef from the Japanese government.
Unusual for a Hokkaido sushi restaurant, Sushizen has a high barrier to entry with its dinner omakase (chef's choice) course costing over 20,000 yen.
Sushizen is often compared to "Ginza Kyubey" in Tokyo because of how many famous sushi chefs it shapes, but it they are also similar in their use of orthodox sushi rice, cooked al dente and seasoned with a small amount of vinegar and salt.
All of the sushi here is made with high-quality ingredients that are locally sourced, so whatever you have it's certain to be of a high level. The experience is comparable to having authentic Edo-mae sushi in Tokyo.
If the dinner price of 20,000 yen is prohibitive to you, we recommend trying the lunch course of 12 pieces for 8,640 yen.

◆Sushizen Main Store
Michelin Hokkaido 1 Star
Address: 27-2-10 Kita 1 Jonishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido
Phone: 011-612-0068
Hours:
[Lunch] 11:00-15:00
[Dinner] 17:00-22:00
Budget:
10,000-14,999 yen (lunch)
20,000-29,999 yen (dinner)
Closed: Mondays
Credit cards accepted (VISA, MASTER, JCB, AMEX, Diners)

Sushidokoro Arima is a popular sushi restaurant in Susukino, a shopping district in Sapporo.
Its omakase course that focuses on local Hokkaido-sourced ingredients starts at 10,800 yen, and it's become a popular choice for tourists in the area.
Their nigiri sushi, which combines somewhat thick slices of topping on small, slightly sweet rice, has a universally appealing finish.
Perhaps because their sushi is widely appealing to those new to sushi, Sushidokoro Arima even has a high score of 4.2 on Tabelog.
It won 1 star in 2017 from Michelin Hokkaido.
We expect this restaurant's popularity to continue to grow from here on out.

◆Sushidokoro Arima (Sapporo)
Michelin Hokkaido 1 Star
Address: Minami 3 Jonishi 4, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido
Phone: 011-215-0998
Hours: 18:00-24:00
Budget: 10,000-14,999 yen
Closed: Sundays, holidays
Credit cards accepted (VISA, MASTER, JCB, AMEX, Diners)

◆Sushi Hidetaka (Sapporo)
Michelin Hokkaido 1 Star
Address: 4-1-2 Minami 7 Jonishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido
Phone: 011-200-0677
Hours: 18:00-23:00
Budget: 20,000-29,999 yen
Closed: Sundays
Credit cards accepted (VISA, MASTER, JCB, AMEX, Diners)

This popular sushi restaurant is located in the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market.
As it's a restaurant where you can get delicious sushi for reasonable prices from the morning onward, the scant 9 counter seats at Sushi no Uomasa are always packed right at opening.
The botan shrimp are a must-try standout, even among the variety of fresh ingredients the owner sources every morning.
For just 300 yen per piece, you can enjoy this sweet shrimp that sticks delightfully to your tongue.
Be sure to visit Sushi no Uomasa for delicious sushi in the morning if you've made it out to Hokkaido!

◆Sushi no Uomasa (Sapporo)
Address: 20-1-20 Kita 12 Jonishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido
Phone: 050-5589-8535
Hours: 6:00-13:00
Budget: 2,000-2,999 yen
Closed: Sundays, holidays, some Wednesdays (depending on Chuo Farmers Market)
Credit cards not accepted

Sushi Miyakawa is a sushi restaurant in the Maruyama area, a luxury residential district in Sapporo.
The young owner, Chef Miyakawa, studied at Michelin 3 star restaurant "Sushi Yoshitake" in Tokyo, and a mere 3 years after opening his own restaurant he has earned 3 Michelin stars, earning Sushi Miyakawa a reputation nation-wide as one of Hokkaido's best restaurants.
Sushi Miyakawa offers only an omakase course, which includes side dishes and cooked dishes as well. Because Chef Miyakawa has experience preparing traditional Japanese cuisine, the other dishes besides the nigiri sushi are also of exceptional quality.
The variety of creative dishes stemming from the chef's broad culinary experience is somewhat reminiscent of the popular Tokyo restaurant "Sushi Mitani."
While Sushi Miyakawa is a Michelin 3 star restaurant, the omakase course's price of 17,600 yen is a steal compared to restaurants in Tokyo!
We highly recommend this restaurant to foodies who want to experience high-quality sushi in Hokkaido.

◆Sushi Miyakawa (Sapporo)
Michelin Hokkaido 1 Star
Address: 24-1-30 Minami 1 Jonishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido
Phone: 011-613-2221
Hours: 17:00-19:15/19:30~
Budget: 15,000-19,999 yen
Closed: Tuesdays
Credit cards accepted (VISA, MASTER, JCB, AMEX, Diners)

This quality sushi restaurant was opened by Chef Nakaminato, who honed his skills for 10 years at famous Hokkaido restaurant "Sushizen" and other Japanese restaurants.
While Sushi Minato isn't a well-known name across Japan, it receives consistently high marks from Tokyo's sushi connoisseurs.
The seafood used is primarily from Hokkaido, but you can also enjoy other top-quality ingredients from across Japan that you will rarely see even in Tokyo sushi restaurants, such as bluefin tuna from Oma and wasabi from Izu.
The sushi rice at Sushi Minato has a well-balanced flavor without any off-taste, made with a blend of vinegars, especially red vinegar.
As expected of a studious owner, the flavors of the sushi here evolve every time you visit.
Sushi Minato has held 1 star from Michelin Hokkaido for five consecutive years since 2012.
It is a sushi restaurant that is expected to hold up the high expectations of the future of Hokkaido's sushi scene.

◆Sushi Minato (Asahikawa)
Michelin Hokkaido 1 Star
Address: 5 9-Jodori, Asahikawa-shi, Hokkaido
Phone: 0166-22-7722
Hours: 18:00-23:00
Budget: 15,000-19,999 yen
Closed: Sundays
Credit cards accepted (JCB, AMEX, Diners)

This restaurant is recommended by the owner of famous Tokyo sushi restaurant "Sushi Fujinaga."
Himeshara is a sushi restaurant with a unique atmosphere reminiscent of that of a cafe on the outskirts of town, but its unique sushi that combines Hokkaido ingredients with Edo-mae sushi techniques attracts many sushi fans.
The omakase course here at Himeshara, which begins with a simple roll made with sushi rice topped with wasabi and wrapped up in fragrant nori, is served in a somewhat unusual style, with side dishes interspersed between the nigiri.
Different types of fish are aged for different periods of time, but they're all carefully handled and seasoned to pair up perfectly with the sushi rice, so you could just eat it forever.
Himeshara sees many repeat customers from outside of Hokkaido who are simply enchanted with the sushi that you can only get here, not anywhere else in Sapporo, Tokyo, or even Fukuoka.
If you enjoy the sushi from restaurants in Tokyo that similarly age their fish, like "Sushi Kimura" and "Sushi Fujinaga," you're sure to enjoy Himeshara.

◆Himeshara (Sapporo)
Michelin Hokkaido 2 Stars
Address: 20-1-2 Minami 8 Jonishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido
Phone: 050-5595-2152
Hours: 17:00-19:00/19:30-21:30
Budget: 20,000-29,999 yen
Closed: Wednesdays
Credit cards accepted

This super-popular sushi restaurant held the #1 rank on Hokkaido's Tabelog for a long period of time.
The owner, Chef Kudo, is still young at just 35 years of age, but he's already a famous sushi chef who has even made appearances on TV.
As expected of a chef whose spirit of inquiry has him involved with the media, he also pays very close attention to the fish he uses.
For example, with regards to the amberjack, Chef Kudo only uses it if the fish is caught live and cut at the gills, returned to the water, and allowed to bleed out from its heart continuing to beat.
Methods like this allow the fish to be aged for up to a month.
The sushi rice used at Sushi Ikko is made to pair with that sort of carefully-treated fish, and it is seasoned lightly with vinegar and salt.
The rice is cooked to al dente and skillfully molded into nigiri so it falls apart beautifully in your mouth, and it's also kept at a completely even temperature throughout.
Chef Kudo would supposedly be eating at all of the sushi restaurants across the nation if only he had the time.
How will the sublime sushi here, born of the chef's unique senses, continue to evolve? We'll be watching with bated breath.

◆Sushi Ikko (Sapporo)
Michelin Hokkaido 2 Stars
Address: 5-31-4 Minami 2 Jonishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido
Phone: 011-200-1144
Hours: 18:00~/20:30~
Budget: 20,000-29,999 yen
Closed: Wednesdays, holidays
Credit cards accepted (VISA, MASTER, JCB, AMEX, Diners)

This sushi restaurant, Sushisai Wakichi, stands out even among all of the famous restaurants gathered in Sapporo, a hotspot for sushi.
The owner studied Edo-mae sushi in Tokyo, then returned to his hometown in 2003 to establish his own restaurant.
Over the course of 10 years or so, it eventually became a super popular restaurant that you'd need to make reservations for several months in advance.
Sushisai Wakichi combines top-quality seafood that's been painstakingly prepared by broiling, vinegaring, or curing, with acidic sushi rice seasoned with two types of red vinegar. The near-perfect result has been lauded as the #1 sushi in eastern Japan, and many fans visit Hokkaido exclusively to eat here at Sushisai Wakichi.
After the price revision in 2016 the omakase course's price went up to 21,470 yen, but the quality of fish used increased in turn with the price, so you're sure to leave satisfied.
This is TokyoTableTrip's #1 recommended sushi restaurant, and we hope for sushi fans from around the world to give it a visit.

◆Sushisai Wakichi (Sapporo)
Michelin Hokkaido 2 Stars
Address: 25-1-22 Minami 2 Jonishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido
Phone: 011-640-3768
Hours:
[Lunch] 12:00-14:00 (Sundays only)
[Dinner] 18:00-20:00/20:00-22:00 (complete two-shift schedule)
Budget: 20,000-29,999 yen
Closed: Mondays
Credit cards accepted (VISA, MASTER, JCB, AMEX, Diners)