One of the most authentic Japanese food experience you can have in Honolulu. This is actually the first restaurant I ever visited in Hawaii, and I’m super impressed by their food.
Even tho it could be a little pricey, but you get a whole experience of multiple courses Japanese food. Nearly fine dining level, you’ll find the food fresh and delicious and could never go wrong picking anything on the menu.
Love it! I have revisited multiple times and will continue to do so.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rene Liaw
Whatever you do, you do not order the shabu shabu. I can make one better in my hotel room. Their broth was just pure, hot water and their sauce was not even tasty.
We had made reservations for 8 PM it took us almost 15 minutes to place an order. We did not leave until past 10 PM because the food took so long to get to us.
It’s a bit smelly inside and also a bit hot. The waitresses were trying to make us feel better.’ Because it was taking so long and the owner to have us the kids a free toy each.
However, for the food and the money you’re paying, we just don’t feel as quite worth it.
Many other better options for Japanese food in my opinion.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Andrew Walker
The BEST chirasi I have ever had. Will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jeremy Lin
The best Japanese food in Hawaii!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
J Based
Butter fish full course is delicious. Never had fish like this places butter fish. Texture is on point. Service is excellent. Love it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jim Meijerink
I absolutely loved this place. Amazing food and very friendly service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tisha Williams
Walked in on a slow night and the hostess was very rude. Just looked up at us and then pretended to be busy for a good 5 minutes and did not say anything to us. Then when a supervisor came he did not greet us either. Then when a different couple came in they were greeted and seated. This Japanese is very racist. My husband and I did nothing but want to come and dine and we were greeted with hostility and no service because of our skin color. Don’t recommended supporting this restaurant.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Ahmad
Food was delicious and for a great price! Super authentic Japanese food and our server Tamiko was sooooooooo nice, she made us feel very welcome!
My favorite Japanese restaurant on the island. I flew to Oahu just to have their homemade tofu. It's so simple, yet it tastes extraordinary. I got the butterfish misoyaki dinner set.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Spicy Peach
The wait time was quite long, even with a reservation. It seems that having a reservation doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be seated right away.
The menu had a good variety. We ordered the sukiyaki, tempura, and the most affordable sushi set.
As a Japanese person who really misses sushi from home, I appreciated my friend ordering it for me — but honestly, sushi is much better and cheaper in Japan.
On the other hand, the sukiyaki was reliably delicious. You can order a raw egg to dip the beef in, which I highly recommend.
The lighting inside was quite dim, which made the food look less appealing, even though it tasted good. That was a bit of a shame.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Peter Chiu
Authentic Japanese meal with excellent service. They provided such a great experience for our toddler. We ordered the butterfish set and unagi rice box, both were delicious. They even gave the little one a gift!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David Choe
I came to Hawaii with a joyful heart, but ended up having one of the worst dining experiences here. We chose this restaurant for dinner, but it took an unreasonably long time to receive our food. We ordered the Chirashi with uni and the Beef Nabe, and it took nearly an hour for the dishes to arrive.
To be honest, neither of the dishes seemed like they should have taken that long to prepare. What made it worse was that the chirashi came out first, and then we had to wait another 15 minutes for the beef nabe. It's hard to understand why a main dish would be served so far apart at the same table during a dinner service. Especially since the nabe isn’t something that typically takes that long to cook.
When the table next to us asked for their check, I also asked for mine, along with a water refill. Strangely, I didn’t receive my check for another 10 minutes, even though the staff continued giving checks to other tables. I couldn't understand why mine was being ignored. On top of that, the server completely forgot my water refill. I was so frustrated that I didn’t even want to drink water anymore—it felt like I was just waiting and waiting throughout the entire dinner.
We ended up spending almost two hours at this restaurant. To make matters worse, when we were finally ready to pay, they told us the card machine was broken and asked us to wait again. I ended up just paying in cash so we could leave.
Also, for a chirashi that costs $68, I expected it to be fresh. It should go without saying at that price point.
The service was absolutely disappointing—highly not recommended, and I will definitely not be returning.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Dina Isyemina
In the middle of Waikiki, where plastic leis, watered-down cocktails, and overpriced fusion dominate the scene, Yoshitsune quietly keeps doing what it's always done: serve honest, traditional Japanese food with zero pretension.
The chawanmushi arrives first, warm, delicate, and impossibly smooth. A blank canvas, if you're bold enough to improvise. We were. A scoop of fresh uni, ordered as sashimi, gently placed on top. Silky meets briny. Pure harmony.
The fried oysters are crisp and clean, comforting but not heavy. Just the right bite. The sashimi is confident and unadorned--pristine slices, expertly cut, no unnecessary garnish. Just fish, done right.
Then the steak hits the table, sizzling and fragrant, still whispering from the heat. Our kids didn't ask questions. They just dug in and didn't stop until the plate was wiped clean.
We've returned here again and again over the years. Different trips, different moods, same result. Yoshitsune is tradition that never feels tired. It's not trying to reinvent the wheel. It's just reminding you how good the wheel already was.
No flash, no show. Just craft, care, and food that keeps calling you back, even in the heart of Waikiki.
Sushi dinner is fantastic!!
Highly recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the most authentic Japanese food experience you can have in Honolulu. This is actually the first restaurant I ever visited in Hawaii, and I’m super impressed by their food.
Even tho it could be a little pricey, but you get a whole experience of multiple courses Japanese food. Nearly fine dining level, you’ll find the food fresh and delicious and could never go wrong picking anything on the menu.
Love it! I have revisited multiple times and will continue to do so.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Whatever you do, you do not order the shabu shabu. I can make one better in my hotel room. Their broth was just pure, hot water and their sauce was not even tasty.
We had made reservations for 8 PM it took us almost 15 minutes to place an order. We did not leave until past 10 PM because the food took so long to get to us.
It’s a bit smelly inside and also a bit hot. The waitresses were trying to make us feel better.’ Because it was taking so long and the owner to have us the kids a free toy each.
However, for the food and the money you’re paying, we just don’t feel as quite worth it.
Many other better options for Japanese food in my opinion.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
The BEST chirasi I have ever had. Will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The best Japanese food in Hawaii!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Butter fish full course is delicious. Never had fish like this places butter fish. Texture is on point. Service is excellent. Love it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I absolutely loved this place. Amazing food and very friendly service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Walked in on a slow night and the hostess was very rude. Just looked up at us and then pretended to be busy for a good 5 minutes and did not say anything to us. Then when a supervisor came he did not greet us either. Then when a different couple came in they were greeted and seated. This Japanese is very racist. My husband and I did nothing but want to come and dine and we were greeted with hostility and no service because of our skin color. Don’t recommended supporting this restaurant.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Food was delicious and for a great price! Super authentic Japanese food and our server Tamiko was sooooooooo nice, she made us feel very welcome!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kitsune udon is great tasting!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
My favorite Japanese restaurant on the island. I flew to Oahu just to have their homemade tofu. It's so simple, yet it tastes extraordinary. I got the butterfish misoyaki dinner set.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The wait time was quite long, even with a reservation. It seems that having a reservation doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be seated right away.
The menu had a good variety. We ordered the sukiyaki, tempura, and the most affordable sushi set.
As a Japanese person who really misses sushi from home, I appreciated my friend ordering it for me — but honestly, sushi is much better and cheaper in Japan.
On the other hand, the sukiyaki was reliably delicious. You can order a raw egg to dip the beef in, which I highly recommend.
The lighting inside was quite dim, which made the food look less appealing, even though it tasted good. That was a bit of a shame.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Authentic Japanese meal with excellent service. They provided such a great experience for our toddler. We ordered the butterfish set and unagi rice box, both were delicious. They even gave the little one a gift!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I came to Hawaii with a joyful heart, but ended up having one of the worst dining experiences here. We chose this restaurant for dinner, but it took an unreasonably long time to receive our food. We ordered the Chirashi with uni and the Beef Nabe, and it took nearly an hour for the dishes to arrive.
To be honest, neither of the dishes seemed like they should have taken that long to prepare. What made it worse was that the chirashi came out first, and then we had to wait another 15 minutes for the beef nabe. It's hard to understand why a main dish would be served so far apart at the same table during a dinner service. Especially since the nabe isn’t something that typically takes that long to cook.
When the table next to us asked for their check, I also asked for mine, along with a water refill. Strangely, I didn’t receive my check for another 10 minutes, even though the staff continued giving checks to other tables. I couldn't understand why mine was being ignored. On top of that, the server completely forgot my water refill. I was so frustrated that I didn’t even want to drink water anymore—it felt like I was just waiting and waiting throughout the entire dinner.
We ended up spending almost two hours at this restaurant. To make matters worse, when we were finally ready to pay, they told us the card machine was broken and asked us to wait again. I ended up just paying in cash so we could leave.
Also, for a chirashi that costs $68, I expected it to be fresh. It should go without saying at that price point.
The service was absolutely disappointing—highly not recommended, and I will definitely not be returning.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
In the middle of Waikiki, where plastic leis, watered-down cocktails, and overpriced fusion dominate the scene, Yoshitsune quietly keeps doing what it's always done: serve honest, traditional Japanese food with zero pretension.
The chawanmushi arrives first, warm, delicate, and impossibly smooth. A blank canvas, if you're bold enough to improvise. We were. A scoop of fresh uni, ordered as sashimi, gently placed on top. Silky meets briny. Pure harmony.
The fried oysters are crisp and clean, comforting but not heavy. Just the right bite. The sashimi is confident and unadorned--pristine slices, expertly cut, no unnecessary garnish. Just fish, done right.
Then the steak hits the table, sizzling and fragrant, still whispering from the heat. Our kids didn't ask questions. They just dug in and didn't stop until the plate was wiped clean.
We've returned here again and again over the years. Different trips, different moods, same result. Yoshitsune is tradition that never feels tired. It's not trying to reinvent the wheel. It's just reminding you how good the wheel already was.
No flash, no show. Just craft, care, and food that keeps calling you back, even in the heart of Waikiki.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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