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Nara Park in autumn at the foot of Mount Wakakusa

027NARASPANISH · INNOVATIVE

akordu

アコルドゥ

MICHELIN GUIDE · JAPAN · 2026Two Stars(as listed for 2026)

Context image — not a photograph of this restaurant: Nara Park in autumn at the foot of Mount Wakakusa — Photo: Martin Falbisoner / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

No.
027
City
Nara — Suimon-cho
Region
Kansai / Nara
Cuisine
Spanish · Innovative
Guide
MICHELIN Guide Japan 2026 — Two Stars

03

Introduction

はじめに

In Nara, a restaurant named for "memory" in Basque.

A restaurant in Suimon-cho, Nara, describing its cooking as "modern Spanish". It first opened in 2008 in a Taisho-era former substation in Tomio, closed in 2014 due to the building's age, and reopened in 2016 at its present site within the Nara Park area, on former Todai-ji temple grounds. The name "akordu" means "memory" in Basque.

  • First opened in 2008 in a Taisho-era former substation in Tomio, Nara; closed in 2014 due to the building's age. Source
  • Reopened in 2016 in Suimon-cho, within the Nara Park area on former Todai-ji temple grounds. Source
  • 'akordu' means 'memory' in Basque. Source

04

Cuisine

料理

SPANISH

スペイン料理

Restaurants in Japan shaped by the regional cooking of Spain.

More in this cuisine

INNOVATIVE

イノベーティブ

Crossing genre lines to draw new cooking from Japan's nature and culture.

More in this cuisine

Classification follows the wording of the restaurant's official website.

05

Chef

料理人

Hiroshi Kawashima

川島 宙 — Owner Chef

  • Went to Spain at 33 and joined Mugaritz in the Basque Country. Source
  • Opened akordu in June 2008 with his wife Yuki, who handles service as madam. Source
Basque pintxos on a bar counter in Donostia–San Sebastián
Basque pintxos on a bar counter in Donostia–San Sebastián — Photo: Nicolas Vollmer from Munich [Allemagne] / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

07

Ingredients

食材

A general introduction to ingredients behind spanish cooking — not a statement of what this restaurant uses.

  • A sushi chef’s hands presenting kasugodai (young sea bream) nigiri at Sushi Tokami, Tokyo

    FISH

    魚

    Fish from the seas around the archipelago, different by season and by water.

  • Assorted vegetable tempura at a restaurant in Asakusa, Tokyo

    VEGETABLES

    野菜

    Heirloom vegetables named for their places, and wild mountain greens that announce the season.

  • Wooden soy sauce barrels at Shibanuma Soy Sauce, Tsuchiura

    FERMENTATION

    発酵

    Miso, soy sauce, vinegar, sake — flavours made by microbes and time.

08

Seasonality

季節

Seasonal produce in Nara varies with origin, climate and year. For menus and what is served, please refer to the restaurant's official information.
Story: Four seasons on a plate

Final course of a kaiseki dinner at Hiiragiya Ryokan, Kyoto: setoka orange, strawberry and mint
Final course of a kaiseki dinner at Hiiragiya Ryokan, Kyoto: setoka orange, strawberry and mint
Taranome (Japanese angelica tree shoots), a spring mountain vegetable
Taranome (Japanese angelica tree shoots), a spring mountain vegetable

09

Space

空間

Location (as stated officially)奈良県奈良市水門町70-1-3-1

Details of interiors and designers are shown only when confirmed by a source.

Matcha bowl and wagashi at the Senri-an teahouse, Expo ’70 Commemorative Park, Osaka
Context: Matcha bowl and wagashi at the Senri-an teahouse, Expo ’70 Commemorative Park, Osaka — Photo: Laitche / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

10

Tableware

器と工芸

An introduction to the crafts of the Japanese table — not the vessels used at this restaurant.

  • Hagi ware tea bowl, 18th–19th century (Freer Gallery of Art)

    CERAMICS

    Arita, Kyoto, Bizen — each place with its own clay, glaze and firing.

  • Solid-red Wajima-nuri lacquer rice bowl of Japanese zelkova

    LACQUER

    Wood built up in coats of urushi lacquer — Wajima-nuri among the best known.

  • Edo kiriko cut-glass drinkware

    GLASS

    Edo kiriko and Satsuma kiriko cut glass — coolness for the summer table.

11

Guide History

ガイド掲載履歴

  1. 2026

    MICHELIN GUIDE · JAPAN · 2026

    Two Stars

    As shown on the official page: 「ミシュラン 二つ星: 素晴らしい料理」

    Verified 26 September 2026 — Source (MICHELIN Guide official page) (opens in a new tab)

  2. 2025

    Not verified — no record

  3. 2024

    Not verified — no record

  4. 2023

    Not verified — no record

This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Michelin or the MICHELIN Guide. Guide information is quoted as text only from each restaurant's page on guide.michelin.com, together with the distinction year and the date we checked it. Distinctions change from year to year — please refer to the official page for current information.

12

Location

所在地

Address
70-1-3-1 Suimon-cho, Nara city, Nara Prefecture
City
Nara
Prefecture
Nara
Region
Kansai
Open in maps (opens in a new tab)

Map position from the coordinates on the official MICHELIN Guide page.

13

Official Information

公式情報

Status
Open (per official website)
Official site
akordu.com (opens in a new tab)
Reservations
External booking page — TableCheck (linked from official site) (opens in a new tab)

The booking destination linked from the official website. This site does not take reservations; conditions at the destination may change.

Lunch
12:00–13:00 (L.O.) / 15:00 (close)
Dinner
18:00–18:30 (L.O.) / 21:30 (close)
Closed
Mondays and irregular closures
Reservations
Reservations up to three months ahead, basically by phone. Meals for junior-high-school age and older.

Verified 26 September 2026 — Source: akordu
Hours, closing days and booking conditions change. Always check the official website before visiting.

14

Gallery

ギャラリー

No licensed photograph of this restaurant has been found. The images below show its region and cuisine as context.

  • Context: The Great Buddha Hall of Tōdai-ji, Nara — Photo: Martin Falbisoner / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
  • Context: A pintxos bar counter in Donostia–San Sebastián, Basque Country — Photo: Basotxerri / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
  • Context: A plated tasting-menu dish at Kadeau restaurant on Bornholm, Denmark — Photo: City Foodsters / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

15

Related Tables

関連する食卓

001FRENCH · INNOVATIVE

L'Effervescence

レフェルヴェソンス

TOKYO — Nishi-azabu

MICHELIN GUIDE · JAPAN · 2026Three Stars(as listed for 2026)

002INNOVATIVE

NARISAWA

TOKYO — Minami Aoyama

MICHELIN GUIDE · JAPAN · 2026Two Stars(as listed for 2026)

16

Stories

関連する特集

17

Sources

出典

  1. 01Officialakorduakordu ltd. (opens in a new tab)Accessed 26 September 2026
  2. 02Officialrestaurant | akorduakordu ltd. (opens in a new tab)Accessed 26 September 2026
  3. 03Officialstory | akorduakordu ltd. (opens in a new tab)Accessed 26 September 2026
  4. 04Officialaccess | akorduakordu ltd. (opens in a new tab)Accessed 26 September 2026
  5. 05Officialaccess | akordu (English)akordu ltd. (opens in a new tab)Accessed 26 September 2026
  6. 06Guideアコルドゥ／akordu — MICHELIN GuideMICHELIN Guide (opens in a new tab)Accessed 26 September 2026

Last verified 26 September 2026

18

Photo Credits

写真クレジット

  1. Nara Park in autumn at the foot of Mount Wakakusa

    Nara

    Photographer / creator

    Martin Falbisoner

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  2. Basque pintxos on a bar counter in Donostia–San Sebastián

    Donostia–San Sebastián, Spain

    Photographer / creator

    Nicolas Vollmer from Munich [Allemagne]

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

    Nicolas Vollmer from Munich [Allemagne], CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  3. A sushi chef’s hands presenting kasugodai (young sea bream) nigiri at Sushi Tokami, Tokyo

    Sushi Tokami, Tokyo

    Photographer / creator

    City Foodsters

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

    City Foodsters, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  4. Assorted vegetable tempura at a restaurant in Asakusa, Tokyo

    Asakusa, Tokyo

    Photographer / creator

    Chainwit.

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  5. Wooden soy sauce barrels at Shibanuma Soy Sauce, Tsuchiura

    Tsuchiura, Ibaraki

    Photographer / creator

    Miyuki Meinaka

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Miyuki Meinaka, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  6. Hagi ware tea bowl, 18th–19th century (Freer Gallery of Art)

    Photographer / creator

    AnonymousUnknown author

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

    AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  7. Solid-red Wajima-nuri lacquer rice bowl of Japanese zelkova

    Photographer / creator

    yuuki ゆうき(金野裕希)

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    yuuki ゆうき(金野裕希), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  8. Edo kiriko cut-glass drinkware

    Photographer / creator

    Nesnad

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

    Nesnad, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  9. Matcha bowl and wagashi at the Senri-an teahouse, Expo ’70 Commemorative Park, Osaka

    Suita, Osaka

    Photographer / creator

    Laitche

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Photo by Laitche

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  10. Final course of a kaiseki dinner at Hiiragiya Ryokan, Kyoto: setoka orange, strawberry and mint

    Hiiragiya Ryokan, Kyoto

    Photographer / creator

    Paul Keller

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

    Paul Keller, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  11. Taranome (Japanese angelica tree shoots), a spring mountain vegetable

    Photographer / creator

    Kentin

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Kentin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  12. The Great Buddha Hall of Tōdai-ji, Nara

    Nara

    Photographer / creator

    Martin Falbisoner

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  13. A pintxos bar counter in Donostia–San Sebastián, Basque Country

    Donostia–San Sebastián, Spain

    Photographer / creator

    Basotxerri

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Basotxerri, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment

  14. A plated tasting-menu dish at Kadeau restaurant on Bornholm, Denmark

    Bornholm, Denmark

    Photographer / creator

    City Foodsters

    Source / licence

    Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

    City Foodsters, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Displayed with colour adjustment