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Each year, the digital gastronomic guide La Liste selects the 1000 best restaurants in the world. This year, once again confirming Japan’s status as a major international culinary destination, La Liste organized for the fifth time a special ceremony at the French Embassy to honor the selected chefs and award special prizes. On this occasion, Fukuoka Prefecture was given particular prominence for its gastronomic and artisanal offerings.
The 2025 La Liste ceremony: Fukuoka in the spotlight
Founded in 2015 by Philippe Faure, La Liste is a digital guide based on a synthetic assessment generated by artificial intelligence, compiling thousands of press publications, guides and specialist magazines, as well as millions of online reviews. Each year, 1000 restaurants are selected from 195 countries, with Japan remaining the most represented since the creation of the guide, with 126 establishments in the 2025 edition.
To mark the release of La Liste 2025, with the complete list to be revealed at the annual gala in Paris on November 25, 2024, a special reception was held on October 23 at the French Embassy in Japan. In the presence of Ambassador Philippe Setton and high-profile guests such as Alain Ducasse, Régis Marcon, Guy Martin and Patrick Henriroux, several special prizes were awarded. Among them, the prefecture of Fukuoka, on the island of Kyûshu, was singled out as a “New Gastronomic Destination”.
During this remarkable evening, Fukuoka Prefecture, the only local community present, had a space dedicated to introducing its gastronomy, crafts and tourist attractions, as Governor HATTORI Seitaro emphasized in his speech. Guests were treated to Yame-cha green tea, one of Japan’s most renowned teas, Hakata Wagyû beef prepared by Michelin-starred chef Fukuyama Tsuyoshi, Akiô persimmons, sweet, crunchy and almost totally seedless, alongside a variety of local sakés. As well as these delicacies, handicrafts such as Koishiwara-yaki pottery, Kokura Ori fabric, Yame lacquered wooden tableware and the art of Hakata mizuhiki (paper cord knots) took center stage, taking guests on a veritable voyage of the five senses.
Fukuoka, Japan’s new gourmet destination
A total of five restaurants in Fukuoka Prefecture feature among the 1000 best in the world, selected in La Liste 2025: Chikamatsu, Goh, Sushi Sakai and Sushi Gyôten, all located in the city of Fukuoka, as well as Kiku Zushi in Kasuga. In addition to these exceptional addresses, the entire prefecture of Fukuoka boasts a wealth of gastronomic delights. Beyond the emblematic yatai stalls typical of its capital city, lies a rich variety of regional specialties: from comforting mizutaki (a type of chicken and vegetable stew) to delicate gomasaba (sesame mackerel), a broad range of flavors is waiting to be discovered in both popular cuisine and fine dining.
With this distinction as a new gastronomic destination, Fukuoka Prefecture will no doubt continue to assert itself as a major tourist destination in Japan, attracting not only nature, history, shopping and handicrafts lovers, but also gastronomy enthusiasts.
