Sushi Takayama

Sushi Takayama (鮨たか山) is the answer to a practical question every traveler eventually asks: where does the serious sushi of a town meet a reasonable bill? Chef Takayama Dai (高山大) trained four years under Ino Yusuke before opening his own room in 2018, and he carries the Ino-school rigor into a setting that asks ¥15,000 for its omakase — the most generous value among Matsuyama's grown-up counters. Ten seats, a single rotation, an unhurried evening: the structure alone signals a chef who would rather do one room well than two rooms quickly.

The counter itself is a single slab of ichō (銀杏), ginkgo wood, and the cooking leans modern Edomae rather than purely classical. Takayama's defining choice is the shari: a salt-forward seasoning that, rather than masking the rice, pushes its sweetness forward, so the grain reads as a flavor in its own right beneath the fish. It is a confident, slightly contemporary signature from a chef still early in his own story — and the guest response has been emphatic, with an Ikyu (一休) rating of 4.80 out of 5 placing satisfaction near the top of the city's rooms.

Here the honest note is about place rather than craft. Takayama's chi-no-ri (地の利) credentials are the least documented of the Matsuyama group: the balance between Seto Inland Sea fish and material trucked in from the mainland markets is unverified, and at eight years old the room is still building its public record (a Tabelog standing of 3.61 reflects accumulation more than ceiling). None of this argues against the cooking — it argues for asking, at booking, where the fish comes from, alongside the usual confirmation of price, service charge, and photography. For a first serious sushi night in Matsuyama, or a second seat after a marquee counter, this is a well-judged, well-priced choice.