The Best Burgers in Japan

Kyoto

Wagyu to Worldwide, near Kyoto Station, serves Wagyu and Kobe beef burgers. Burger Revolution in Kyoto is a Wagyu counter with a halal menu and an open kitchen. Wagyu Teriyaki Itadaki Burger in Gion has about 12 seats around the grill, where its Wagyu patties are cooked on the open grill. Wagyu Burger Chikarayama in central Kyoto serves Kobe beef burgers and a sukiyaki dish, and its staff speak English.

Tokyo and Fukuoka

Aldebaran in Azabu-Juban, Tokyo, is a restaurant on the third floor of a building with no sign outside, and its signature Real Balance comes with teriyaki sauce, a soft-boiled egg and cheddar. Burger Kitchen Chatty Chatty is two minutes from Shinjuku Gyoenmae Station in Tokyo, and its menu lists over 30 items. U.S. Burger in Fukuoka is an American-style counter on the fifth floor of a building, run by an American owner, with 100% Angus beef patties and house-smoked bacon.

Smaller cities

Hyoe's Burgers in Kobe is a counter with eight seats in an alley near Sannomiya Station, and Kaminari Burgers in Osaka is a one-person shop where the owner cooks every burger. The Godburger in Kanazawa's Korinbo district, near Nagamachi has counter seats and one chef at the grill. Center4 Hamburgers in Takayama is run by two people and holds the owner's collection of American memorabilia, and its burgers are made with Hida beef. Sakura Burger in Nara is three minutes' walk from Kintetsu Nara Station, with its bacon smoked in house over cherry wood.