On May 17, Michelin published the Michelin Guide Aichi-Gifu-Mie 2019, the company's inaugural guide to Aichi, Gifu and Mie prefectures in Japan's central Tokai region.

A total of 68 restaurants across the region were awarded coveted Michelin stars. Three restaurants received three stars each: Sushi Ueda and Hijikata, both in Aichi Prefecture, and Komada, a sushi restaurant in Mie Prefecture. Fourteen restaurants, the majority of which specialize in Japanese cuisine, received two stars.

Those restaurants awarded two-stars include Kaiseki Hachisen, Sekine, Hasshokan, Myo-an, Sushi Shunbi Nishikawa, Sushi Hijikata and Tempura Niitome, all in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture; Yanagiya in Mizunami and Ryoutei Susaki in Takayama, both in Gifu Prefecture; and Kaiseki Kamimura, in Ise, and Kappou Nishimura in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.

The specialists in non-Japanese cuisine at the two-star rank were French restaurants La Vagabonde and Reminisce in Nagoya, and Chinese restaurant Shosaichuka Hiro in Gifu.

The remaining 51 restaurants each received one star.

In addition, 102 restaurants were awarded Bib Gourmand status, in "recognition of a good meal with good value for under ¥5,000." Restaurants with Bib Gourmand status serve regional dishes such as Nagoya's miso katsu (cutlets) and hitsumabushi unagi (steamed eel served over rice along with condiments such as wasabi and nori and/or dashi, which is poured over the eel and rice to make ochazuke).

Michelin also publishes guides for many other cities and regions across the country, including Tokyo (230 starred restaurants), Kyoto (103 starred restaurants) and Osaka (97 starred restaurants). Michelin guides to other regions around Japan can be seen online at guide.michelin.co.jp. The Michelin Guide Aichi-Gifu-Mie 2019 is not yet available online.