The picture shows the so-called Shanghai branch of the one-Michelin-star Japanese sushi restaurant Ginza Sushi Ichi in Shanghai on Tuesday. As one of the most expensive Japanese restaurants in Shanghai, the Ginza Sushi Ichi has earned a high popularity among Chinese foodies. However, Ginza Sushi Ichi recently announced that they have no branches in Shanghai and Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu Province. Photo: IC

With a boundless variety of palatable dishes served on exquisite tableware, Japanese restaurants in Chinese cities are attracting an increasing number of consumers to experience the charm, taste and culture of Japanese cuisine.

Along Shisanwei Road in downtown Shenyang, capital city of Northeast China's Liaoning Province, many Japanese restaurants lit up lanterns at their gates one after another as night resumed her reign. People walked amid the warm lantern light, came in and stuffed themselves with delicacies, enjoying some hard-earned relaxation after an exhausting day of work.

"I usually have cozy conversations with my friends under soft light, we drink sake and enjoy food with original tastes and flavors," said Li Yuncheng, who works at a nearby electronics market.

"It soothes my nerves."

In China, the number of restaurants serving Japanese cuisine surged from 10,600 in 2013 to 40,800 in 2017, according to the Japanese External Trade Organization.

"Liaoning now has more than 1,000 Japanese restaurants, but there wasn't a unified organization to boost the development of the whole industry before," said Huang Jian, a local Japanese restaurant owner who was elected as chairman of the newly founded Japanese Cuisine Members' Conference under the Liaoning Hotel Restaurant association.

Liu Jingxian, a cordon bleu and chief advisor with the China Cuisine Association, said the increasing popularity of Japanese cuisine reflects the diversification and internationalization of Chinese consumers' palates.

With its unique craftsmanship, fine ingredients and cultural value, Japanese cuisine is a welcome addition to the Chinese catering market and will provide valuable lessons for Chinese restaurant operators and chefs, Liu added.