Sapporo Ryotei Elm Garden (located in Sapporo, Hokkaido; operated by Masuda Planning Co., Ltd.), which marks 80 years since its predecessor, Elm Sanso, was founded, is holding an autumn lunch program called Nomai Kaiseki on weekdays, excluding Tuesdays, from September 2 (Wednesday) through November 13 (Friday), 2026. Guests can watch Japanese dance performed against the backdrop of the restaurant's roughly 1,000-tsubo Japanese garden. The dancer is Azuma Hanako, a shihan (master instructor) of the Azuma school, performing vibrant musume odori (young woman's dance) pieces from Fujimusume and Kyo Kanoko Musume Dojoji — the original works behind Futari Fujimusume and Futari Dojoji, as depicted in the film 国宝 (Kokuho).
Elm Garden coined the term Nomai for this program, which presents Japanese dance on a stage set within a Japanese garden. The name combines "no," referring to the garden, with "mai," meaning dance, capturing the idea of dancing in the garden.
In a Garden That Carries On 80 Years of History
Elm Garden's predecessor was Elm Sanso, an upscale ryotei founded in 1946. It hosted prominent figures from politics, business, and sports and was known as Hokkaido's official guesthouse. Elm Garden carries on that building, its roughly 1,000-tsubo garden, and its hospitality tradition, reaching its 80th anniversary in 2026. During the season when the garden's foliage is most colorful, guests can enjoy a kaiseki course featuring Hokkaido's seasonal ingredients alongside the Japanese dance performance.
Three Highlights of Nomai Kaiseki
1. A Backdrop of a Roughly 1,000-Tsubo Japanese Garden in Autumn Color
About 15 minutes by car from central Sapporo, and tucked into a quiet residential neighborhood, the roughly 1,000-tsubo Japanese garden changes its expression with the seasons. Every seat for Nomai Kaiseki offers a view of the garden. From mid-October through early November, the maple and rowan trees on the grounds turn color for the most vibrant time of year.
2. The Original Pieces Behind the Dances Featured in Kokuho, Performed in the Garden
The program features Fujimusume and Kyo Kanoko Musume Dojoji — celebrated works representing onnagata (female-role) dance that inspired Futari Fujimusume and Futari Dojoji, as depicted in the 2025 film Kokuho.
3. A Lunchtime Escape From the Everyday
Elm Garden's daytime kaiseki course pairs the garden view with live music — fue (Japanese flute) and tsuzumi drum, erhu, harp, and other instruments, with the lineup changing by season. For Nomai Kaiseki, guests can choose from three courses built around carefully selected autumn ingredients from Hokkaido.
Event Overview
Name: Nomai Kaiseki
Period: September 2 (Wednesday) to November 13 (Friday), 2026 — weekdays only: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (closed Tuesdays)
Program: Musume odori selections from Fujimusume and Kyo Kanoko Musume Dojoji
Performer: Azuma Hanako, shihan of the Azuma school
Time: Dance performance starts at 1:00 PM (approximately 15 minutes); lunch service 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Price: Three kaiseki courses at ¥4,800, ¥7,800, and ¥11,000 (tax included), plus a separate 10% service charge
Includes: Lunch kaiseki (Japanese course meal) and the Nomai dance performance
Reservations: Required at least 2 days in advance; limited to 10 parties per day
Location: Sapporo Ryotei Elm Garden (5-10 Minami 13-jo Nishi 23-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido)
Official page: https://www.elm.cc/restaurant/lunch/
Reservations and inquiries (general customers): 011-551-0707 (closed Tuesdays)
Note: This program is not affiliated with the film Kokuho.
Lunch Kaiseki Menu
Shakunage Kaiseki — ¥4,800: A vibrant course packed with seasonal vegetables, delightful to look at as well as to eat.
Kaede Kaiseki — ¥7,800: Elm Garden's standard course: seven dishes in all, accompanied by a live finishing demonstration from the chef.
Sakizuke (appetizer): Hokkaido mushroom chawanmushi. Owan (soup course): Scallop shinjo (a steamed scallop dumpling) with Aibetsu maitake mushroom, steamed with yuzu. Otsukuri (sashimi): Striped jack. Yakimono (grilled course): Akiaji (Hokkaido autumn salmon) and mugwort rice-flour crepe. Shiizakana (accent dish): Tokachi pork grilled with hoba miso. Shokuji (rice course): Chestnut and mushroom rice. Kanmi moriawase (dessert assortment): Pumpkin pudding, grape tart, apple vanilla mousse, chestnut yokan, and sweet potato.
Harunire Kaiseki — ¥11,000: The chef's omakase course normally served only in the evening, offered at lunch. Its traditional kama-daki (pot-cooked) sea bream rice, a celebratory dish, can be enjoyed two ways, finished with a dashi ochazuke pour.
