I've had a lot of cultural exchange with people from Japan and have visited, so I have to agree with another reviewer that it's not authentic in that sense. And it doesn't appear to be Japanese owned. That said, it is possible to have good large-group events there because they have 2 large tatami rooms, though you'd have to call in advance to reserve them. That's basically what I and my group did, and we had a good time. Is this the same as central Tokyo? Not at all. Does it have the charm of the Japanese country side? Can't say that it does. Basically I'm saying that for Columbia, Maryland it's a lot better than the tiny places where you are going to get the same thing as what's sold in grocery stores. The best, of course, is homestyle cooking. Which reminds me, there is a Japanse and English club in Maryland where people meet at restaurants and sometimes other locations for a potluck, etc. (japanese dot meetup dot com / 501) That may be worth investigating for more of a community experience.
Pros: It is possible to use their large tatami rooms
Cons: They have minimum costs to do that
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