THE STRIP. Pronounced "yah-COO-me," this flashy Caesars Palace eatery serves up a variety of raw, steamed, and cooked Japanese fare. From sushi and sashimi to brilliant teppan yaki-style dishes. The waitstaff, clad in traditional Japanese garb, caters to your every need with a friendly professionalism that defies description. The sushi bar, a terrific place to enjoy a cold glass of Sapporo or some hot sake, overlooks the trendy Cleopatra's Barge Nightclub, one of the Strip's most noteworthy places to see and be seen.

THE STRIP. The New York and Chicago locations of Japonais now have a Vegas sibling. With views of the Mirage casino, it's a stunning space that boasts a fire wall, an onyx bar, water features, a dramatic tree sculpture, and lots of dark woods and glass. The overall effect is of stylized exoticism, and the environment is an absolutely fitting complement to the carefully crafted food. The sushi bar delivers delicacies like a spicy octopus roll and sweet ceviche with avocado mousse; cooked entrees include chestnut chicken, Peking duck, and grilled hamachi. The delicious food is a fantastic prelude to desserts like green tea panna cotta or cocktails like the "floating orchid" ­ pear and lemon juices, vodka, Cointreau, and an orchid that you can eat!

HENDERSON. A bit outside of Las Vegas proper, Marssa offers breathtaking views of the lake and surrounding mountains while serving a delicious mix of Japanese and Pacific Rim fare. A talented, innovative culinary team masterfully blends spices and ingredients to create such well-executed dishes as miso-braised Kobe short ribs, pan-roasted wild salmon, Maine lobster, and lime-mango chicken. Sushi is also a house specialty, and you'd be remiss not to try a perfectly crafted salmon skin roll. The restaurant's intriguing name, should you be curious, means "by way of the sea."

EAST OF THE STRIP. Once you enter this authentic Japanese establishment, you'll quickly forget that you're surrounded by the obviously-American Hard Rock Resort. Indeed, the restaurant's interior boasts Eastern allure thanks to a serene sushi bar and an enchanting rice-paper sculpture of a birch tree. The impressive menu runs the gamut, offering tempura, teriyaki, sushi, and sashimi. For a real treat, order the omakase, a multi-course, prix fixe extravaganza. A cousin of the celeb-frequented restaurants in New York and Tokyo.

WEST OF THE STRIP. Recognized as far abroad as Japan for the quality of its cuisine, family-owned Osaka has been serving local folks since 1967. Within the restaurant are three venues: a sushi bar, tatami rooms, and a teppanyaki grill. Choose your section, and then sit down to exotic maki and nigiri, or enjoy chicken or steak from the set-price teppan menu. Always popular, the restaurant attracts families and couples alike, and it makes for a terrific late-night destination too.