A History of Fantastic Japanese Restaurants in Birmingham. Birmingham Japanese restaurants have been impressing diners in the area across five different decades. This was one of the first urban areas in the country to experience the unmistakable tastes and aromas of this healthy and nutritious cuisine. Expert chefs in Britain’s second city tickled the tastebuds of local people with a combination of skill, fresh ingredients and theatricality. While most of the early Japanese restaurantsin Birmingham were based in the city centre, it wasn’t long before suburbs such as Edgbaston, Bournville and Sutton Coldfield boasted their own eateries. The cuisines served in Birmingham’s first Japaneserestaurants were styled on the already popular Chinese dishes. However, as tastes changed, raw fish dishes and sushi became more widely available.