The Next Prefecture
Sydney’s CBD is a blur of traffic, flashing signs and construction noise, but entering 230 Sussex Street feels like stepping through a portal. Stretching overhead is a dazzling cluster of fluorescent-lit glass tubes, throwing fractured light down old brick walls. The hum of chatter mingles with the aroma of smoke from a grill. Digital lantern lights in the hallway lead to an expansive courtyard, where a wall display illuminates shelves of whiskies.
Prefecture 48 isn’t one venue but six. Four restaurants, a cocktail bar and a patisserie reside here, each offering a different side of Japan. This dining precinct was created in 2024 by Azabu Group, whose venues blend Japanese craftsmanship and culture with immersive hospitality.
The concept emerged from a period when people longed for connection, travel and new experiences. “Lockdown changed what people wanted from hospitality. It really shook up the conversation,” says the group’s brand director, Cindy Tseng. “It was no longer about finding the best food, the best restaurant out there, but more experience seeking.”
Each of the six venues tells its own story. Ibushi greets guests with chefs cooking skewers over charcoal and a sweeping, golden wire sculpture reminiscent of rising smoke suspended above. Garaku brings theatre to fine dining as each course is crafted with precision and the chefs’ movements form a subtle, graceful performance. Five fuses European cuisine with Japanese elements, layering flavours, textures and aromas that draw diners into the full spectrum of the senses. Omakase is pared back to just eight intimate seats, where a single chef prepares each dish before guests with quiet deliberation. At the back, Whisky Thief glows under soft light, offering inventive cocktails and curated spirits to sip and savour. Tucked nearby is Dear Florence, resembling a jewellery case, with glass cabinets displaying delicate cakes and pastries that double as edible gifts.
Prefecture 48 aims to bring ‘every Japan’ to life, revealing the many layers of Japanese culture not only through food and drink but also design and atmosphere. The heritage warehouse-converted building holds both rich character and modern touches. Neon colour-shifting pixel panels and infinity mirrors blend 19th-century character with a futuristic edge.
When you first land in Japan, when you’re out in the city, on one side, you see urban landscapes and skyscrapers, but right across the street, you see a beautiful Zen garden and traditional monuments. It’s really interesting that you get the best of both worlds all in one space, and that was something that we wanted to address.”
Cindy Tseng → Azabu Group brand director
Its name is a nod to Japan’s 47 prefectures, with this precinct imagined as the 48th prefecture – a destination where many flavours, traditions and innovations of Japan come together.
Designing an experience without borders
In developing their concept, the team drew inspiration not only from Japanese aesthetics but also from its people. “Their hospitality is second to none,” says Cindy. “They’re not only kind and polite, but they are so thoughtful, and they leave little ‘omiyage’, little presents, whether that is origami or a piece of chocolate. And in that spirit, we wanted to do the same thing at Prefecture 48.”
Developing such an ambitious project involved many ideas – and challenges. The building’s heritage listing placed limits on its design. Each of the six venues also needed chefs who not only excelled in their craft but also shared the broader vision.
Service presented its own complexity. The vision was for guests to wander between venues as if they were all part of the same experience, and for orders to follow them smoothly wherever they chose to sit. Additionally, the team wanted open kitchens to showcase the cooking and for diners to feel connected to it all.
“It takes a lot to design beautiful food and beverages,” says Cindy. “The time it took to create that menu from beginning to end, to serving it on a table, people don’t see the efforts, thought process and hard work that goes behind the dish. We’d love for all of our venues to have an open kitchen so people can be part of that process, enjoy the journey and understand the beauty of the creation behind the scenes.
“We want them to be a part of that immersive journey.”
How Square made six venues feel like one
Square became the system that tied everything together, handling six interconnected venues while staying simple for staff to use. From the start, the team worked with Square to design a centralised point-of-sale setup that linked the entire precinct.
Once in place, Prefecture 48 was able to deliver the unified service and fluid experience the team envisioned. As Runa Shibata, manager of Ibushi and Whisky Thief, explains: “If you order cake from Dear Florence, you’re more than welcome to dine here. When you make a booking, you’re also recommended to order cake from Dear Florence. A lot of guests have pre-drinks in Whisky Thief before dining in, or they might go after.” Regulars also sometimes ask for specific cocktails from the bar while dining at one of the other restaurants, she adds. With only one bill to pay at the end of the evening, the whole precinct feels like one connected experience.
How Square Connects Every Table, Bar & Kitchen
Staff found the Square platform intuitive and easy to pick up, which meant less effort in training and troubleshooting and more energy for refining the experience. “Square allows our front-of-house team to spend a lot more time with our guests instead of fussing over behind the scenes,” says Cindy. Staff can talk through dishes, share the stories behind them and add those thoughtful touches that define Prefecture 48.
Square allows us to have that seamless and effortless service without interrupting the guest experience overall.”
“Cindy → “Brand
Back-of-house staff value the system equally. Ibushi’s head chef, Chris Kim, says Square keeps orders clear and uncluttered, making it easy to check items quickly during service. Hiroshi Manaka, head chef at Five, appreciates that the docket system not only captures details like allergies or special occasions but also keeps track of courses across an extended menu, helping kitchen operations flow with precision.
Beyond the first visit
With Square running quietly in the background, Prefecture 48 has been able to bring its concept to life in full. Guests are welcome to sit down to an a la carte lunch or dinner degustation upstairs, then enjoy a martini downstairs, before leaving with a box of pecan tarts.
Prefecture 48 has redefined what a hospitality precinct can be, with food, design, art and culture merged into a stunning setting that’s ever-evolving. Each visit promises something new – a dish not yet tried, a detail in the design, an unexplored venue. Menus, events and collaborations shift continually with each season, while a recently introduced dining tour leads guests on a culinary journey through multiple venues in a single night. Cindy says the team poured their “heart and soul into every single corner of this precinct” so that guests might leave with something to remember – and more to discover next time.
“One of the key takeaways I hope customers will have after their first experience at Prefecture 48 is that they really feel transported to Japan, that they know that it’s not the end of their experience, and that they have noticed something else that they would like to come back for.”
