From learning the ropes of the trade to realizing his dream of running his own restaurant...

Born in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. From the age of 14, he nurtured a dream of running his own business, and started taking steps towards achieving that dream. After studying at the Tsuji Gakuen School of Culinary Arts, he learned French cuisine hands-on in the kitchens of the Hotel Plaza. After this, he decided to further his training by studying French cooking in France. Returning to Japan and to his roots, he set off, at 27 years of age, to work in a creative Japanese restaurant interweaving French and traditional Japanese cuisine. At the age of 30, after working as a chef for three years, he started his own business, focusing mainly on sales management for 5 years to further hone his business know-how and skills. At the same time, he continued working as an assistant chef, and opened the Kuroge Wagyu Dining restaurant in Ashiya, which moved to its current location in 2006.

Knowing everything about ingredients, distribution, and management, she has devoted herself to working for the guests!

She was born in 1985 in Hakodate city. After graduating from Hokkaido Automotive Engineering College, she entered the service industry. She worked hard to open [Hakodate Seafood Izakaya Uomasa Susukino branch] in 2011. From 2012, she worked as the manager at [Hakodate Seafood Izakaya Uomasa Mihara branch]. Since 2016, she has been devoting herself to [improving service quality] for the guests at [Hakodate Seafood Izakaya Uomasa Goryokaku Main branch].  

Mr. Hishioka offers visitors sincere pleasure with his traditional Japanese cuisine.

He was born in 1963 in Saga. At 18, he entered the world of Japanese cuisine and continued to train. Having honed his skills for a long time at Saga's long-established ryotei restaurant, Yoryutei, established in 1882, he took charge of its kitchen at 40. Under the concept of " respectfully producing the life milestones of the customers," he always earnestly approaches his cuisine with a feeling of gratitude. He continues to attract many people with his taste and heartfelt hospitality by selecting the best seasonal ingredients available in each season: spring, summer, fall, and winter.

Enjoy carefully selected Kobe beef.

Mr. Watanabe is an unparalleled yakiniku lover and fell in love with the taste of Yakiniku Motoyama, so much so that he left the company he worked for for many years to join Yakiniku Motoyama. Starting as a cooking assistant, he later served as a manager at all Yakiniku Motoyama branches. He now works hard as the head of the company's dining industry department.

With attentive service and specialty eel, Ms. Fukuoka wants to offer guests a special time.

She was born in Saitama and has loved to eat since she was a child. She also had a deep interest in cooking, so she learned to cook while working at the izakaya, where she trained for about two years. Currently, she is working at Unagi no Naruse Kawagoe Branch. Because she has confidence in the eel she serves and wants diners to enjoy its deliciousness to their heart's content, she makes no compromises, from cooking to service. She pays attention to every detail to make the guests feel at home.

He creates dishes fusing western cuisine and teppan (iron griddle) cuisine, making use of his training experiences overseas.

Sticking to using high-quality meat, he has obtained stringent eye of a butcher to select good meat and check the condition of each meat to be served to the guests. Making good use of his experiences as the executive chef at a renowned hotel and training in Palau and France, he entered a genre where techniques for western cuisine and teppan (iron griddle) cuisine are required. His exquisite dishes, making full use of colorful ingredients, are shining like a single picture.

His vast knowledge of a range of cuisines, including Japanese, is the backbone of Hakodate Dining Gaya

Born in Hakodate, he enjoyed eating from a young age and developed an interest in cooking. When he was heavily into boxing, he often ate ramen. This prompted him to move to Tokyo to study Chinese cuisine. After that he developed an extraordinary talent for cooking and built up experience and expertise across a range of different culinary styles including provincial cuisine and traditional Japanese cuisine. "What you see and what you eat will be a very powerful thing for a chef," he says. He continues to study cooking by trying dishes at many different restaurants. His expertise and constant self-improvement play a central role in the food served at Hakodate Dining Gaya today.

Using ingredients from Awaji Island and Sasayama, Mr. Tsunoda offers dishes rooted in the local community.

He was born in 1988 in Hiroshima. His involvement in the food and beverage industry began when he worked at a restaurant in the Kanto region that served naturally grown vegetables. At the same restaurant, he gained a wealth of experience in everything from food distribution to restaurant operations. By chance, he moved to Tamba-shi, Hyogo. He owned a farm, served as head chef at a restaurant, and later became independent. Due to a series of events, including the Corona disaster and the relocation of his base to Awaji Island, he temporarily closed his restaurant. In March 2024, he opened "cafe&bar YOKACHORO" at a new location.

Bringing local flavors to the world. Mr. Otsuka's passion for meat produces the best Teppanyaki.

He was born in 1977 in Hyogo. He decided to pursue his career in the culinary field because he cooks part-time and has loved cooking since he was a student. Trained at local restaurants in Kobe. He developed a particular passion for meat dishes and dreamed of opening a steak restaurant. This dream came true in November 2023 when he opened Teppan Yakiniku Steak Mikinao.

Ms. Tanaka's enjoyment of cooking and tasting food is the starting point of her career as a chef.

She was born in Osaka. Her love for cooking has already developed since she was in elementary school, and she served the same menu to her family whenever she had cooking classes in home economics.  She also loved to eat. After graduation, she entered the restaurant industry and has been constantly involved with restaurants ever since. Having attended culinary school, she has worked as the proprietress of a sushi restaurant and a restaurant. She also worked at a teppanyaki restaurant in Roppongi and aspired to open her own restaurant someday. Then, she opened Teppanyaki Steak SUN SHO in 2015 as the owner-chef.

Mr. Ikeda is a Japanese chef who continues confronting Japanese food from various perspectives.

He was born in 1977 in Osaka. Having studied as a chef mainly in Japanese cuisine, he also experienced sushi, Chinese cuisine, and Italian cuisine to reconsider Japanese cuisine from various perspectives beyond the boundaries of genres. Since around 2010, he has been with his current company as a chef, supporting the kitchens of each of the group's restaurants. Currently, he is working at Shunsai to Osake Anbai.

To satisfy his guests, Mr. Urasaki continues to hone his skills every day.

He was born in 1980 in Okinawa. Having spent much of his childhood helping his family with cooking, he had already decided to become a chef by the time he was in elementary school. He studied authentic Japanese cuisine at an izakaya and gained experience at a hotel restaurant. With many years of experience, he opened Yukari in January 2020. Always putting his customers' favorites first, he keeps trying and experimenting every day with recipes tailored to each person's tastes. With more than 20 years of experience, he continues to hone his skills in the Japanese cuisine he has grown familiar with.

Mr. Natsumori serves carefully selected meats, with the priority on making his guests feel happy.

He was born in 1978. He has always been interested in cooking, and naturally, he went into the culinary field. After working at the famous Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) restaurant Jyojyoen for about five years and at a Japanese restaurant for about ten years, he opened Yakiniku Hazangyu in Dogenzaka, Shibuya in 2022. He is proud of the high-quality meat he receives from reliable wholesalers. With the thought, "To make customers happy is the greatest joy for a chef," he continues to study to serve delicious meat.

Mr. Kanayuki's diverse menu, which makes the most of vegetables, results from his accumulated experience.

He was born in 1984 in Hiroshima, and since 18, he has built a career in restaurants in Tokyo. He has worked at Western-style restaurants, Sushi restaurants, Izakaya (Japanese-style pubs), and restaurants specializing in kushiyaki (skewers), mainly in the Shinbashi and Hibiya areas. Currently, Mr. Kaneyuki is the manager and chef of Nou Ohashi. He contributes to creating various menus that bring out the best of quality vegetables, regardless of the genre, Japanese or Western.

Mr. Miyazato cooks with sincerity to bring smiles to his guests and provides delicious food.

Has a background of working at various eateries in Tokyo and Ishigaki Island. He is the owner who loves basketball. His recommended dishes are a certain brand of pork belly with the skin, Agu ribs & loin, and the specialty cabbage grabbing!

Mr. Asakawa wants to deliver the ingredients that professional experts have carefully chosen in their most delicious state.

He was born in 1971 in Osaka. After graduating from college, he started his culinary career at 23. Beginning at a hotel in Takaragaike, Kyoto, he gained experience as a French chef. He then moved to France in his mid-twenties, honing his skills in various restaurants for six and a half years. Returning to Japan, he opened his own restaurant and became an owner-chef. After that, he joined Sukiyaki Jyuniten with the skills and knowledge he had acquired over the years.

 

Trained in hotels and restaurants in Japan and three-star restaurants in France, Mr. Sawabe worked as a chef in various hotels and restaurants. In Japan's Hokuriku region, he has served at Kanazawa PREEMINENCE and Yoichi Sanso Auberge de Mikuni. Sympathizing with the concept of "A la ferme de Shinjiro," under the guidance of Mr. Shinjiro Imura, he creates French cuisine at traditional wooden townhouses in Kanazawa.

Mr. Ota serves captivating Cantonese with expert skill and the use of spices.

He was born in 1969. The head chef of Manjuen. Impressed by the authentic Chinese food in Hong Kong, he went on to eat all kinds of high-end Chinese food in Japan, then decided to become a professional chef, hoping to create beautiful and delicious food. He honed his skills for many years under the Hong Kong-born head chef at Manjuen at the Hotel Grand Palace in Kudanshita and later became the head chef there. After the hotel closed, he took over the restaurant's name and opened the current restaurant in Suidobashi in 2021. Since then, he has been presenting various delicacies with his matured technique and taste.

Mr. Ikemoto is a maestro of A5 Wagyu beef, giving shape to ideas from a new perspective.

He was born in 1970 in Osaka. To acquire professional skills, he decided to become a chef and graduated from Tsuji Culinary Institute. After that, he gained experience at a members-only restaurant and the InterContinental Yokohama Grand, followed by 26 years of work at a Wagyu wholesaler. At that time, he met the current company president and joined in August 2023. Utilizing his experience as a wholesaler, he developed a menu serving A5 Wagyu sirloin purchased at an affordable price on beef skewers. It has become the signature menu item at Tsukiji Ihachi Main Branch.

Mr. Iida spends his days honing his skills, utilizing the techniques and passion he has cultivated over the years.

He was born in 1982 in Ibaraki. Impressed by fried rice and dumplings, he developed a passion for Chinese food. His desire to recreate these delicacies with his hands led him to pursue a career as a chef. After graduating from culinary school, he trained for 7 years at the ramen restaurant Menya Musashi. Then, he worked at KINTAN, a Yakiniku restaurant, for 7 years to deepen his diverse skills and experience. In July 2022, he joined Imajin. He has grown to be a central restaurant member with his solid skills.