He was fascinated by the idea of working with Japanese cuisine

During his time as a student at culinary college, an older student took him to a Japanese restaurant and showed him what it was like to be a head chef there. He immediately became fascinated by the beautiful work that chefs of Japanese cuisine do. He began working in this area because he wanted to become a teacher of Japanese chefs.

Always with the guest in mind, Mr. Imai seeks out the most innovative and unique dishes.

He was born in 1982 in Kanagawa. He developed a passion for bringing joy to people through cooking. After graduating from culinary school, he began a career as a Japanese cuisine chef. He dedicated himself to Japanese cuisine during his twenties, training under a respected chef. At the age of 30, he switched to Italian cuisine. He took on a new challenge as an opening staff member of an Italian restaurant. Later, he joined his current company. Involved in managing several restaurants, he is currently the chef of quinto.

Mr. Takada delivers a sense of Japan that can only be offered in his restaurant.

He was born in 1985 in Fukuoka. Initially, he worked as a sales representative for IRIS OHYAMA and GURUNAVI. Then, he established a restaurant company and became involved in restaurants as an operation. After retiring, he trained at a high-end Sushi restaurant and later became independent. Currently, he is the owner and chef of Sushi Tanji. He selects high-quality ingredients from all over Japan, including marine products that his hometown, Kyushu, is proud of.  In a space with a Japanese atmosphere, he conveys "Japaneseness that can be delivered only in that place."

Mr. Morimoto traveled to the United States to witness the sushi boom with his own eyes, then became a chef who gained attention in Japan and the United States.

He is from Hiroshima. He gained fame as the third-generation "Iron Chef of Japanese cuisine" in the TV show "Iron Chef" and as the only Japanese chef in the American version, "Iron Chef America." He continues to enjoy immense popularity in the United States to this day. With numerous restaurants worldwide, including its flagship location designed by Mr. Tadao Ando, the New York branch has been adored by celebrities worldwide since its opening. The restaurant is located in Roppongi on Stars and Stripes Avenue and is personally curated by Mr. Morimoto himself.

Fascinated by BLACK TERRACE, Mr. Ogawa turned from a photographer to the world of food. 

He was born in 1992 in Kanagawa. When he was working as a photographer after graduating from university, he reached a turning point when he met BLACK TERRACE. That restaurant has a unique atmosphere which fascinated him, then he decided to transition into a chef. Having always enjoyed cooking, he began his career as a chef at the age of 25. After that, he has devoted himself to further study and is now active as a chef. He pursues sensitive cuisine worthy of the expressive restaurant.

Mr. Miyashiro is a Japanese chef who uses his expert skills to entice guests with crispy fried tempura.

Mr. Miyashiro was born in 1967 in Kanagawa Prefecture and went to a culinary school (Yokohama chouri) with his friend. After graduation, he trained at Hotel Metropolitan in Ikebukuro and gained experience at Royal Park Hotel in Yokohama. Then at Sakura restaurant in Hotel Nikko Tokyo in Odaiba, he started up the tempura counter and served as head chef. After that, he worked as head chef at Hilton Tokyo in Odaiba, then joined MUGEN, Inc. in 2018. He has been working at "Tempura Miyashiro" since May 2018, primarily responsible for tempura. 

In his eight years at Birdland, Mr. Chino has honed his skills and gained a profound level of knowledge about yakitori (grilled chicken).

Born in Nagano prefecture in 1972, Mr. Chino was enamored with French and Italian cuisine in his younger days, but he took a part-time job at Birdland when he was 24. Working under the supervision of master chef Toshihiro Wada, Mr. Chino became completely fascinated by the profound nature of yakitori. Four years later, he was appointed as a restaurant manager and since then, has devoted himself to his study of yakitori and has now been working at Birdland for eight years. In 2004, he set up Asagaya Birdland independently. It was given an award by the famous restaurant guide in 2015.

"Master of Aged Sushi" celebrated for patiently facing ingredients and accumulating experiments

Born in 1971 in Tokyo, Kimura Koji was born as a third generation of his family-business sushi restaurant. After having trained in his grandfather's restaurant and his uncle's, he entered the well-known tempura restaurant [Mikasa] just before opening his restaurant. As a result, this experience contributed greatly to his aged sushi, learning how to prepare ingredients without using water. Kimura established [Sushi Kimura] when he was 33 years old. Accumulating experiments for a long time, he invented a new genre of sushi,"Aged Sushi." After Michelin Guide 2013, [Sushi Kimura] has obtained two stars for 5 years straight.

He focuses on maximizing the original flavor of the ingredients by keeping the recipes simple

He is a veteran with an experience of 16 years at [Ukai Toriyama], who has dedicated himself to mastering Japanese cuisine. He became the head chef 6 years ago, and every single day he keeps busy in the kitchen cooking delicious food. As a motto, he says "it is my job as a chef to make the ingredients taste even more delicious," so he aims to enhance the good features of each ingredient without elaborating on them too much. He offers delicacies that best represent the current season, thoroughly matching ingredients and balancing them with the seasoning broth.

Following his parents' footsteps, Mr. Shibata entered the rewarding world of the food and beverage industry.

He was born in 2001 in Hokkaido. Developed an interest in the culinary world after seeing his parents working in a restaurant. Since then, he nurtured a deep admiration for the world of cooking and decided to follow the same path. Graduated from Hakodate Culinary School and began as part-time staff when the Asahikawa Jingisukan Daikokuya Hakodate Goryokaku Branch opened. He became interested in the charm of Jingisukan, customer service, and how to approach meat, leading him to join the company as a full-time employee.

The joy of making delicious pasta paved the way to becoming a chef.

While working part-time at a restaurant to earn a living, Mr. Endo became interested in how to make delicious pasta. The intense joy he experienced in the process changed his career path and made him decide to become a chef. After training at the Michelin-starred Schoneck, he worked as a chef in various locations before opening Evoluzione in Ibaraki at 40. In 2022, he took over as chef at  WAJO. His philosophy is to make the joy of others his own and to provide happiness through his cooking.

Experience and passion poured into each dish, an endless pursuit of Japanese beauty.

Mr. Minagawa was born in 1983 in Gunma. From an early age, he loved to create things with his own hands, and as he grew up, he became deeply fascinated with the artistry of Japanese cuisine. After eight years of training at a sushi restaurant, he worked at a Japanese cuisine and Unagi (eel) dishes restaurant for ten years, followed by two years honing his skills at a soba specialty restaurant. In 2022, he opened Sushiyab Nobu, offering an original course featuring a wide range of dishes, including sushi, Japanese cuisine, and soba.

Mr. Suzuki makes each piece of sushi with his passion for SHIOGAMAKOU - a sushi chef with a sense of humor.

He was born in 1982. He entered the world of sushi at the age of 16 and started his apprenticeship at 19 at KIYOTA, a famous sushi restaurant visited by many celebrities.  After his training period, he met Mr. Kamada, a tuna professional. He joined Kaisenzushi Shiogamakou because he was fascinated by how Mr. Kamada worked and his deep knowledge. He has made sushi for many people in Shiogama. In February 2024, he was appointed Oyakata (head chef) of SUSHI SHIOGAMAKOU GINZA KIWAMI. With his passion for SHIOGAMAKOU, he brings smiles to visitors' faces with the knowledge and wealth of experience he has cultivated.

Offering culinary experience brought by up-and-coming chefs in a variety of genres.

Mr. Taira honed his skills at famous Italian restaurants such as Acqua and Takubo and starred restaurants in Italy. Using ingredients selected from all over Japan, he transforms them into his own creative Italian cuisine, which fascinates his guests. KABEAT has five chefs who are experts in Italian cuisine, American cuisine, French cuisine, Japanese cuisine, and desserts, and they create and serve menus that make the most of the ingredients. Their menu, which combines their unique style with a sense of the season, will bring a fresh color to any occasion's dining experience.

The head chef, Mr. Sakai, creates innovative and creative dishes that transcend the category of Japanese cuisine.

After gaining experience as a chef at a well-established hotel, he went to France and spent four years studying authentic French cuisine. Upon returning to Japan, he worked as a head chef of Italian and Spanish restaurants in addition to French cuisine. Currently, as head chef of Izakaya Tanuki, he pursues Japanese cuisine that incorporates the essence of various genres and French techniques. Every day, he devotes himself to preparing creative dishes prepared with a great deal of effort. Because he wants his customers to be happy, he pays careful attention to all aspects of the food, space, and service.

Offering customers food with warmth and kindness.

Since Mr. Ito's family owned a fresh fish shop and deli, he spent a lot of time cooking from a young age, so he naturally decided to become a chef. After graduating from high school, he went to culinary school. Recommended by a friend, he began working at the Haute Cuisine Restaurant Kiku. Here, he met the master who would later become his mentor, and he learned the basics of cooking. He endeavors to serve "dishes with warmth and kindness" in terms of taste, aroma, and presentation.

An experienced Italian chef who has delighted people in the Ginza area.

Mr. Takahashi was born in 1982 in Tokyo. He studied hard as a chef at Italian restaurants in Tokyo, mainly in Ginza. After 5 years at SABATINI di Firenze, he gained 4 years of experience as head chef at il Cardinale Ginza Main Branch. He currently shows off his skill at il Cardinale Ginza Corridor Branch. In the corner of an office area where many people come and go, he delights guests who visit the restaurant. 

Mr. Watanabe steps forward with his skills and ambition.

He was born in 1991 in Saitama. As a student, he discovered the appeal of Japanese food through a part-time job at a sushi restaurant and was drawn to its depth. After graduating from high school, he began training in Japanese cuisine. He spent ten years honing his skills as a sushi chef at several sushi restaurants. Then, he joined his current company because he sympathized with the representative's personality and management philosophy. In 2022, he was in charge of Sushi Kazumasa at the same time as it opened.

 

Mr. Iwasaki was born on January 1, 1984 in Ishikawa. After graduating from high school, he started his life as a chef at Yamashiro Onsen Ryokan in Kaga, Ishikawa. Then, he worked at the Japanese restaurant "Shibazakura" in Prince Hotel Park Tower Tokyo. During his time there, he won first place twice in the Japanese cuisine category of a cooking competition in which chefs from Prince Hotels nationwide competed for the best chefs. After working at several Japanese restaurants, he opened Kappo Ichika in July 2015. He is pursuing dishes that will surprise and impress his guests.

Mr. Suzuki entered the culinary world as he could not forget the delicious food he had with his father.

He was born in 1961 in Tokyo. When he was a child, he ate pork saute at a restaurant he went to with his father. He could not forget the delicious taste and became interested in cooking. After high school, he went on to culinary school and was hired by a hotel upon graduation. After high school, he went on to culinary school and started training as a chef at a hotel upon graduation. Following 30 years at the hotel, he spent some time at a pesticide-free Japanese restaurant and now works as a chef at Agora Cafe. It is the days of serving guests with hearty dishes.Enjoy exquisite dinners with shows. It is a "place of rest and relaxation" with multiple faces at different times of the day.