I had a fascination with the hospitality industry and I always hoped to have my own place!

My first job working in the hospitality industry was at an izakaya. While I was working there, I became very interested in the industry and I began to think about starting up my own place. From that time on, all of my attention went into learning how to cook. The izakaya that I worked at focused mainly on seafood based cuisine, which meant that I gained a lot of knowledge and tricks about cooking with fish. People say that my knowledge of fish is on a different level to others.

From boxer to owner of oden (hot pot dish) stall. And then to French cuisine, in pursuit of the world stage…

He was born in Ibaraki prefecture in 1949. When he was in college, he was selected as one of the candidates to compete in gymnastics for the Olympics, and after graduating, he became a ranked professional boxer in Japan. After wrecking his body and giving up on boxing, he made a 180 degree turn and opened an oden (hot pot dish) stall. However, he says, "That would never allow me to aim for the world stage," and entered the world of French cuisine. He underwent training at a restaurant in Tokyo before going to France. After perfecting his skills for two years in places such as restaurants with three Michelin stars, he returned to Japan, and in 1988, he opened "A Ta Goul" in Ebisu. He took the opportunity to rename his restaurant to "Ne Quittez Pas" when he moved to Gotanda.

Making a career out of my favorite dish

I loved eating gyutan (beef tongue), and I was a fan of Rikyu's gyutan. I often went to the restaurant, and the staff always made sure that I enjoyed myself, so that's what led me to enter the world of cooking.

Carefree with fun, delicious food.

He was born on February 1st, 1958, in Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture. After twelve years experience in four different restaurants, he opened Restaurant Mecante in his hometown of Funabashi. Always ambitious, during his days off he visits other restaurants to study them. With a love of Italian cooking, our chef has created a restaurant with a comfortable atmosphere anyone can enjoy, and is always striving to improve.

Based on Italian cuisine, the chef also tries creativestyle cuisine proactively.

Born in Osaka in 1979, he has always enjoyed eating since his childhood. He started to learn cooking at a vocational school for becoming a licensed cook. He also started working part-time around then in order to enter the restaurant business. After his graduation, he worked cooking French cuisine at a hotel in Kobe and then in cooking creative-style cuisince in Tokyo. In 2012, he opened trattria e bar Buono!. Based on Italian cuisine, he is an inquirying cook who also cooks Spanish cuisine, rice omelets, and other creative-style cuisine in a proactive manner.

This chef decided to devote his life to cooking after meeting the president of the company.

After meeting the president of Sanin Sakaba Kamiari, Chef Inoue was startled by the extent to which they shared the same thinking and decided to move from an unrelated industry to become a chef. His eyes shine as he tells us how fun it is for him to receive direct, positive feedback from customers. He also feels that this work, where he gives shape to his own ideas with the design of the menu and flavoring of the food, has real meaning. Each day he works to continue to produce delicious food.

He strives to build a unique menu that matches the restaurant's atmosphere

He was born in Nagano prefecture in 1979, and it was a part-time kitchen job that gave him the motivation to go to Tokyo and start cooking professionally. After training at hotel kitchens and French restaurants, he gathered experience at various restaurants, such as a small bistro and a 145-seater restaurant in Daikanyama, where he worked as the head chef. In 2012, he became the head chef of Dining & Bar KITSUNE, where he handles the creation of new menu items, including dishes like "Sushine," a cross between sushi and a terrine. He says, "I want to continue offering dishes that taste great, but still manage to surprise customers."

It all started back when I used to help my mother in the kitchen.

He started training in traditional Japanese cuisine at age 18. He endeavors to ascertain exactly what his guests want by chatting with them as he prepares their delicious meals.

I'm so happy when people enjoy and say my home cooked food is delicious.

Born on February the 13th, 1985 in Aichi Prefecture. He trained and gained experience by working in Japanese bars, sushi restaurants, and other restaurants as well. In 2008, he began working at the fresh fish restaurant, "Obanzai Sengyo Hachiya", since their opening. He still works there now.

Offering local cuisine made using naturally abundant Shimane ingredients

Born August 16th in Shimane Prefecture. After graduating from high school, he attended culinary school. Upon graduation he went to work for Creative Group Inc., a company that runs a number of prominent restaurants. In 2012 his first assignment was determined to be Mond Nihonbashi, so he traveled to Tokyo. Now he treats Tokyo's Nihonbashi to the nostalgic Shimane flavors of his youth.

Fascinated by the ingredients of Hokkaido

The chef started his career at a Japanese cuisine restaurant when he was 18 years old. After advancing his profession through experiences and training, he served as the head chef at the sister restaurant Suginome Hotel Okura Sapporo branch in 2014. Today, as the head chef of this restaurant Suginome Main branch established in 1915, he introduces the local cuisine to the guests using Hokkaido’s great ingredients such as crab and other fresh seafoods.

He started cooking based on his love for food, but now this chef is looking to take things even further

He was born in Kyoto Prefecture in 1981. He has been interested in food as long as he can remember. He started cooking as a hobby, but when it came time to think about a life-long profession, he decided to become a chef. He began his training at a hotel, covering the whole gamut of Western cooking, but gradually found himself drawn to the deliciousness of French and Italian cuisine. Since 2012 he has been displaying his skill daily at "Uru".

A chef with a wealth of experience whose genius was recognised by Chef Baba

Koji Itou was born in Saitama prefecture in 1976. His part-time job at university led him into the world of cooking. In 2002, he went to Italy and honed his skills at the famous restaurants of Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont. He returned to Japan in 2005, and worked for 2 years at Taverna Messina in Jiyugaoka. After that, he worked for 4 years at an Italian restaurant in Hiroshima before coming to Tharros in 2012. In the spring of 2014, leadership of the kitchen was handed over to him by Chef Baba. Chef Itou hopes that just as before, he wants to make the unique food culture and atmosphere of Sardinia more widely known.

A promising young chef who polished his skills under the guidance of one of the masters of creative Japanese cooking, Rokusaburo Michiba.

The son of the owner of a Japanese restaurant named 'Ampuku', he grew up with an intimate connection to food and a fascination for cooking. He took his first step on the culinary road at the age of 19, when he joined a 'kaiseki' banquet restaurant in Gifu as a chef, and later refined his skills further at Poisson Rokusaburo in Tokyo's Akasaka. He was also involved in planning the launch of the New York branch of the restaurant 'Ninja' during his time as a trainee chef. He developed a reputation for creating dishes which are subtle and elegant, yet stick unfalteringly to their principles. After returning to Japan, deciding that he wanted "to open an affordable restaurant for ordinary people, just like my father"; he opened his own 'udon' noodle restaurant, the 'Ampuku' which he still runs to this day.

With steam and speed, this chef offers up Chinese Taiwan cuisine.

I was born in June, 1983 in the city of Hakodate in Hokkaido Prefecture. I was influenced by my father, who ran an Izakaya, and so after I graduated from high school, I decided to learn the ropes of the service industry at a local Japanese-style restaurant. I entered the world of Chinese Taiwan cuisine in 2009 when I started working at Chinese Taiwan Restaurant Misen, thanks to a family connection. I learned by watching Sho, a veteran who showed me how to utilize steam and speed, a style of cooking which is very different from Japanese-style cuisine. It was a period of diligent training for me and I spent my days polishing my skills in the kitchen.

Born February 23rd, 1960, a native of Hyogo Prefecture. After graduating from high school he worked at a number of restaurants, before traveling to France. He studied under Bernard Loiseau, the head chef at La Cote d'Or (now called Le Relais Bernard Loiseau), who gave rise to the Asian-inspired French fusion style, which our chef learned. He returned home to work at the Japanese chef of La Cote d'Or Kobe in 1992. As of 2000 he was promoted to the general manager and head chef of the Kitano Kobe Hotel.

Influenced by his relatives who cooked for a living, he chose the same path

Born July 9th, 1958, he's a native of Miyagi Prefecture's Higashimatsushima City. Influenced by his relatives who cooked for a living, he too chose the same path. After graduating from the Musashino School of Culinary Arts in Tokyo, he trained for three years at a Japanese restaurant in the city before moving on to the high class Sendai restaurant Gin Tanabe. He plied his skills there for roughly 30 years before coming to Sumibi Wabo Hesoya (now: Wasyoku to Tempura Zehu) to cap off his career.

Working hard with the staff to create a comfortable restaurant

Born August 10, 1956 in Sapporo. After graduating from a vocational school, he worked at restaurants, hotels, and izakaya bars, serving customers. When Hokkai Shabu Shabu Kita 2 Jo opened in 2012, he was hired on as manager. Rather than "training staff by the book," he focuses on "little acts of service and hospitality," working towards creating a restaurant with a warm atmosphere along with his staff.

A fateful encounter during a five-year stay in Madrid…

He was born in Kochi prefecture in 1981. After graduating from culinary school, he started his career with a role in a Japanese restaurant. He decided to shift his focus after motivation from a special feature on Spain that he read in a magazine, and went to Spain when he was 22. He trained at various places such as Castile and Leon, and spent five years at the Arroceria "Mano a Mano" in Madrid. He returned to Japan when he was 29. In September 2012, he opened "Arroceria Sal y Amor" together with Mr. Victor Garcia, whom he met in Madrid, as a co-owner.

A master craftsman of French cuisine inheriting the Grande Maison tradition

He was born in Tokyo in 1959. He was influenced by a senior in his high school field hockey club who decided to go down the path of becoming a chef, so eventually he too went to culinary school. After graduation, he worked for four years at the prestigious French restaurant called "Piaget," where he built a strong culinary foundation. In 1983, he entered Apicius, and diligently studied under the wings of Chef Tokuo Takahashi, one of the most esteemed French chefs in Japan. In 1997, he became a sous chef, and then eventually moved on to his present position as head chef in 2008.