★ Author Tohru Okuda is an internationally renowned Japanese cuisine master who has opened restaurants in Paris and New York. Several of his works have been published.
★ Through formats such as sake brewery roundtable discussions and interviews with tool experts, the book conveys Japanese chefs’ dedication to tradition and their innovative thinking!
★ It not only focuses on cuisine itself but also extends to Japanese tea, sake, tableware, and cooking tools, offering an in-depth exploration of the holistic ecosystem and aesthetic philosophy that underpins washoku culture.
★ This book features extensive interviews with numerous mid-career Japanese chefs, comprehensively showcasing the backbone of contemporary Japan’s culinary industry.

The core theme of this book is “exploring and promoting the charm of Japan’s proud culinary and traditional culture.”

This book focuses on chefs in their 40s, who are gradually becoming the core force in today’s culinary industry. We delve into interviews with these mid-career professionals who shoulder the future: What philosophies drive their work today? What goals are they aiming for next? Beyond Japanese cuisine, tempura, sushi, and soba, special attention is given to yakitori, eel cuisine, and wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets), with further explorations into sake, sencha (green tea), cooking utensils, and Japanese tableware.

● The New Possibilities of Yakitori and Eel Cuisine Creating a Sensation
Yoshiteru Ikegawa “Torishō” (Yakitori Artisan) / Yukikazu Watanabe “Watanabe” (Eel Cuisine Artisan) / Tohru Okuda “Ginza Kojū” (Japanese Cuisine Chef)

● Pioneering Chefs Shining Today
“Torishō” Yoshiteru Ikegawa: A Lifetime in One Skewer / “Ginza Fujiyama” Takao Fujiyama / “Soba Osame” Kenji Nō /
“Watanabe” Yukikazu Watanabe / “Tempura Ōsaka” Akihiro Ōsaka / “Soba no Ji” Toshiyuki Suzuki / “Tempura Nitta Mikawa” Hisao Ogawa /
“Sushi Shōji” Masashi Yamaguchi / “Higashi-Azabu Ichikawa” Tatsuya Ichikawa / “Yaesu Unagihashimoto” Shōhei Hashimoto /
“Sushi Yūki” Yūki Hayashinōchi / “Ebisu Torihiro” Yasukazu Kaneda / “Japanese Cuisine Haruyama” Haruhiko Yamamoto / “Minian” Yanagisawa, etc.

● The People Supporting Japanese Cuisine
Japanese Tea / Shizuoka “Hamasazen” Toshie Wada: Focusing on this year’s new tea, discussing recent trends in Japanese tea, the appeal of the profession, and its sense of value.
Cooking Tools / Tokyo, Kappabashi “Kama-asa Shōten” Daisuke Kumazawa: Shop history, changes in clientele, popular products, and reasons for overseas expansion.
Tableware / Tokyo, Ginza “Ikeike Gallery” Yūichi Ikeda: Visiting Saga, Kuromuta Saya Valley Kiln “Maruta Yū”
【Peak Showdown Between Potter and Chef】Maruta Yū VS Kagurazaka “Tanihon” Seiji Tanimoto

● Sake / Sake Brewery Roundtable Discussion
Miyagi “Hakushika” Shinshuzō Brewery, Iwao Shinzawa / Hiroshima “Ugo no Tsuki” Aihara Brewery, Shōgo Aihara / Sado “Tenryō Sakazuki” Tenryō Sakazuki Brewery, Senichi Katō
The flavors and styles pursued by leading breweries, the appeal and sense of mission among practitioners, and what the sake industry must preserve and innovate.

● Sake Retailer “Imaideya” Hideichi Ogura
Viewing changes through the lens of a long-standing sake distributor, and latest ventures such as the Chiba main store and Ginza Six branch expansion.

Tohru Okuda

Born in 1969 in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Spent about 10 years training in Japanese cuisine in Shizuoka, Kyoto, Tokushima, and other locations. Opened “Shunkashūtō, Hanamikoji” in his hometown of Shizuoka at age 29. In July 2003, he relocated to Ginza, Tokyo, and opened “Ginza Kojū.” In August 2011, he planned and opened “Ginza Okuda” on Namiki-dori, Ginza Gochōme. In June 2012, he moved “Ginza Kojū” to the same building. In September 2013, he opened “OKUDA” in Paris, France, and in 2017, he opened "OKUDA" in New York, beginning his challenge to serve authentic Japanese cuisine overseas.
His published works include: “The World’s Smallest Michelin Three-Star Restaurant,” “Why Japanese Cuisine Is World-Renowned,” “Japanese Cuisine: Charcoal Grilling Techniques by Ingredient,” “Japanese Cuisine: Ginza Kojū,” “Ginza Kojū’s Twelve Months of Seasonal Cuisine,” and “The Aesthetics of Plating at Ginza Kojū.”