i. Biography
Akifumi Sakagami is Executive Master Chef at Onodera Group, a role tied to the standards of Traditional Edomae sushi: rice handled with judgment, fish prepared with restraint, seasoning kept in balance, and service paced by repetition rather than display. In this register, technique is not separate from supervision. The craft holds when the same decisions are made correctly, piece after piece, service after service.
Coming Up
Counter work depends on concentration at short distance: the guest sees the sequence, the pressure of the hand, the timing of each placement, and the way the room’s cadence is held. During a special appearance at Sushi Ginza Onodera New York in New York (2023), Akifumi Sakagami worked within that format during lunch and dinner service. The engagement was brief, but the terms were exact: traditional sushi presented close to the diner, with the counter making technique visible. Responsibility within Onodera Group frames the broader record. In sushi, seniority is tested through details that do not announce themselves: rice temperature, formed pressure, service tempo, and the degree of expression allowed inside a restrained form. Those are the measures by which trust is assigned in a house built around Edomae discipline.
Where They Are Now
Executive Master Chef at Onodera Group is a craft stewardship role as much as a senior kitchen title. In Akifumi Sakagami’s case, the position places Traditional Edomae sushi standards inside daily practice, where consistency matters more than explanation. Traditional Edomae sushi techniques are applied under his supervision there. That makes the work instructional as well as culinary: preparation, sequence, and service become the means by which a standard is shown to the team. The craft extends beyond an individual piece. It is carried in prep before service, in the rhythm of the counter, and in the way each item reaches the guest at the intended moment. Sushi Ginza Onodera Nagoya, Japan, serves Traditional Edomae sushi in an omakase-style model. That structure puts progression ahead of à la carte choice, asking the diner to follow the chef’s order and tempo. For Edomae sushi, the format matters: each piece sits in relation to the one before it and the one after it, so the meal is built as a sequence rather than a collection of selections.
Honors
Recognition here is recorded through entrusted positions rather than prize citations. Executive Master Chef at Onodera Group and Executive Sushi Chef supervising Traditional Edomae sushi preparation in Houston both identify responsibility for maintaining a house standard. In this trade, that kind of recognition is practical: the title is meaningful only if the work remains consistent under service pressure.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Akifumi
What is Akifumi Sakagami's current role?
Akifumi Sakagami is Executive Master Chef.
Where did Akifumi Sakagami work before?
Earlier in their career, Akifumi Sakagami worked at Sushi Ginza Onodera New York.
What is Akifumi Sakagami known for?
Traditional Edomae sushi served in an omakase-style model.
