Chef
Eiji Ichimura
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- New York City, New York, United States
i. Biography
Eiji Ichimura now works as Sushi Master Chef in residence at The Studio at Clemente Bar in New York City, and the force behind that post is a long apprenticeship in disciplined knife work, rice handling, and counter craft. The line runs back to working-class Tokyo, where a father in construction and a schoolteacher mother formed the kind of background that places skill in the register of labor, not myth. From there, Ichimura’s name becomes evidence of a career built through repetition, restraint, and standards kept over decades.
Coming Up
The practice began in 1970 in Tokyo, when Eiji Ichimura entered Neighborhood sushi bar as a sushi apprentice. In that setting, the basics of the trade had to be earned the hard way: how to work the knife, how to handle the rice, how to stand at the counter without excess. He later moved to Sushigen in Ginza, Tokyo, as sushi chef, continuing to tighten the precision that serious sushi requires. The progression from apprentice to chef was cumulative, built one kitchen at a time rather than by leaps. In 2003, Eiji Ichimura brought that same standard to New York City as founder and sushi chef at Eponymous sushi restaurant in East 48th Street, New York City. The shift in geography did not alter the method. The work stayed exacting as he went on as sushi chef at Brushstroke in Tribeca, New York City, then as sushi chef at Ichimura at Uchū in Lower East Side, New York City, and later as head sushi chef at Sushi Ichimura in 412 Greenwich Street, New York City (2023–2025). Read in order, those roles chart a steady accumulation of responsibility in the city where his craft became most visible. Today, Eiji is Sushi Master Chef in residence of The Studio at Clemente Bar. The title places him in direct contact with the counter, where the room is reduced to the essentials and the meal depends on control, timing, and the quiet exchange between chef and guest.
Where They Are Now
Ichimura’s present post is Sushi Master Chef in residence at The Studio at Clemente Bar in New York City, a room that keeps his work within the tight grammar of omakase. In that format, every choice is legible: the hand, the rice, the fish, and the exchange across the counter. It is a form that rewards patience and exactness, both of which have defined his career. What joins the chapters is a clear line of practice rather than a single address. A Tokyo-born sushi apprentice became a New York sushi chef, then worked in Tribeca, Lower East Side, and at Sushi Ichimura before taking up residence at The Studio at Clemente Bar. Across those shifts, the principles remain the same: rigor, restraint, and the accumulated confidence that comes from years spent doing one craft with care.
Honors
The markers of the career are the kitchens and titles themselves, from Brushstroke in 2010 and Uchu in 2019 to the 2023–2025 head sushi chef appointment in New York City. Taken together, they show a working life spent in consequential rooms, with a reputation built on consistency, discipline, and the quiet authority of someone who has stayed with the form.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Eiji
What is Eiji Ichimura's current role?
As of 2026, Eiji Ichimura is Sushi Master Chef in residence.
Where did Eiji Ichimura work before?
Eiji Ichimura's earlier career included Neighborhood sushi bar, Sushigen, and Eponymous sushi restaurant.
What is Eiji Ichimura known for?
High-end sushi omakase.
