i. Biography
Coming Up
Washoku is built on controlled acts: the measured cut, the attentive simmer, and seasoning that supports rather than covers. In the professional kitchen, that discipline is learned through repetition and service. Hiromitsu Nozaki worked as Executive Chef at Tokuyama from 1980, a role that placed his cooking inside the cadence and standards of a Japanese kitchen where restraint has to be executed, not merely described. A restaurant identity in this tradition depends on consistency across season, ingredient and hand. Waketokuyama, established in 1989 with Hiromitsu Nozaki as founder / Chef Patron, became the address most closely associated with that approach: clarity, balance and the culinary intelligence of Japanese cuisine. The work has not depended on flourish; it has been guided by season, technique and the essential character of each ingredient. Washoku also has to travel when the setting changes. As Executive Chef at Japanese National Baseball Team at the Athens Olympics in Athens, Greece (2004–2004), Hiromitsu Nozaki brought Japanese cooking into the operating conditions of international competition. Later, as in charge of Japanese cuisine (washoku) at Menu Advisory Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic village of the Tokyo 2020 Games in Tokyo, Japan (2021–2021), his role placed washoku within a global service context for sport and culture. The continuing reference point is Waketokuyama, where Hiromitsu Nozaki remains founder / Chef Patron of Waketokuyama (since 1989), and where the craft is still read through refinement, discipline and controlled expression. “I hope to create the world's best food for the Olympic and Paralympic village.” Hiromitsu has said.
The Work Today
Seasoning in this work is not a cover; it is a means of disclosure. That position belongs to a broader washoku method: flavor is built through proportion, timing and restraint. Cutting, seasoning, arranging and timing are not decorative steps; they are the structure of the cuisine. The aim is to bring flavor forward without overwhelming what the ingredient already carries.
Standing
Hiromitsu Nozaki has received Michelin Guide Tokyo — one star for Waketokuyama (2008). Recognition for Waketokuyama includes One Michelin star for Waketokuyama (2008). The award placed the restaurant within contemporary Japanese dining while recognizing a practice tied to washoku principles: refinement, restraint and respect for the ingredient.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Hiromitsu
Where did Hiromitsu Nozaki work before?
Earlier in their career, Hiromitsu Nozaki worked at Tokuyama, Japanese National Baseball Team at the Athens Olympics, and Menu Advisory Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic village of the Tokyo 2020 Games.
What recognition has Hiromitsu Nozaki received?
One Michelin star for Waketokuyama (2008).
