Hirotaka Koiwa

Today, Hirotaka Koiwa is chef of Koguma.

Koiwa is chef at Koguma in Tokyo. The restaurant’s cooking is seasonal kaiseki cuisine that is rich in nutrients, which sets the menu by season and keeps function alongside pleasure. The signature work is tactile and time-based. Aged sashimi depends on the changing quality of fish after it is cut and held; aged game asks for a different patience, one tied to depth and concentration; aged wagyu beef tongue brings that same controlled maturation to a cut prized for its density and texture.

Presentation carries real weight here, and tableware is treated as part of the meal’s value. The vessel, surface, weight, and visual field around each dish help shape how the cooking is received.

Koiwa’s craft is defined most clearly by the cuisine itself. His name is tied to aged sashimi, aged game, and aged wagyu beef tongue, alongside seasonal kaiseki cooking rich in nutrients. That combination gives the restaurant its particular identity in Tokyo: traditional food served in modern surroundings, with the beauty and value of the tableware carrying as much intention as the ingredients.