Chef
Hitoshi Ishihara
Owner & Chef, Mizai
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Kyoto, Japan
- Venue
- Mizai · Restaurant
Known for
- Three-Michelin-starred kaiseki at Mizai Kyoto
- Mentor to chefs like Yoshinori Ishii
- Personal preparation of matcha tea ceremony at Mizai
i. Biography
Hitoshi Ishihara is the owner and chef of Mizai, a three-Michelin-starred kaiseki restaurant in Kyoto, Japan. He previously served as food chief at Kitcho Arashiyama at age 27 before opening Mizai independently. Born in Shimane prefecture, he is renowned for his pursuit of perfection in seasonal kaiseki cuisine, as featured in the NHK documentary 'Not Yet There'.
Profile updated July 2026
