Riku Yakushijin

Coming Up

Teaching sits at the base of Riku Yakushijin’s practice. From 2008, his work as a french cuisine instructor at Tsuji Culinary Institute required the kind of repetition, correction, and clarity that builds technique cleanly and makes it teachable to others. That kind of instruction leaves a mark on the line: it trains the hand, but also the eye for structure. By 2021, the brief widened at Social Kitchen TORANOMON in Toranomon, where the role of director moved Yakushijin from instruction into coordination. The shift points to a kitchen practice shaped not only by execution, but by the management of people, timing, and presentation across a larger operation. Since 2020, Yakushijin has served as chef of Unis in Tokyo, a room built for occasions and calibrated as an eight-seat anniversary restaurant. Food is only one part of the format there; projection, lighting, and sound are part of the service design, working together to make the meal feel assembled with intention. In Yakushijin’s own words, it is “A restaurant for celebrating special occasions.”

Where They Are Now

At Unis in Tokyo, the current work is about alignment: cuisine meeting room design, and service meeting atmosphere. Yakushijin’s line, “I wanted to create a space where different things connect and unite,” fits the restaurant’s construction. The experience depends on more than the pass; it is built from separate elements brought into one controlled setting. That broader view continues in his comments on the profession itself. When Yakushijin says, “I think the way chefs live, rather than just how they work, is what is worth focusing on,” he frames the role as a matter of conduct as much as output. And in saying, “The life of a chef is not just about cooking delicious food; each person now needs to keep communicating,” he puts communication alongside technique as part of the job.

Signature

Riku’s signature dishes include Unis and BRANCHÉ CHOCOLAT, names that sit neatly within the restaurant’s celebratory, and highly composed identity.

In Their Words “The life of a chef is not just about cooking delicious food; each person now needs to keep communicating.” “I wanted to create a space where different things connect and unite.”

Honors

No awards are cited for Yakushijin.