Shinichiro Takagi

The Path

Training at Nihon University and a long apprenticeship at Kyoto Kitcho in Kyoto until 1996 gave Takagi a formal base in the discipline and standards that would later define his work. In 1996, that training moved back into family ground when he returned to Zeniya as owner, head chef, and representative director. The role was not a reinvention so much as a transfer of responsibility: the work became about carrying a family restaurant forward while keeping its character intact. Since 2017, that same logic of continuity has extended through his work as co-founder and chief culinary officer of OPENSAUCE Inc. Across these positions, Takagi's career shows a chef moving through senior roles without breaking from the cuisine and community that formed him. The throughline is stewardship: precision in execution, restraint in presentation, and a clear respect for inherited practice.

The Work Today

At Zeniya in Kanazawa, Takagi works as owner and head chef in a kitchen shaped by Japanese kaiseki, fresh local ingredients, and menus that shift with the season and the preferences of diners. Each course is set to the time of year, so the meal stays aligned with the region rather than fixed to a static format. Local sake is part of the pairing, keeping the table grounded in the same surrounding food culture that supplies the kitchen. Promoting Kaga cuisine abroad is also part of the work, and it gives Zeniya a role that reaches beyond its dining room. In Takagi's hands, the restaurant serves as a direct channel for regional memory, presenting Kaga food culture to diners outside Japan with the same precision it uses at home. The result is not an export of style, but a disciplined expression of place.

In Their Words “Safety is certainly first and foremost in importance, as well as serving a nutritious, balanced meal, but the most important thing we’re trying to do here is to serve dishes that make people happy, make them smile.” “I want people who love food to visit our restaurant and enjoy my cooking and I want to make dishes for my customers that they can’t get anywhere else in the world.”

Acclaim

Shinichiro's honors include Michelin Green Star (2021), Two Michelin Stars (2016), Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador, Cultural Merit Award, and Master Chef Award.