Takeji Ito

The Climb

At Hirasansou, proprietor and chef are the same person, and Takeji Ito carries both responsibilities. That combination matters in a house like this: the kitchen, the room, and the atmosphere are all under the same discipline. Otsu and the Hira-san range northeast of Kyoto give the place its setting and its pace. Hirasansou is reached deliberately, and the cooking is built to meet that arrival without waste.

Today

The kitchen at Hirasansou is tied to Otsu and to the Hira-san range northeast of Kyoto, and Takeji Ito works within that frame as chef. The mountain setting is not backdrop; it is part of the structure of the meal. The road up to the house, the quiet of the site, and the rhythm of the service all point in the same direction. In Ito’s hands, the meal continues the ascent instead of interrupting it.

Signature

Takeji's signature dishes include grilled sweetfish with a saline crust, bear meat in soft-shelled turtle broth, and Moon and Suppon. The line reads like a kitchen working with season, terrain, and a clear sense of finish. Grilled sweetfish with a saline crust is direct and clean; bear meat in soft-shelled turtle broth carries more depth; and Moon and Suppon is a named dish that signals the house on its own terms.

In Their Words “Our guests travel a long way to come here. That keeps us on our toes.”

Recognition

1959 is the key date in Hirasansou’s history. It marks the year the house opened for business as a mountain lodge for people hiking the Hira-san range northeast of Kyoto, and that starting point still defines the place. The house remains tied to movement, landscape, and the discipline required to serve people who have come up the mountain for it.