Yoshiharu Kakinuma

Yoshiharu Kakinuma is a sushi chef whose work centers on restraint, precision, and close attention to rice, seafood, temperature, and timing. His style reflects the discipline of the sushi counter, where a bite is judged by the warmth of the rice, the softness or cut of the seafood, and the clean finish it leaves on the palate. He is known for handling ingredients with care and for treating luxury as a matter of judgment rather than abundance. Kakinuma began professional work as a trainee and cook at a small Japanese restaurant in Kyoto, Japan. He later completed an apprenticeship at Sushi Yoshitake in Ginza, Tokyo, Japan, where technique is closely scrutinized and every movement matters. He has described himself as a third-generation sushi chef who had been around food and sushi throughout his life before beginning to cook professionally. His career then took him to the United States, where he worked as a sushi chef at restaurants and sushi counters in New York City and Atlanta. These roles required him to maintain Japanese technique while serving new audiences. He has said he was excited by the challenge of recreating an authentic Ginza-style sushi experience outside Tokyo. Since 2012, Kakinuma has served as executive chef of Sushi Shikon in Hong Kong. The restaurant became known for disciplined sushi service under his leadership, with recognition including two Michelin stars in its first operational year, three Michelin stars, and a place in the Hong Kong Top 100 Tables guide. His work there is associated with exact service and a counter experience shaped by measured pacing, close handling, and clarity. Kakinuma is also Master Chef at Ningyocho Sushi Kaki in Tokyo. There, his approach is expressed through ingredient selection and careful handling rather than display. Kyoto uni is used for depth and purity, with the emphasis on sweetness, softness, and sea depth kept in balance so the richness remains clean. The restaurant reflects the same values found across his work: restraint, precision, and attention to how each bite resolves. Signature preparations linked to his Hong Kong restaurant include steamed abalone with abalone liver sauce, Japanese-style tender octopus, and nigiri sushi. Each highlights a different part of his craft. The abalone dish relies on concentration and savor, the octopus on texture brought to softness, and the nigiri on the meeting of rice and topping. Together they show a practice built on texture, temperature, and a clean seafood finish. Across Tokyo, Hong Kong, New York City, and Atlanta, Kakinuma’s career has remained rooted in the grammar of the sushi counter. His work depends on repetition, discipline, and exact service, with hospitality expressed through detail. Whether at Ningyocho Sushi Kaki or Sushi Shikon, his sushi is defined by close handling, measured execution, and a focus on clarity over excess.