i. Biography
In Düsseldorf, Yoshizumi Nagaya has built a practice around Traditional Japanese cuisine, with Western notes used as measured adjustments rather than departures. The work is disciplined, precise, and steady in its construction; the 2017 Michelin star for Yoshi by Nagaya under his direction marked one point in a longer line of recognition. Earlier, Nagaya had already earned One Michelin star for Nagaya in Düsseldorf in 2010, setting an early standard that continued to define his name.
The Climb
Training at Toshiro Kandagawa gave Yoshizumi Nagaya a formal grounding in the structure and discipline of Japanese culinary practice. That base carried into his move to Düsseldorf, where he became head chef at Nagaya in Düsseldorf, Germany from 2003. The role placed technique, memory, and ambition in a new setting, and the work that followed reads as a sequence of deliberate refinements rather than abrupt change. The career later extended beyond one dining room. Yoshizumi is chef of Yoshi by Nagaya since 2016 and chef of Sankai by Nagaya since 2023, keeping the same line of work active across multiple addresses. The throughline is clear: the kitchens changed, but the principles remained consistent.
Today
Since 2016, he has been chef at Yoshi by Nagaya in Düsseldorf, Germany. The restaurant is the main site of his current work, and the one most closely tied to the controlled, detail-driven style associated with his name. In 2017, Yoshi by Nagaya earned One Michelin star, a recognition that reflected the kitchen’s coherence and the clarity of its point of view. The cooking is described as Traditional Japanese cuisine with Western notes. That framing is direct, and it is enough: a Japanese foundation remains intact, while Western elements are used as accents. The result is a style built on restraint, exactness, and attention to how the meal is read at the table.
In Their Words “We are constantly working to satisfy our guests' wishes and make them permanently happy.” “I have been concentrating strongly on cooking and the processes.” Taken together, the remarks describe a kitchen shaped by guest focus and process discipline. One points to service; the other to method. Between them sits a working philosophy that treats hospitality as labor, not decoration.
Recognition
Yoshizumi's honors include One Michelin star. The recognition tracks two separate points in the same city: first for Nagaya in Düsseldorf in 2010, and later for Yoshi by Nagaya in Düsseldorf in 2017. The record is less about spectacle than persistence, with the same standards visible across time.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Yoshizumi
Where did Yoshizumi Nagaya train or study?
Yoshizumi Nagaya trained at Toshiro Kandagawa.
What recognition has Yoshizumi Nagaya received?
Michelin Guide: One Michelin star (2017).
