【profile】
Born in Mashike, Hokkaido in 1954. At the age of 15, he decided to become a chef and trained at the Sapporo Grand Hotel and the Imperial Hotel. In 1974, he became head chef at the Japanese Embassy in Switzerland. While working at the embassy, he studied under Freddy Girardet. He continued to train at three-star restaurants such as Troisgros, Auberge de l'Ile, L'Oasis, and Alain Chapelle. In 1985, he opened the Hotel de Mikuni in Yotsuya, Tokyo. After the Great East Japan Earthquake, he worked on the Smile Project, "Bring Smiles to Children!", to support elementary schools in disaster-stricken areas. In 2013, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of François Rabelais in recognition of his contributions to French food culture. In 2015, he was awarded the Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur by the French Republic. This is France's highest order, established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, and was the first to be awarded to a Japanese chef. In 2019, she published "JAPONISÉE Kiyomi Mikuni". She was the only winner of the Hall of Fame category of the "Gourmand World Cuisine Awards 2020", which is praised as the "Oscar" of film, and is considered a masterpiece that will become a model for future generations. In 2022, she published "Third-rate Chef" from Gentosha, which became a bestseller. In November 2023, she opened Azabudai Hills Dining 33, a restaurant she produced. She currently posts on YouTube about food education activities for children and easy recipes that can be made at home.