Tokyo, the World’s Most Diverse Food City

Tokyo is arguably the epicenter of the world’s gastronomic culture — a city where state-of-the-art kitchens, bustling markets, and even mountain farms converge to create a dining landscape unlike any other.

Among the chefs who embody this spirit is Yoshihisa Akiyama, the highly acclaimed chef who helms the stylish Ginza restaurant Mutsukari. His affection for Tokyo is unmistakable, and so is his determination to keep pace with the city’s constant evolution.

From his sixth-floor vantage point on a quiet side street of Ginza - the capital’s premier dining district - Akiyama slips into his crisp white coat embroidered with the word Mutsukari (“six geese”) before stepping into his vibrant open kitchen. As he prepares to welcome yet another group of international guests—overseeing every detail with precision—it becomes evident that his culinary philosophy, rooted deeply in Japanese tradition yet refreshingly open to global influences, perfectly reflects Tokyo’s identity as an international food destination.

“Tokyo is a city rich in diversity,” he says with a smile. Through his innovative, distinctive, and elegantly restrained cuisine—recognized with numerous accolades, including a world-famous dining guide—Chef Akiyama continues to expand that diversity in his own refined way.

“Tokyo: The Gateway to Japan” — Discover the Rich Diversity of Regional and Seasonal Cuisine

Akiyama sources his ingredients from all around the Japanese archipelago — and he notes that his restaurant’s location in Tokyo puts him in the special position of being able to share this richness with his guests. 

“Tokyo is the gateway to Japan, and since overseas visitors usually make a stop here, I find it extremely meaningful to be able to introduce them to regional cuisines from all over the country,” he explains. “In fact, I view this as my life’s mission.” 

“We have an extremely dynamic food culture, which is tied closely to the seasons,” he adds. 

A ten-layer vegetable terrine — a Mutsukari dish that captures both Tokyo’s diversity and his philosophy of connection.

Finding Inspiration in Vegetables and Traditional Buddhist Cuisine:Shojin Ryori

Born in Ibaraki, a prefecture on the outskirts of the Greater Tokyo area, Akiyama moved to the capital at the age of 18 to pursue a culinary career. “Tokyo was the natural choice—the best city to immerse myself in the world of cooking,” he recalls.

He began his journey at a tiny six-counter restaurant tucked away in a quiet neighborhood in Meguro-ku, where he first learned the foundations of washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine). 

Interestingly, Akiyama’s passion for vegetable-centric cuisine was sparked not in Japan, but during his travels abroad.
“I wanted to see the world,” he explains. “One of the places I visited was the United States. I had assumed there wasn’t much of a food culture there, but I was stunned by the variety of vegetables available in the markets. That discovery pushed me toward exploring vegetable-driven cooking.”

After returning to Japan, he joined Gesshinkyo, a celebrated  ‘Shojin-Ryori’ restaurant in a peaceful residential district of Gakugei-daigaku, just west of central Tokyo.   ‘Shojin-Ryori’ is a traditional Japanese Buddhist cuisine made entirely from plant-based ingredients. It focuses on simplicity, seasonal vegetables, and mindful cooking, aiming to nourish both the body and the spirit.

In 2004, Akiyama opened Mutsukari, where he has continued to develop and refine this vision. The restaurant was ranked the third-best vegetable-focused restaurant in Japan by the 2024 We’re Smart guide. Yet Mutsukari is not strictly vegetarian or vegan; meat and fish also play meaningful roles on the menu. While his roots lie in shojin-ryori, Akiyama is quick to clarify that his interest has never been religious. “I am drawn to the food itself, rather than the Buddhist philosophy behind it,” he notes.

Mutsukari is deeply steeped in Japanese aesthetics, from its calligraphic artwork to the natural, foliage-rich interior. Akiyama attributes this to Japan’s long artistic heritage, smiling as he observes, “People who lived in ancient Japan had an impeccable sense of style.”

Comfort in a bowl: delicate vegetable broth with turnip, presented in elegant traditional tableware

Rather than seeking inspiration from books, Akiyama prefers to find it firsthand—by seeing, touching, and tasting the ingredients he works with. He frequently travels throughout Tokyo and beyond to meet the producers who shape his cuisine.

“As a chef, it is my role to share and give form to the rich food culture found across Japan,” he explains. “With that in mind, I craft my menus each day.”

Akiyama begins every morning by cycling to Toyosu Market, where he chooses the freshest seasonal ingredients for the day’s dishes. His pursuits also take him to Okutama—the westernmost reaches of metropolitan Tokyo, about 2 hours drive from the city center, defined by mountains, forests, and rivers—where he often finds himself quite literally working with his hands in the soil.

“I like visiting the Okutama region in western Tokyo to meet the young farmers cultivating wasabi,” he says. “It’s an incredibly difficult plant to grow, and they’re working with such dedication to help it thrive. I want to support them—whether by helping with harvesting or even just weeding.”

Akiyama also embodies the spirit of omotenashi Omotenashi: Japan’s art of heartfelt hospitality and a core value of the Tokyo Tourism Ambassador program, of which he is a member—by occasionally inviting guests to join him in these excursions.

“If an overseas guest expresses interest, I might take them with me to places like Toyosu Market or even out to Okutama,” he says. “I truly want them to experience these places. Building relationships with my guests is something I value deeply.”

Chef Akiyama’s signature dish: silky goma (sesame) tofu made fresh daily.

Food Prepared with Love, Gratitude, Esthetics and Hospitality

Chef Akiyama’s signature dish—served as a welcoming entrée every single day throughout Mutsukari’s 22-year history—is an exquisitely silky goma (sesame) tofu, a recipe he perfected during his formative years preparing Shojin-Ryori.  Made entirely from scratch with raw, untoasted white sesame seeds, the tofu is finished with a small mound of freshly grated wasabi—often harvested from the crystal-clear streams of Okutama in western Tokyo—and accented with seasonal garnishes such as a delicate pink shiso bud in summer.

“It may look simple, but it allows me to pour my feelings directly into the food I serve,” he explains. “When you cook with intention, the flavor truly changes.”

“Our hands carry energy—whether we are grinding sesame seeds into paste or performing any small task,” he continues. “Food holds the force of life, and I want my guests to sense that. I want to remind them of the gratitude we should feel when we eat, something I believe modern society has begun to forget.”

The rest of Akiyama’s menu showcases the same painstaking attention to detail. His donut-shaped monaka—a crisp wafer treat that could easily be mistaken for a dessert—features a tofu base and a filling of plump blueberries, raspberries, and kumquat jam nestled between two delicate disks. His ten-vegetable terrine, meanwhile, is a vibrant, multi-layered creation accompanied by elegant spirals of thinly sliced yellow and green zucchini and finished with dabs of a creamy, subtly smoky purée.

Presentation is part of the dining experience: this savory monaka with tofu, berries, and kumquat jam is one of Mutsukari’s picture-perfect entrées.

Even the chopsticks are an artful affair at Tokyo’s fine dining restaurants, comprising a pair of chunky, beautifully toned wooden sticks that are often served in a unique box-like package. This thoughtful design-related touch in fact reflects Tokyo’s broader dining culture, where aesthetics and hospitality extend to every detail of the meal.

“Whether it’s the fragrance of what is being cooked, the sounds of the pots and pans moving around the kitchen, or the beauty of the vessels that I serve my dishes in, I view food as a full sensorial experience,” Akiyama observes. 

In many ways, this philosophy mirrors Tokyo itself, where meals are not only about flavor — but also about seasonality, craftsmanship, and connection. In many dining scenes in Tokyo, this ethos becomes something visitors can feel : an expression of the city’s ability to balance fast-paced modern life with traditions of mindfulness and care at the table.

While Akiyama may not expressly advertise his restaurant using buzz words such as sustainability, he embodies these precepts first-hand by carrying them out through his daily work. This might include, for example, food conservation-oriented tasks such as preparing slices of daikon radish in the traditional kiriboshi (“cut and dry”) style.

“Japanese food is filled with the wisdom of many generations as this kiriboshi daikon” he notes.

In Tokyo, where the pace of urban life moves quickly, this kind of approach offers something rare: the chance to experience both innovation and continuity in a single meal. For travelers, dining at Mutsukari means savoring practices rooted in Edo-style traditions that have been carried into the present — proof of how Tokyo’s food culture continues to evolve while honoring its heritage.

Savor traditional flavors, elegantly elevated by Master chefs, in the heart of Tokyo

Chef Akiyama smiles as he talks about cycling through the Tokyo streets in search of the perfect ingredients, his love for the city, and his philosophy of food diversity

Akiyama also instills in his staff the life lessons he has gathered over the years. This includes everything from maintaining a flawless appearance and ensuring the precise placement of every table accoutrement to mastering the proper handling of kitchen tools. “The way you slice something can dramatically change how it tastes,” he explains.

During the team’s daily meetings, even the smallest details are discussed to guarantee a smooth and enjoyable evening for Mutsukari’s guests. These conversations may include thoughtful considerations such as arranging table settings for left-handed diners.

“Because we work in an open kitchen—where every gesture is visible to our guests—it is essential that we operate seamlessly as a team,” he notes. “There is always a bit of pressure, but that is precisely what motivates us to perform at our very best.”

Akiyama extends this combination of warmth and firmness to overseas guests who may be unfamiliar with Japanese dining etiquette.

“I’ve had guests play loud music on their phones while eating, and I simply asked them to turn it off,” he recalls. “I’ve also offered gentle guidance on things like where to place chopsticks when they’re not in use. To me, these gestures are part of sharing the spirit of omotenashi.”

When he is not taking guests along on his culinary excursions, Akiyama offers travel advice to help them make the most of their stay in Tokyo.

It is evident that Tokyo’s unceasing evolution lies at the heart of Akiyama’s culinary philosophy. For this celebrated chef, food is far more than nourishment—it is a source of inspiration, an expression of gratitude, and a medium through which people are brought together. Every dish he presents captures the very essence of the city itself: pristine seafood from Toyosu Market, heirloom vegetables cultivated in the mountains of Okutama, and a spirit of omotenashi that extends from his counter.

“Tokyo is a city with so much diversity,” he muses, his earlier words now carrying added resonance. “I really think it’s like a miracle.”

He warmly encourages international visitors to experience Tokyo’s vibrant and ever-changing culinary landscape for themselves, inviting them to discover the flavors, traditions, and hospitality that make the city truly one of a kind.