Why Mr. Hamada, Who Has Traveled the World for Culinary Experiences, Chose Tokyo

Discover the Flavors That Can Only Be Experienced in Tokyo

From traditional Edomae cuisine to flavors from all over Japan and the world, Tokyo has melded a vast array of culinary influences together into perfect harmony, evolving the city into a gastronomic capital unlike any other.

As the supervisor of this project, Hamada Takefumi, an internationally renowned gourmet, invited foreign journalists, famous chefs and luxury travel company representatives to Tokyo to experience the city's unrivaled gastronomic culture firsthand.

The three main themes of this project include “experiencing the true essence of traditional Japanese cuisine,” “the development of internationally originated cuisine in Tokyo,” and “the rich diversity of food in Tokyo.” Let's dive in and discover the depth of the city's culinary culture.

Why Mr. Hamada, Who Has Traveled the World for Culinary Experiences, Chose Tokyo

Hamada Takefumi is a force in the international food scene, having been ranked Number 1 in the OAD (Opinionated About Dining) Top Restaurants Reviewer Ranking for six consecutive years since 2018. Raised in Japan's Kansai region, Hamada's gastronomic adventures have taken him to well over 100 countries—including America, France, and Italy. Despite his extensive global travels, he has chosen to base himself in Tokyo. “The fact that I live in Tokyo is a deliberate choice,” he said. “It's because Tokyo has the best restaurant scene in the world—that's the only reason I spend so much time here.”

The Indispensable Elements that Support Tokyo's Food Culture

According to Hamada, one defining characteristic of Tokyo's food scene is its sheer number of restaurants, which far surpasses that of other renowned cities like New York and Paris.

“Why are there so many restaurants in Tokyo? That's because the barrier to opening a new restaurant here is very low. In Paris, for example, opening a restaurant is extremely difficult and often prohibitively expensive—you essentially have to purchase the right to operate from someone who's already running a restaurant. You can't simply create a restaurant and expect to get permission from the local government,” he explained. “Tokyo is an entirely different scene. You can open a very small restaurant within six months, even operate it on your own without having to pay salaries. A tiny restaurant serving maybe eight people, twice a night, five days a week—if you're a good chef, you can have a sustainable business. That's the essence of the Tokyo food scene.”

Hamada noted that this vibrant food culture isn't limited solely to Japanese cuisine. “In Tokyo, many restaurants—whether they're sushi, kaiseki, Italian, or French—are very small and intimate,” he observed.

Low overhead costs allow these chefs to pour all their effort and passion into cooking, an element Hamada describes as the “shokunin spirit” of Tokyo. “What sets Tokyo chefs apart is their shokunin-waza—the artisanship and craftsmanship,” he said. “To run a kaiseki restaurant in the Kyoto or Osaka style, you don't only need to be a true shokunin. At the same time, you must also have management skills, which are entirely separate from cooking. But in Tokyo, it's more about focusing on your culinary skills, whether making soba or sushi. That's what makes Tokyo so special.”

Japanese food has become popular worldwide, with chefs putting their own spin on classic dishes. Hamada explains that while there's nothing wrong with creating Japanese-inspired cuisine, experiencing these dishes in their original form is essential for truly understanding and appreciating them, and that experience will impact how they create Japanese-influenced food.

“Many people have been exposed to what they think are Japanese foods—like sushi or wagyu,” Hamada said. “But once they come to Tokyo and experience the best of it, they can tell the difference.”

Hamada also emphasizes the role of Tokyo's logistics in setting its food culture apart. “In France, they have excellent seafood, but traditionally these are cooked fish. They don't have a tradition of eating raw fish. That's why the logistics system there isn't typically designed to deliver fish from the ocean to cities like Paris in a way that it can be enjoyed raw. When you cook it, of course, it's excellent. But when you eat it raw, you can't match the quality you get in Tokyo,” he explained.

“It isn't something that any one fisherman or logistics provider can change—it's the whole system, and it's not easy to replicate,” he added. “That's why people need to come to Tokyo to experience the best of the best.”

Top-quality ingredients, a sophisticated logistics network, and the shokunin artisanship of Tokyo's chefs are the driving forces behind the city's rich and diverse food culture.

The Diversity of Tokyo's Food Culture

While Tokyo is renowned for its traditional fare, Hamada encourages those who have sampled Japanese dishes like sushi or ramen to broaden their horizons by exploring the wealth of restaurants that focus on international cuisine.

“This ‘shokunin spirit' extends to non-Japanese genres as well,” Hamada said. “The city boasts many pizzerias that uphold Neapolitan traditions while others offer unique interpretations using fresh Japanese ingredients.” Even here, Tokyo's commitment to craftsmanship is unmistakable.

Hamada further elaborated, “In cities like Paris, New York, or Barcelona, you can name ten top restaurants, and most foodies would agree on at least five or six of them. But in Tokyo, it's impossible because there are so many excellent restaurants, each with its own identity. That's how diverse and deep Tokyo's culinary scene truly is.”

Hamada's Message to the World

Hamada explained that the purpose of this project is to bring some of Europe's top chefs and journalists to Tokyo to experience authentic Japanese cuisine firsthand. “I believe experiencing Tokyo's dining culture firsthand reveals a striking contrast to what they're accustomed to at home,” he said. “For these chefs and journalists, knowing what the best of the best is will hopefully make a difference in how they think about Japanese food culture.”

He concluded with a simple invitation: “Come and immerse yourself in the true spirit of artisanal craftsmanship.”

（This article is a report on the promotional project conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government during the 2024 fiscal year to showcase the appeal of Tokyo's culinary culture.）

Project Collaborators

Biography of Takefumi Hamada
Takefumi Hamada is the No.1 ranked restaurant reviewer for six consecutive years as determined by the OAD (Opinionated About Dining) Top Restaurants, having dined at the best restaurants in 128 countries and regions around the world. He is an advisor to businesses in entertainment, food and hospitality, as well as an investor in food technology startups. Takefumi has a background in finance, starting his career as an investment banker before moving on to private equity. He holds a B.A. magna cum laude, with distinction in Political Science, from Yale University.
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