Kiyomi Mikuni
Born 1954, in Mashike-cho of Hokkakido prefecture in Japan. Aspiring to become a chef at age 15, he started his training at Sapporo Grand Hotel before making his way to Tokyo to further hone his skills at the Imperial Hotel. In 1974, at the age of twenty, he was appointed as the resident chef at the Japanese Embassy in Switzerland. While working at the embassy, he also started to study under the guidance of Frédy Girardet. He went on to gain further experience at three-star restaurants as “Troisgros”, “L’Auberge de l’Ill”, “L’Oasis”, and “Alain Chapel”. In 1985, he opens “Hôtel De Mikuni” in Tokyo. In 2013, he was bestowed an honorary doctorate from Université de François-Rabelais (currently Université de Tours) for his contributions to the French culinary culture. In 2015, he became the first Japanese chef to ever be honored with “L'ordre national de la légion d'honneur - Chevalier”, the highest medal of honor in France. In 2019, he published “JAPONISÉE Kiyomi Mikuni” that was shortlisted for the Hall of Fame category at the Gourmand Awards 2020, considered as the world’s highest honor for cookbooks. Currently, he is also involved in the promotion of nutrition and dietary education to children, as well as posting easy-to-make recipes on YouTube.
