The Story of How Shinon Washoku Was Created

Yasuyuki Kibayashi, the second-generation owner who inherited a long-established Japanese restaurant, was raised by a father who was a modern-day samurai adhered to wearing a “fundoshi” (traditional Japanese loincloth) throughout his life, and a mother who never wavered in his daily faith and even undertook pilgrimages to 48 sites in Shikoku, and relatives who were heads of traditional arts and upheld traditional culture, performing koto at the Japan Pavilion during the Shanghai Expo. Surrounded by such family members, he grew up immersed in rich cultural traditions.

After nearly 50 years of dedication, navigating rapid growth and significant changes, the second-generation owner reached the age of 80. In his final active years, he aspired to “convey to the world, through Japanese cuisine, the spirituality born from the way Japanese people, nurtured by tradition, engage with the gods and nature.” This vision led to the creation of a new style of Japanese cuisine.

Respecting the old while embracing the new
Japanese cuisine, known as “washoku,” has been built upon a profound reverence for nature, passed down through generations, and recognized as an intangible cultural heritage. This new culinary style, born from a perspective that broadens the horizons of Japanese cuisine by embedding gratitude to the gods and compassion for ingredients into the knife, materialized through encounters with chefs who, through continuous dialogue with ingredients, developed unique viewpoints.

This new style was named “Shinon Washoku,” under the guidance of a Shinto priest.

In the interior of the first and second floors, there are wooden carvings inscribed by a Shinto priest.

As humanity has consumed resources, nature has lost its diversity, pushing not only other species but also human life to the brink of hardship. Facing the problems we have created, the 2025 Expo, themed “Life,” aims to return to the cyclical diversity of nature. Over six months, people from around the world will visit Japan.

Receiving life from the earth, engaging in life activities by taking life, and eventually returning to the earth oneself. Through the act of receiving life, we offer a new style of Japanese cuisine that allows one to experience the cycle of nature. Yoshinori Kibayashi, the third-generation successor, will share this with the world.

By 2030, when we must achieve the SDGs and restore a sustainable and symbiotic global environment, addressing global social issues such as environmental problems and population growth, an IR will also open here in Osaka.

In Osaka, an international city where even more people from around the world will gather, we humbly open the door to a new era, inheriting tradition and harmony to pass on to those who will live 100 years into the future, aiming to create a model of a sustainable symbiotic society.

Founded 114 years ago (as of 2024)
Third-generation owner, Yoshinori Kibayashi