A life shaped by the pursuit of simplicity
Chef Takeshi Yamamoto's journey began not with a knife, but with a bowl of rice. At seventeen, he walked into a three-seat sushi counter in Tokyo's Ginza district and asked for work. The master gave him one task: wash rice. He would do this for two years.
"Those years taught me everything," he recalls. "The patience. The precision. The understanding that excellence lives in the smallest details."
"Before you touch the fish, you must understand the rice.
The Journey
Twenty years in the making
2004
Tokyo, Japan
The First Apprenticeship
Began training under Master Kenji Tanaka at Sushi Ginza, a revered three-seat counter in Tokyo's most prestigious district. Spent the first two years perfecting rice preparation before being allowed to touch fish.
2008
Tsukiji, Tokyo
The Market Years
Four years of predawn visits to Tsukiji Fish Market, learning to read quality in the eyes, smell, and texture of each catch. Developed relationships with suppliers that continue to this day.
2012
Kyoto, Japan
Kaiseki Influence
Spent two years studying kaiseki cuisine in Kyoto, learning the art of seasonal expression and the philosophy of serving nature's peak moments. This period shaped his approach to omakase as storytelling.
2019
Las Vegas, Nevada
A New Counter
Opened Fuji Omakase with a vision: bring authentic Edomae technique to the desert. "Las Vegas understands spectacle," he says. "But true luxury is intimacy. Twelve seats. One chef. A conversation."
The Inheritance
A blade passed down
This yanagiba was given to Chef Yamamoto by his mentor, Master Tanaka, on the day he completed his apprenticeship. Forged in Sakai by a third-generation bladesmith, it has prepared over 100,000 pieces of sushi.
"A knife is not a tool," he explains. "It is an extension of intention. Every cut carries fifteen years of mornings, of failures, of small victories."
ORIGIN
Sakai, Japan
LENGTH
300mm
STEEL
White #1
