Naoyuki Yanagihara, Ph.D.

Executive Chef, Yanagihara School of Traditional Japanese Cuisine (Tokyo, Japan)

Naoyuki Yanagihara is the head of the KINSARYU culinary tradition, an Edo-style school of Japanese cuisine that has been passed down through his family since the nineteenth century. Based in Tokyo, he serves as executive chef of the Yanagihara School of Traditional Japanese Cuisine, where he teaches, researches, and promotes Japanese culinary culture.

He earned a Ph.D. in fermentation science and technology from the Tokyo University of Agriculture. His professional background includes work as a soy sauce researcher and as a kitchen crew member aboard a Dutch tall ship that sailed around the world.

Yanagihara was appointed a Cultural Envoy by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs and a Goodwill Ambassador for Japanese Cuisine by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. A frequent lecturer at international culinary events, he specializes in the role of water, fermentation, and dashi in Japanese cuisine. He has authored sixteen books and regularly collaborates with television, academic, and media organizations worldwide. (Instagram: @chef_naoyuky)