Koji Koizumi

Koji Koizumi is the chef and owner of Kohaku, a three-Michelin-star kaiseki restaurant in Kagurazaka, Tokyo, where he became Japan's youngest chef to earn three stars at age 36 in 2015. Previously, he served as the right-hand man to chef Hideki Ishikawa at the original Ishikawa location for over nine years, taking over the space in 2008 when Ishikawa relocated. Koizumi specializes in modern kaiseki, incorporating non-traditional ingredients like truffles, star anise, and bean chili paste while emphasizing seasonal peaks and Japanese techniques.