Contemporary, creative, bold, relaxed: Tokyo has a new generation of chefs who are changing the way the city eats. Gone are the days when dining out in Japan's capital was serious and rigid, sometimes intimidating — at least at the handful of restaurants that form the subject of a new book by U.S. author and photographer Andrea Fazzari.
In "Tokyo New Wave," Fazzari has picked out 31 chefs she feels are defining Japan's contemporary restaurant scene. She intersperses interviews and short essays with photographs of these key protagonists, not just in their kitchens, but off-duty with their families or relaxing with friends. Here, she talks to The Japan Times about the book.
What does "Tokyo New Wave" mean to you? These are the new generation of chefs. They're much more open, they're traveling, they're super into social media. They're less mysterious. And they're doing interesting things, interacting with many other chefs abroad. You can see it on the plate. It's an exciting time in Tokyo.