I still find it amusing that so many chefs at high-end Japanese restaurants wear neckties beneath their white chef uniforms. It seems at odds with the temperature and temperament of a kitchen, but I suppose it's no more amusing or wondrous than the traditional chef's hat, that elaborate, elongated white crown worn more for marketing purposes than anything else. In Japan, the chef's necktie, I think, is for presentation purposes: if you are going to serve fabulous looking food you should look the part.