The graceful Kitcho Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan

An encounter by guests and a restaurant is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Plenty of meticulous preparations are essential to address all elements of cuisine-dishes, seasonal arrangement, place, setting and services in order for guests to enjoy the time to the fullest extent possible. Fortunately, Arashiyama is well known as a picturesque place for cherry blossoms and autumnal leaves and the setting of natural environment around there is ideal to enjoy delicious cuisine.

So-called Japanese cuisines of today were established after the Meiji era（1868-1912. Since eating is basic behavior of human being, not so much difference has been noted in respect of desire for food among people in spite of slight difference in geography.

There are a lot of theories about the origin of Japanese cuisine. One of the theories traces the origin of Japanese cuisines back to highly ritualized honzen ryori（full course haute cuisine) established in Momoyama/Edo era（16 to 19 century. Kaiseki is a simplified form of honzen ryori and evolved with the development of tea ceremony.

Kunio Tokuoka, executive chef of Arashiyama, was born in 1960, and Grandson of Mr. Teiichi Yuki, founder of “Kitcho.” He started to train himself in earnest to become a cook at twenty, and acquired the essence of cooking from his grandfather Teiichi Yuki.

Afterwards he was assigned to work at Kitcho Arashiyama（flagship in Kyoto, following the training experience at Koraibashi Kitcho and Tokyo Kitcho, and has been orchestrating the cooking staff on site as executive chef since 1995.

While retaining the tradition he has been trying his best to explore the way for Japanese dishes to harmonize with times to present a wide variety of Japanese dishes. He has received many honorary invitations for food related events in and out of Japan.

Address: 58 Sagatenryuji Susukinobabacho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture 616-8385, Japan