Hiramatsu believes that beauty and taste comes from the Japanese spirit of respecting everything, including nature, culture, history, ingredients, and people .
I think something that people often don’t understand when they come to Japan and they see Japanese food is the ability of Japanese chefs and companies to revisit international recipes. I’ve eaten some of my favorite traditional French or Italian recipes, for example, in Japan. Why do you think that Japanese people have this unique ability to bring in foreign flavors and to add a unique twist to it that is sometimes better than the original recipe?
Japan is blessed with an abundance of natural ingredients. Surrounded by the sea and rich in mountains and fields, the country has access to a diverse range of high-quality produce. Over centuries, the Japanese have skillfully utilized seasonings like soy sauce, mirin, and dashi to craft cuisine that is both delicate and complex.
Japanese chefs who study Western cuisine abroad carry with them a strong foundation in Japanese culinary traditions. They often explore ways to incorporate the subtlety and refinement of Japanese cuisine into Western dishes. Over the past 20 to 30 years, renowned Western chefs have also come to Japan and been amazed by the depth of Japanese cuisine, particularly the culture of dashi. Today, Japanese seasonings like dashi and mirin have begun to influence French cuisine, creating an increasing affinity between Japanese and French culinary traditions. This growing cultural interconnection has resulted in a fusion of flavors that enriches both cuisines.
A similar fusion can be seen with Italian cuisine. Italian chefs brought the culture of pasta and sauce to Japan, which naturally integrated with traditional Japanese ingredients like uni (sea urchin) and ikura (salmon roe), staples of Japanese sushi culture. These new combinations, blending traditional Japanese flavors with Western techniques, have elevated the culinary experience and broadened the range of palate opportunities.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant industry in Japan suffered a significant blow, with over 800 restaurants declaring bankruptcy in 2020, the highest number on record. This trend was also seen on a global scale, with the worldwide restaurant market shrinking by approximately 25 to 30% during the pandemic. Despite these challenges, the industry has not only rebounded but has also grown in the post-pandemic era, with the market now surpassing its pre-pandemic value. How did the pandemic change the restaurant industry? And why do you think the industry has seen such a strong recovery since?
The restaurant industry was hit hard during COVID-19, as stay-at-home measures drastically reduced dining out, leading to the closure of many establishments. When it came time to reopen, some restaurants were able to resume operations, but others were not. A major reason for those that couldn’t reopen was the labor shortage. During the pandemic, many workers left the industry, resulting in a scarcity of chefs and servers, which made it difficult for many restaurants to return to business as usual.
In response, chain restaurants have implemented automation through IT and robotics, reducing their reliance on labor. This adaptation has helped address the labor shortage and contributed to the industry's recovery.
At Hiramatsu, however, we recognize that our customers come to us for high-grade, personalized service. We prioritize meeting their expectations and maintaining our focus on delivering a service that emphasizes human-to-human warmth. This approach aligns with our strategy to continue providing an exceptional, personalized dining experience.
Most of your restaurants, such as Maison Paul Bocuse, are positioned in the high-end luxury segment, and even your more casual establishments, like Café Michelangelo in Daikanyama, still provide a distinctive experience that’s difficult to automate. Hiramatsu has seen an impressive recovery since fiscal year 2021, with revenue in 2024 more than doubling to over JPY 13.8 billion. How were you able to achieve such a strong rebound over the past three years, and what do you believe were the key factors behind this success?
A major factor in our rebound has been the support of our shareholders, many of whom are loyal patrons of our restaurants and hotels. Once the situation allowed, they were eager to return to our locations. Currently, we have 36,000 shareholders, and their continued patronage post-COVID has been a significant driver of our increased sales.
According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the number of inbound tourists surpassed three million each month from March to May this year, reflecting a significant increase compared to previous years. Japan is expected to reach a record high of 35 million international visitors this year, driven by factors such as the weakened yen and the easing of post-pandemic travel restrictions. How is your company capitalizing on this surge in inbound tourism, and what strategies are you implementing to attract international visitors to your restaurants?
Our hotels primarily consist of small luxury properties, each with only eight to thirty-seven rooms. Similarly, many of our restaurants are intimate in size. While the majority of our guests are Japanese, we also aim to attract inbound tourists, particularly in areas like Kyoto, Okinawa, and other regions popular with international visitors.
Our approach toward inbound tourists is to invite them to experience our auberges and fully operational restaurants. By doing so, we hope to familiarize them with the Hiramatsu brand and offerings, creating a base of loyal customers. This strategy is also a stepping stone for our future international expansion, as we aim to build a fan base that will support us in overseas markets.
The foundation of our cuisine is French, and our development has been rooted in this culinary tradition. However, we are not merely imitating French restaurants. We see ourselves as offering “Hiramatsu Cuisine,” a distinct experience that blends tradition with our own unique philosophy. One of our goals is to share the essence of Hiramatsu Cuisine with the world and establish its identity internationally.
You briefly mentioned your desire to go abroad. Are you targeting any specific countries? We know you have a location in France. Are you looking to expand there as well?
We aim to further strengthen our relationships with our partner restaurants and wine producers in France. However, our focus for new international expansions is on Asia and the Greater China region.
You have explained that you don’t consider your food to be French cuisine but rather a Hiramatsu cuisine. When you look at overseas expansion, do you plan to keep that same Hiramatsu cuisine concept, or will you expand in a different manner?
We are committed to staying true to Hiramatsu Cuisine, as it has been the key factor that differentiates us and has brought us this far. We see tremendous potential for its future growth. At the same time, Hiramatsu Cuisine is constantly evolving, shaped by our customers’ preferences and feedback. While we remain rooted in our culinary identity, we are flexible and adaptable, willing to refine or adjust our flavors to meet the needs of our guests.
Talking a little about your history, the inaugural Hiramatsu restaurant, a French dining establishment, opened in 1982 in Nishi-Azabu.and continues to enjoy enduring popularity to this day. Since its inception, the business has significantly expanded, diversifying into various restaurant genres, and establishing both bridal services and an external wine sales operation.,launching a hotel division,How has your business evolved over time, and what are some of the most important milestones?
One of our biggest milestones has been our listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. This achievement allowed us to expand our business scope to include hotel operations. Being a listed company also brings increased responsibility and higher corporate governance standards, which have helped us become a more well-managed organization.
As a restaurant, some may focus on earning one or two stars, but as a company, our mission and philosophy go beyond that—we aim to create the Hiramatsu world. With over 300 chefs and about 300 servers, we have the scale to bring our mission and philosophy to life.
However, with the ongoing population decline in Japan and globally, the number of individuals aspiring to become chefs or servers is decreasing.
At Hiramatsu, our mission is to nurture and support chefs who craft exceptional cuisine and servers who create a welcoming and comfortable environment for our guests. Our goal is not only to retain this talent within the Hiramatsu group but also to empower them to contribute to society and the industry at large, ensuring a brighter future for hospitality as a whole.
You’ve spoken about the Hiramatsu vision, which began with the restaurant business and later expanded into the bridal industry. Building on your expertise in both areas, you eventually established the hotel business. When I look at Hiramatsu today, it seems more like a hospitality group or an experience-driven company rather than just a restaurant business. Is this assumption correct? If so, and the goal of Hiramatsu is to be an experiential company, what are the next steps in achieving that vision?
Being a hospitality group is indeed part of our vision, but our hotel business is an extension of our roots as a restaurant company. Our original mission was to provide delicious food to local customers using locally sourced ingredients. The hotel business emerged from the desire to offer this cuisine to customers visiting from outside the region.
Similarly, our bridal business grew out of the wish of brides, grooms, and their families to provide an exceptional dining experience for their guests. At the heart of a Hiramatsu wedding service is the commitment to delivering the finest cuisine.
As for our future vision, we will release our new mid-term plan in mid-January, covering the next six years. While I cannot share specific details at this moment, I can say that our growth strategy is not focused on expansion for its own sake. Instead, we remain committed to our purpose of delivering high-end luxury experiences.
We will also continue to build on our strong relationships with renowned French chefs such as Paul Bocuse, Marc Haeberlin, Jacques & Laurent Pourcel, and Philippe Mille. These partnerships are integral to maintaining and elevating the Hiramatsu brand.
As mentioned, while you have Japanese restaurants, your focus is primarily on French and Italian cuisine, showcasing a wide range of culinary expertise. Your French restaurants include Sens et Saveurs on the 35th floor of the Marunouchi Building in Tokyo, and your Italian offerings include Ristorante Kubotsu in Tenjin, Fukuoka. What do you consider your strengths in offering international cuisine? Additionally, how do you adapt these restaurants to appeal to your primarily Japanese audience?
Several our restaurants are named after chefs, such as Ristorante ASO for Italian cuisine and Restaurant MINAMI in Hokkaido. For instance, Kubotsu in Tenjin, Fukuoka, is named after a chef from the Aso restaurant whose originality truly stands out, leading us to open a restaurant under his name.
When people ask what kind of cuisine we offer, we might describe it as Italian—but which Italian? From which region of Italy? Our response is that it is Italian cuisine created by Hiramatsu. The same philosophy applies to our French offerings, which are crafted with the same emphasis on individuality and creativity.
Looking ahead, our vision is to further promote Hiramatsu Cuisine, which is the foundation of all our restaurants, while highlighting the exceptional work of the over 300 chefs within our group. They are integral to shaping the unique culinary identity that defines Hiramatsu.
One of the biggest challenges that you have in the luxury hospitality segment from a business perspective is the maintenance of a rational cost structure because your staff is more expensive, and the ingredients that you’re going to use have to be local produce. One of the easiest ways to minimize those costs is by scaling up your company and having multiple restaurants or hotels to allow you to achieve economies of scale. One big challenge when this happens is that the business loses its heart or its mission. Service quality is hard to standardize, and the overall vision of the company gets lost in this goal of achieving scale. How do you balance this, and how have you been able to strike this difficult equilibrium between scale and maintaining a luxury experience that’s true to your vision through your different brands and properties?
Hiramatsu’s business portfolio spans a range of restaurant grades. We operate top-class, high-end luxury establishments like Paul Bocuse and Philippe Mille, while also running more casual venues. Our vision is to create a super-luxurious, high-end Hiramatsu restaurant brand, but it’s equally important to maintain a balanced portfolio by preserving our upper casual brands, such as Brasserie, and more mainstream casual offerings, like Trattoria.
Branding Hiramatsu as a provider of high-quality dining experiences is crucial across all levels. For example, at Brasserie, while the pricing is casual, we ensure that the service and food are of high quality. This allows customers to associate the Hiramatsu name with excellence, even at a more accessible price point, reinforcing our reputation for exceptional dining experiences.
If you were to recommend a restaurant here in Tokyo where you could dine, which one would you recommend and why?
I would recommend all our restaurants because each has its own uniqueness. That’s because we delegate the work to a chef, so things are at the chef’s discretion. Our role as the company is to elevate and empower the chefs so they can create a unique experience in their restaurants.
Throughout our time in Japan, we’ve learned about the importance of building partnerships for both small and large companies alike. You certainly seem to see this value as you have partnerships with chefs and overseas producers, primarily in France. What role do partnerships play in your business model, and are you looking for any new overseas partnerships?
We place great value on and aim to strengthen the relationships and partnerships we currently have with four major French chefs. Cuisine is constantly evolving, and maintaining these connections is crucial for staying informed about trends and innovations. This allows us to bring these insights to Japan and share them with our customers.
That said, our current business strategy has shifted to focus more on promoting our domestic original brands. However, this doesn’t mean we’re closed to new collaborations or partnerships with chefs. If opportunities arise or chefs reach out to us, we are always open to exploring potential collaborations.
How would you define Hiramatsu cuisine?
I would define Hiramatsu cuisine as a French-based cuisine rooted in Hiramatsu’s philosophy, that was developed in Japan by Japanese chefs and uses Japanese ingredients and culinary culture in combination. That is joined with high-quality Hiramatsu service that completes the overall culinary experience.
Please imagine that we will come back to interview you again in 2032, which will be the 50th anniversary of the company. What would you like Hiramatsu to look like on its 50th anniversary?
The foundation of the Hiramatsu is its staff members. Our people are our assets, so by the 50th anniversary, we hope to create an environment where everyone can strive for their personal growth and as a result drive the company’s progression.
For more information, please visit their website at:
https://www.hiramatsu.co.jp/eng/
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