MASHIRO

The story

MASHIRO in Kyoto: One-Star Contemporary French and Kaiseki Cooking

MASHIRO is a contemporary French restaurant with kaiseki influences on the second floor of the OHG Kyoto Rokkaku Building, 234 Donomaecho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto. It holds one Michelin star in the 2026 guide, its third year in a row. The chef opened it in August 2023 near Karasuma and Rokkaku.

The chef and his path

The chef trained at the Rihga Royal Hotel in Osaka. At 33 he became the youngest chef in that hotel group's history when he took over Restaurant Chambord in Kitakyushu. He later cooked at DOUZE GOUT 12+ in Kyoto and was a Japan finalist for the Bocuse d'Or 2015. Two earlier restaurants, Cosimo Plus in Ashiya and Gion Roiro, each earned a Michelin star.

Cooking without a genre

Mashiro means "pure white," and the chef describes the idea as clearing the mind before the meal. He rejects fixed categories. Seasonal produce arrives directly from producers across Japan, much of it rarely seen at market, and he picks it with his own eyes. Pickling, grilling, simmering, steaming, frying, fermenting and aging all appear in his repertoire. Gault&Millau scored the kitchen 15.5 in 2026.

Counter, courses and timing

Guests dine at the counter. Lunch and dinner are both set courses, priced at ¥13,000 and ¥24,000 respectively before tax and service. Everyone begins together at 12:00 or 18:00. Dishes can vary from guest to guest depending on what the market delivered that morning.