Toshiharu Sunayama

Tenkawa Village is one of Japan's most remote and sacred places — home to the ancient Tenkawa Benten shrine, at the foot of the Omine mountains, site of the esoteric Buddhist tradition of shugendo. Sunayama's cooking draws from this mystical landscape: mountain river fish, foraged mountain vegetables, Yoshino cedar-smoked ingredients, wild game from the surrounding forests. SÉN has become a pilgrimage destination in its own right.

Toshiharu Sunayama is the chef at SÉN in the remote mountains of Tenkawa Village (Yoshino County, Nara Prefecture), approximately two hours from Nara city. SÉN holds 1 Michelin Star and 1 Green Star — an extraordinary recognition for a restaurant in such a remote mountain location. His cooking embraces the extraordinary biodiversity of the Yoshino mountains.

Japan — trained in Japanese cuisine; developed a mountain-foraging philosophy in Tenkawa, southern Nara

Career

• Chef at Japanese restaurants, Japan (2000s–2010s)
• Head Chef at SÉN, Tenkawa Village, Yoshino, Nara (2015–present)

Mentored by Japanese mountain culinary tradition; Yoshino foraging culture.