SUSHI HEAD CHEF
EBATA DAIHACHIRO

Raised in the castle town of Hikone — a place known as one of the origins of jukuzushi, the ancient form of fermented sushi where fish is preserved with rice over time — Chef Daihachiro Ebata grew up with a quiet awareness of time’s role in flavor. While his craft is rooted in the Edomae tradition, the spirit of jukuzushi—its patience, its reverence for season and preservation—continues to shape his sensibility.

With over forty years at the sushi counter, Chef Ebata’s approach is measured and intuitive. He believes sushi begins not with the fish, but with the guest. Through observation—of pace, presence, and expression—he seeks to understand the person before him. Then, in the right moment, he offers what he feels is needed.

His Edomae is quiet, restrained, and deeply personal. A reflection not of ego, but of care. The temperature of the rice, the depth of umami, the silence between bites—each detail intended, each piece a subtle conversation.

At KIGO, Chef Ebata’s work honors tradition not by replicating the past, but by carrying forward its essence—through presence, through intuition, and through every carefully placed grain of rice.