KOKUSHO, Looking Ahead
Published: August 21, 2026
※Prices are subject to change from those in effect at the time of the interview. Please contact the store directly for the latest information.
※This time, we revisited the shop to introduce its latest developments and new services since our previous feature.
In 2019, Kotomise introduced KOKUSHO, an Italian restaurant in Fukagawa.
Nearly seven years later, we returned to the restaurant and found that the atmosphere was slightly different from before.
The restaurant’s style, menu, and way of operating have all changed.
Yet as we listened to Mr. Kokushō, the chef and owner, talk about his journey, it was clear that the things he has built up over many years are still very much a part of KOKUSHO.
Things that have changed.
Things that have remained the same.
And new things that have been added along the way.
We visited KOKUSHO again, nearly seven years after our first feature.
From French Cuisine to a Career in Italian Cooking
“I originally wanted to work in French cuisine.”
Mr. Kokushō began his career as a chef at a hotel.
Although he had hoped to work in French cuisine, he was assigned to the Italian restaurant.
“And I’ve been doing Italian cuisine for more than 20 years since then.”
When he had just started working as a chef, his first tasks were simple ones—greeting people and cleaning.
“They don’t let you cook right away.”
That was where his journey began. Little by little, he learned the fundamentals of cooking.
Later, he spent three months studying in Italy.
While learning about home cooking, he traveled around the country and experienced local dishes.
“I was eating the whole time.”
Since he had gone there to learn about cooking, tasting food was an important part of his education too.
There was something amusingly straightforward about the way Mr. Kokushō put it.
After gaining experience as a chef, he opened KOKUSHO in Fukagawa in 2017, naming the restaurant after himself.
It was the restaurant he had dreamed of opening since he was a child.
And finally, that dream became a reality.
△KOKUSHO sits quietly in a residential neighborhood. If you are visiting for the first time, look for this sign.
△A cute dog greets visitors near the stairs. The menu is also displayed at the entrance, making it fun to take a look and wonder, “What shall I have today?”
The Ideal Restaurant Changes Over Time
When KOKUSHO first opened, Mr. Kokushō envisioned a more upscale restaurant than it is today.
But as he continued running the restaurant, its direction gradually changed.
Today, KOKUSHO is a casual, welcoming restaurant where guests can feel at home.
At lunchtime, guests can choose from pasta courses and chef’s-choice courses, as well as individual pasta dishes.
Mobile ordering has also been introduced, making the restaurant even easier to enjoy.
“Whether you’re alone, with two people, with your family, or with three generations together.”
Mr. Kokushō wants KOKUSHO to be a place that welcomes all kinds of people.
Some guests come alone for a quiet meal.
Others gather around the table with their families.
Some enjoy a glass of wine paired with their meal.
As the people who visit the restaurant change, so do the things they look for in a restaurant.
That is why KOKUSHO, too, has gradually evolved.
△Inside the restaurant. The relaxed and comfortable atmosphere makes it easy to enjoy a leisurely meal and conversation.
△Whether you come alone, as a couple, or with your family, everyone is welcome. Here, you will find the kind of restaurant Mr. Kokushō envisions—one that can be enjoyed by three generations of a family.
Seasonal Ingredients, Served on a Plate
Seasonal ingredients are an important part of the dishes served at KOKUSHO.
One example is the restaurant’s fritto.
Drawing on techniques Mr. Kokushō learned during his hotel days as well as his experience in Italy, each item is fried to order.
“Just like at a tempura restaurant, we bring them out one at a time.”
Freshly fried dishes are served one by one.
Another appeal is the opportunity to enjoy ingredients that are available only at certain times of the year.
Mr. Kokushō is originally from Kagoshima, and ingredients are sometimes sent to him from his hometown.
Some regular customers even look forward to the Sakurajima daikon radishes that arrive every year around January and February.
As the ingredients change with the seasons, so do the dishes.
Mr. Kokushō looks at the ingredients available at the time and decides what to make.
While the menu continues to evolve, his approach to ingredients is something he has developed through his many years of experience as a chef.
The pairing of food and wine is another part of the KOKUSHO experience.
Sometimes, Mr. Kokushō even tastes a wine and lets its flavor inspire a dish.
“With this wine, I think this kind of dish would go well with it.”
Sometimes the dish comes first, and the wine is chosen to match.
Other times, the wine comes first, inspiring an idea for a dish.
The combination can create an entirely different dining experience.
△Shrimp fritto. This recommended dish reflects the skills and experience Mr. Kokushō has developed over many years.
△Sunflower oil is used as the base, with the blend adjusted depending on the season.
△Each piece is served freshly fried, allowing guests to enjoy the aroma and texture of a dish straight from the fryer.
And Then There Is Another Important Presence
Mr. Ōhira is the person who works alongside Mr. Kokushō at KOKUSHO.
Mr. Kokushō prepares the food, while Mr. Ōhira welcomes and serves the guests. Each takes on their own role as they create the atmosphere and experience of the restaurant together.
The two first met at a restaurant where Mr. Kokushō had previously worked. They worked together there for about two years.
During our interview, whenever Mr. Kokushō began talking about cooking, Mr. Ōhira naturally joined the conversation.
When Mr. Kokushō explained a dish, saying, “This dish is made this way…,” Mr. Ōhira would add his own experiences and thoughts.
When the conversation turned to wine, they would talk about their individual preferences and let the discussion continue from there.
Listening to the two of them, we felt that KOKUSHO is not built solely around Mr. Kokushō’s cooking. The experiences they have accumulated and the relationship they have developed also contribute to the unique atmosphere of the restaurant.
Mr. Kokushō creates the dishes.
Mr. Ōhira welcomes the guests.
Each has a distinct role, yet they also share conversations about food and wine.
Perhaps that time the two of them create together is another part of what makes KOKUSHO special.
△Mr. Ōhira carefully pours a glass of wine. He can recommend a wine to suit your meal or your mood that day.
△A glass of wine that makes you want to reach out and take a sip. Pairing it with the right dish brings out even more of its appeal.
△Wine can be recommended based on your preferences and your meal. If you are unsure what to choose, feel free to ask.
Years in Fukagawa
KOKUSHO has been in Fukagawa for nearly nine years.
There have been difficult times when things did not go as planned.
When the restaurant first opened, attracting customers was a challenge.
Nearby restaurants helped by introducing their customers to KOKUSHO.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants in Fukagawa came together through a local takeout initiative called “Fukagawa Takeout.”
“I realized just how connected we all were.”
It was a difficult period, but it also made Mr. Kokushō appreciate the connections he had with the local community.
As he continued running the restaurant, those relationships gradually grew stronger.
The food changes.
The style of the restaurant changes.
The way people connect with one another changes.
But the time spent there does not simply disappear.
Even when the restaurant takes on a new form, the experiences of the past become part of the next step forward.
△Spaghetti with simple tomato sauce and buffalo mozzarella. At KOKUSHO, guests can enjoy the appeal of both the food and wine, as well as the pleasure of pairing the two.
△“Tokaku Tiramisu,” a popular dessert. Even after a satisfying meal, it is hard to resist reaching for a spoonful.
Looking Ahead
Nearly seven years have passed since KOKUSHO was featured by Kotomise in 2019.
Today, it is a slightly different restaurant from the one we visited back then.
A more casual style.
Dishes that make the most of seasonal ingredients.
Time to enjoy food and wine together.
And the warm atmosphere created by Mr. Kokushō and Mr. Ōhira.
Yet it is not only these changes that make KOKUSHO what it is today.
The experience Mr. Kokushō has accumulated throughout his career as a chef.
His respect for ingredients.
His desire to help guests enjoy their food.
And the years he has spent running a restaurant in Fukagawa.
All of these things form the foundation upon which new changes continue to take shape.
Change does not mean erasing what came before.
It is precisely because there is something that has been built over time that it becomes possible to move forward into a new form.
The food changes.
The restaurant changes.
The people who work there change little by little.
And yet, the time they have spent building KOKUSHO remains within the restaurant, even if it cannot be seen.
What kind of dishes will KOKUSHO create in the years ahead?
What new changes will we see?
When we visit again, there may be something new waiting for us.
Still, as Mr. Kokushō told us,
Whether you come alone, as a couple, with your family, or with three generations.
We want everyone to enjoy the food and spend a happy, memorable time here.
Carrying everything they have built over the years with them, KOKUSHO will continue taking its next step forward.
KOKUSHO, Looking Ahead.
△Mr. Kokushō (right) and Mr. Ōhira (left). Their warm and welcoming personalities are another part of what makes KOKUSHO special.
Editor’s Note
We returned to KOKUSHO, which Kotomise first introduced in 2019, for the first time in nearly seven years.
Having read our previous article before the visit, we were curious to see what had changed since then.
As we spoke with Mr. Kokushō, we discovered that many things had indeed changed, including the restaurant’s style, menu, and way of operating.
KOKUSHO has become a place that is easier and more casual to enjoy.
Guests can experience dishes that make the most of seasonal ingredients.
And they can enjoy food paired with wine.
At the same time, as we listened to Mr. Kokushō talk about his career as a chef, we could sense how the experiences that shape his cooking today had been built up over many years.
His time working at a hotel.
His studies in Italy.
And the years he has spent running KOKUSHO in Fukagawa.
Even when the form of a restaurant changes, those experiences do not disappear.
The things that have been built over time remain within the changes we see today.
That is something we felt strongly during this interview.
We also came to appreciate another aspect of KOKUSHO: the atmosphere created by Mr. Kokushō and Mr. Ōhira as they each take on their own role and work together to create the space.
We wonder what dishes will be on the menu the next time we visit.
And what new changes we will discover.
We look forward to seeing where KOKUSHO goes from here.
※Information is based on June 2026. Prices, operating hours, and other details may change. Please verify with the store directly.
※All amounts mentioned in the article are inclusive of taxes.
