Meet Chizuko Kimura, the first female sushi chef to earn a Michelin star—and the woman who honored her husband's legacy
In the world of sushi, tradition runs deep, and for the longest time, that tradition didn't include women behind the counter. But Chizuko Kimura wasn't having it. She quietly (and skillfully) carved her way into one of the most male-dominated culinary spaces and came out with one of the world's top honors: a Michelin star.
That's right—Kimura is the first female sushi chef to earn a Michelin star, and her story is every bit as bold as her sushi.
While sushi chefs are often portrayed as stern-faced men wielding knives like samurai, Kimura brings a calm presence and razor-sharp technique that's just as commanding. Her journey wasn't easy. For years, women in Japan were told they couldn't be sushi chefs because of outdated beliefs. Some claimed women's hands were 'too warm' and would ruin the fish.
Others cited superstition or tradition as reasons to keep women out of the sushi world entirely.
But Kimura didn't just challenge that, thinking she destroyed it with every perfectly formed piece of nigiri she served. She trained relentlessly, worked quietly, and let her food speak louder than any stereotype.
Kimura's dedication to her craft caught the attention of the Michelin Guide, which awarded her restaurant a star making her the first woman in the sushi world to reach such a height.
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It wasn't just a win for her, but for every aspiring female chef who has been told 'no' because of tradition or gender. Kimura proved that talent has no gender and that great sushi is about skill, not who's holding the knife.
Chizuko Kimura grew up near the ocean in Odawara, Japan, where seafood wasn't just dinner it was a way of life. While she didn't grow up cooking, her family meals were filled with the aroma of soy sauce and fresh fish vivid memories she says still linger in her nose and taste buds
In 2004, she moved to Paris as a tour guide. One fateful evening, she wandered into a sushi bar and met her future husband, Shunei Kimura, who was working behind the counter. They married a year later and dreamed of sharing traditional Edomae-style sushi with the world
Shunei spent decades honing his craft in Paris before opening Sushi Shunei in 2021 on Montmartre. Unfortunately, he was battling liver cancer during the final stretch. As Shunei's health declined, Chizuko stepped in learning sushi-making, rice seasoning, and running the restaurant while caring for him. She did all this with zero formal training, just observing and absorbing every detail he taught her
In 2022, Sushi Shunei earned its first Michelin star—Shunei's dream came true. Just three months later, he passed away. Chizuko vowed to keep the restaurant going to honor his legacy—and ultimately re-earned the Michelin star in 2025, becoming the first female sushi chef in history to do so
Chizuko Kimura isn't just a trailblazer—she's a reminder that tradition can evolve, that excellence isn't bound by gender, and that sometimes the most powerful statements are made one bite at a time.
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