Rising Young Chef Fumiya Higuchi: “One Reason I Keep Cooking in Toyama Is the Fish of Toyama Bay”

Fumiya Higuchi

Chef, Auberge AKAMA TOYAMA

Fumiya Higuchi is the chef at AKAMA TOYAMA, a private, one-building auberge located along the Uchikawa River in the Shinminato area of Imizu City, Toyama Prefecture.

Born to a chef father, Higuchi grew up immersed in the world of food, helping his father in the kitchen from an early age. At 15, he decided to pursue cooking professionally and began his career at the high-end ryokan Kitanokaze Saryo in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture.

He later moved to the kappo restaurant Ikkon in Roppongi, where he quickly made a name for himself, serving as sous chef at a young age.

Today, Higuchi leads the kitchen at AKAMA TOYAMA while also taking on off-site dining projects, embracing a flexible and multifaceted approach to his work as a chef.

Highly appreciative of the seafood from Toyama Bay, Higuchi continues to explore new culinary expressions by combining nature’s bounty with his own creative instincts.

He has also taken part in Umiyama Fermentation Lab, a workshop that brings together chefs from across Toyama Prefecture (organized by Shiawase Design). There, he experimented with unconventional ideas, such as candy made from extracts of red snow crab shells and innovative sushi rolls using kurozukuri, a fermented squid delicacy beloved by locals. These projects reflect his willingness to challenge conventional notions of sushi and Japanese cuisine.

Caption/ red snow crab candy

“Many fish from Toyama Bay arrive at the kitchen in a state that’s just beginning to settle, right at the point where umami starts to develop,” Higuchi says. “As chefs, we’re given a lot of freedom to decide whether to use the fish immediately or let it rest for a while. That freedom is what makes Toyama’s fish so special, and it’s one of the reasons I continue cooking here.”

Through his work, Higuchi plays a role in sustaining Toyama’s diverse sushi culture, offering a perspective distinct from that of traditional sushi chefs.

Contact
AKAMA TOYAMA
Chuo-machi 1-3, Imizu City, Toyama Prefecture
Contact form

Photo: Kenta Nakajima