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Italian elegance, shaped by Japanese ingredients, is being reinterpreted through the work of two distinctly different chefs in Tokyo — where high fashion and haute cuisine increasingly intersect.

In the Japanese capital, a growing number of restaurants are operated by luxury fashion houses. Among them are ARMANI / RISTORANTE and Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura Tokyo. Both venues offer Italian cuisine filtered through Japanese sensibilities, signalling a new wave of culinary experimentation where design philosophy extends beyond clothing into fine dining. The Michelin Guide explores two restaurants that each, in their own way, embody the idea of Italian elegance.

ARMANI / RISTORANTE

The late Giorgio Armani, often referred to as the “Emperor of Fashion,” revolutionised tailoring with the introduction of the unstructured jacket — a design that removed shoulder padding to create a lighter, more natural silhouette. His aesthetic has always been defined by minimalism and refinement.

That same philosophy is translated into the culinary world at ARMANI / RISTORANTE in Tokyo, where executive chef Bruno Hiruma leads the kitchen. Born to a Japanese father and Spanish mother and raised in Spain, Hiruma developed an early appreciation for Mediterranean cuisine while maintaining a deep respect for Japanese ingredients, particularly seafood.

He arrived in Japan at the age of 18 and spent five years working in a French restaurant in Hakodate. Many of the fish suppliers he still works with today were first encountered during that period. He later became sous-chef at the Spanish restaurant Zurriola in Tokyo before joining Armani / Ristorante in 2021. Since December 2024, he has served as executive chef.

For Hiruma, communication is central to his craft. Fluent in Japanese, he regularly travels across the country to meet producers and is deeply influenced by Japan’s artisanal food culture, where subtle variations can transform the final dish.

His cooking appears deceptively simple, stripped of excess elements, yet it relies on precise control of temperature and texture. Each ingredient is treated individually to reveal its natural character and create moments of quiet discovery.

For example, wild fish used in main dishes varies significantly in fat content and moisture, requiring careful ageing and precise charcoal grilling at peak timing. The result is crisp skin, rich aroma, and melt-in-the-mouth texture. Hiruma prefers dishes to be served at their peak moment, noting: “I would be delighted if you could taste it as soon as it arrives at the table.”

This spring, the restaurant launches “47 Roots,” a project that merges Armani’s pursuit of timeless aesthetics with Hiruma’s focus on ingredients as the essence of flavour. The initiative explores Japan’s regional terroir, dedicating each quarter to one of the country’s 47 prefectures. It begins with Ehime Prefecture.

Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura Tokyo

Gucci’s design philosophy has long centred on blending heritage with modernity — learning from the past to create the present. In the culinary world, this vision is embodied by executive chef Raffaella De Vita from southern Italy.

Inspired by Japanese minimalism, aesthetics, and artistic culture, De Vita moved to Japan in 2017. While studying the language, she worked in kitchens across the country. She became senior sous-chef at Gucci Osteria in 2022 and was appointed executive chef in spring 2025.

She describes her cuisine as emotional and nostalgic, rooted in memories of family meals, her grandmother’s cooking, and her travels across Italy. These personal experiences are transformed into carefully constructed culinary narratives.

Like her mentor Massimo Bottura, De Vita has a strong connection to art. In everyday life she is understated, often dressed in black, but her dishes are vibrant and expressive. One of her signature creations, Cartellate, reinterprets a traditional southern Italian pastry in a visually striking, flower-like form with seasonal fillings.

For De Vita, the essence of cooking lies in the integrity of ingredients. She believes that honest food comes from honest producers, and that this authenticity directly shapes flavour. Her visits to rice farmers in Niigata — including participating in rice planting — deepened her respect for Japanese agriculture.

One of her most symbolic dishes, “Homage to Japan,” reflects this philosophy. It combines Italian culinary structure with Japanese symbolism: a red sauce inspired by the Japanese flag is served on a white plate alongside seafood and elements referencing southern Italy.

She aims to create a recognisable culinary identity at first glance, believing that strong visual storytelling combined with emotional depth can move diners beyond taste alone.

Two visions of the same elegance

Bruno Hiruma expresses elegance through restraint, clarity, and purity of form, highlighting the natural qualities of ingredients. Raffaella De Vita, by contrast, embraces colour, emotion, and visual intensity.

Both chefs interpret Italian elegance through different lenses, united by their connection to Japan and deep respect for its ingredients. In Tokyo, Italian cuisine continues to evolve within a Japanese context, enriching the city’s already dynamic gastronomic landscape.

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