Interview of Supporter Stores Kaiseki Furukawa/ Kado no Mise

Kaiseki Furukawa / Kado no Mise is located in downtown Minneapolis, the largest city in the state of Minnesota. While Minneapolis forms one of the Midwest’s major metropolitan areas, second only to Chicago, the spread of Japanese cuisine there has not advanced as much as on the West or East Coasts. In this region, Kaiseki Furukawa / Kado no Mise has become a highly sought-after restaurant, known for its seasonal kaiseki cuisine and omakase sushi courses. Remarkably, about 80% of its ingredients are imported from Japan, helping it earn a reputation as one of the most difficult restaurants to book in the area.

The restaurant opened in 2017, and until then, there had been no truly authentic Japanese restaurants in Minnesota. At so-called “Japanese restaurants,” dishes like edamame and seaweed salad were served year-round, regardless of the season. Even with a Japanese owner-chef, the actual cooking was often done by non-Japanese chefs who lacked a true understanding of Japanese cuisine, who, in other words, didn’t know what the “authentic” standard was. Against this backdrop, the concept behind opening Kaiseki Furukawa / Kado no Mise was to create a place in Minnesota where Japanese diners could experience genuine Japanese cuisine, and experience the changing seasons through food. At the restaurant, kaiseki cuisine is served under the Kaiseki Furukawa brand on Tuesdays, while omakase sushi courses are offered under the Kado no Mise brand from Wednesday through Sunday.

However, even after its opening, the restaurant faced a series of challenges at first. Initially, many customers complained about how “there was no tofu in the miso soup,” “that there wasn’t enough seasoning,” or asking for mayonnaise with their meals. Each time, the staff carefully explained the importance of seasonal ingredients and the Japanese philosophy of appreciating the natural flavors of food. Today, although about 90% of the customers are non-Japanese, such comments have disappeared. Instead, more people now visit the restaurant to learn about Japanese cuisine before traveling to Japan or to relive the flavors they once experienced in Japan.

Mr. Furukawa himself has become an indispensable figure in promoting Japanese cuisine in Minnesota and the greater Midwest. He has been featured in local media as “one of the two most well-known chefs in Minneapolis, the state capital”, and was the first person from the Midwest appointed by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as a “Goodwill Ambassador for the Promotion of Japanese Cuisine.”

Visiting customers often remark, “I never liked eggplant before, but this one is delicious,” or “I’ve never tasted a melon like this.” According to Furukawa, “These comments from our guests capture the true appeal of Japanese ingredients and Japanese cuisine itself.” Supporting Furukawa’s cuisine are the tableware and hanging scrolls that he personally selects and changes with the seasons. His collection of tableware includes many pieces that reflect Japan’s seasons and history, and he even practices kintsugi*, a technique he taught himself through online videos, in his pursuit of an authentic Japanese aesthetic in every detail.

In the same building, Furukawa also operates an Italian restaurant and a whisky bar that both make use of Japanese ingredients. Through these diverse establishments, he continues to create spaces where people can experience and appreciate Japan in many different forms.

(*) A traditional Japanese restoration technique in which broken pottery or porcelain is repaired using lacquer, and the seams are decorated with gold powder or other materials. Rather than simply returning the piece to its original form, the method highlights the repaired areas, creating new beauty and value through the visible marks of restoration.

Kaiseki Furukawa / Kado no Mise has become a hub for promoting authentic Japanese cuisine in the American Midwest. However, the reality is that many Americans still believe that dishes like spicy tuna rolls and crunchy rolls represent Japanese food. For this reason, Furukawa says of his outlook for the future, “If 90% of Americans still don’t know authentic Japanese cuisine, then there’s still a chance to help that 90% discover the real thing.” “In that case,” he says, “I want to continue sharing Japan’s seasonal cuisine and food culture through ingredients, tableware, and hanging scrolls, and step by step, deliver the ‘deliciousness’ and ‘inspiration’ of authentic Japanese cuisine to as many people as possible.” Furukawa himself had long harbored a desire to see Japan from an overseas perspective, but what directly led him to move to the United States was a subway advertisement he happened to see for a program supporting chefs seeking opportunities abroad. He expressed his aspirations for the next generation, saying, “I want to support young Japanese chefs who are taking on the challenge of working overseas.”