"The Emperor's Chef" is one of the classics by Naoki Prize-winning author Hisahide Sugimori that has been dramatized three times.

The main character, Tokuzo Akiyama, is a chef from Echizen City. After training alone in Europe, he was selected at the age of 28 to become the head of the kitchen at the Imperial Household Ministry's Imperial Cuisine Department, and was also called "the Emperor's Chef".　He is also credited with laying the foundation for the development of Western cuisine in modern Japan, including the publication of the famous book "The Complete Book of French and Western Cooking" in 1923.

It is believed that highways stretching from north to south were already built in the Muromachi period (1336-1573). Other important lines that supported distribution were the "Bashaku Kaido" connecting Hirose in the southwest to Kounoura over the Nakayama Pass, and the "Asakura Kaido" connecting Awatabe to Ichijodani.

What did Tokuzo think about as the emperor's cook for the past 58 years? We would like to approach his human figure by juxtaposing it with the historical background of the time and the historical facts of the period.

Mr. Shuichi Saito, curator of Echizen City, will talk about Tokuzo Akiyama. He is the person who has been researching Tokuzo Akiyama since the "Tokuzo Akiyama Exhibition" was held at the Takefu Public Hall Memorial Hall in Echizen City in 2014.

▲Mr. Saito

Tokuzo Akiyama was born in 1888 as the second son of the Takamori family in Murakuni Village, Imadate County (now Murakuni, Echizen City), Fukui Prefecture. In the novel, Tokuzo's family is described as a "cook", but this is not true; it was an old local family known for its large landholdings.

"When Tokuzo was 10 years old, he wanted to become a monk and entered the nearby Kozenji Temple,however, he was so unrestrained that he was excommunicated within a year for eating the kompeito sugar that was offered to him, taking money from the offering, and eating it. It seems you were quite the naughty boy even as a child." According to Mr. Saito, Tokuzo's personality is also evident in his episodes as an adult.

Fate brought them together when Tokuzo was 15 years old. He was adopted into the Takagi family, who ran a catering restaurant near the barracks of the Sabae Infantry 36th Regiment. One day, Tokuzo goes to the regiment's officers' assembly hall to deliver the food ordered, and is struck by Western cuisine he had never seen before. The taste of the cutlet he was given a bite of became unforgettable, and from then on, his admiration for Western cuisine grew stronger.

Tokuzo moved from Takefu to Tokyo to pursue a career as a chef and learn Western cuisine in earnest. As he continued his training at Tsukiji Seiyoken and Toyoken, his heart gradually turned overseas. At the age of 20, with the help of his father, he finally fulfilled his training in French cuisine in Paris.

In Paris, Tokuzo first landed a job as an apprentice at a prestigious hotel, but intense discrimination and bullying awaited him. However, Tokuzo's competitive spirit and quick thinking gradually earned him the respect of the chefs around him.

"In examining Tokuzo's life, it is clear that he was a man of strong convictions who would grit his teeth if it meant achieving his goals. After this, Tokuzo worked at the Ritz Hotel, the pinnacle of French cuisine at the time, and rose through the ranks to become a top chef in Paris."

Tokuzo had established his social status as a chef in Paris, but in 1914, he was called back to Japan for a Western-style banquet for a grand ceremony hosted by the Emperor Taisho. As the head of the newly established Western cuisine department, he became the first head of the Imperial Kitchen of the Ministry of the Imperial Household, and since then he has continued to serve the Imperial Household for more than half a century, including the Taisho and Showa Emperors.

What kind of food did Tokuzo, the emperor's cook, prepare?

"The cooks have not had the opportunity to meet and talk with the emperor in person.The emperor's food preferences could only be determined by looking at the dishes brought down to the kitchen, and when he did not seem to have a good appetite, he would make creative preparations, such as serving rice in a soup full of nutritious vegetables."

Mr. Saito also told us this episode that illustrates Tokuzo's personality. Although Emperor Showa consistently had a Western-style breakfast, he gradually came to prefer Japanese food. Tokuzo, who specialized in French cuisine, wanted His Majesty to enjoy authentic Japanese food, so he even asked a famous Japanese restaurant to train him as a chef.

In addition, the food at the palace inevitably gets cold before it is brought to the emperor's table. Therefore, Tokuzo once broke with court custom and took the opportunity to cook in front of the emperor, serving freshly fried tempura and freshly nigiri sushi.

Tokuzo, who came to serve the imperial family, describes himself as follows.

"I'm also a human being, a short-tempered, tantrum-happy, selfish, incorrigible fellow." he said. However, I am not inferior to anyone in the world in that I give my whole heart and soul to every meal I prepare for His Majesty. This is all I can say with confidence."

Tokuzo's sincerity is not limited to cooking. He taught himself everything from bonkei and ice sculptures to decorate the dining table to the Japanese paintings and calligraphy on the menu, all for the sake of the Emperor.

In 2014, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Tokuzo Akiyama's death, the dinner menu Tokuzo created for the Showa Emperor's wedding and lunch and dinner on one day were recreated.
The cuisine was prepared by Oryori Kyomachi-Manya, a ryotei restaurant in Echizen City.

Satoshi Mantani, the second generation of Mantani, recounts those days.

"Although the menu list that Tokuzo Akiyama worked on was left behind, there were no specific recipes. So it was not an easy road, as I had to travel outside of the prefecture to research materials and cooking methods of the time." he said.

▲Mr. Mantani

Particularly difficult were the sauces and desserts used for the fish dishes.　After many prototypes, using his imagination and groping for the right ingredients, the dish was completed to great acclaim.

▲Six dishes were recreated, including a marshal-style beef filet, truffle-roasted quail, Perigueux-style, and asparagus with sauce hollandaise.

Today, Mantani continues to honor Tokuzo Akiyama's achievements with an "Akiyama Tokuzo Tribute Selection" featuring Lunch and Bento box made with Fukui ingredients, such as the popular boiled mackerel sushi and the "Marshal-style fillet cutlet" an adaptation of the "beef fillet marshal style" served at the Imperial banquet (reservations required)

"Even though the Taisho Era was about 100 years ago, Tokuzo Akiyama was still inventing very elaborate dishes, such as filling the chicken with stuffing and drizzling truffles over the top and researching crawfish soup, etc." he said. "On the other hand, the everyday dishes served by the Emperor also incorporate simple home-style flavors, showing that they are not only delicious but also considerate of the body. Every time I look up Tokuzo, I feel his inquisitiveness for cooking and his hospitality to His Majesty."

Tokuzo Akiyama's life must have been full of hardships. However, the straightforward way of life of one mischievous and outspoken man who was fascinated by Western cuisine and devoted his whole self to the Emperor alone will continue to fascinate many people.

Text / Ai Ishihara