Investment funds nourish Japan chefs to save restaurant scene

Tokyo's lead in Michelin stars declines as population falls and cooks go abroad

20250815N chef

The fund views chefs as commodities with the potential to become valuable assets. (Nanami Sato)

SHIKO UEDA

TOKYO -- At Night Market, a Southeast Asian restaurant that opened last month in a quiet alley a 10-minute walk from Tokyo's Shibuya Station, chef and owner Chihiro Naito's skill at pleasing customer palates drew the interest of an investor.

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