Renowned chef Chin Kenichi who specialized in Chinese cuisine in Japan dies

A renowned chef who specialized in Chinese cuisine in Japan died of interstitial pneumonia last Saturday. Chin Kenichi was 67 years old.

He was Chin Kenmin's eldest son. Chin Kenmin was among the first to make the cuisine of China's Sichuan province popular in Japan.

Chin Kenichi was trained at his father's restaurant. He created his own style of cooking by changing the spicy cuisine to better suit the tastes of his Japanese customers.

He was particularly famous for his mapo tofu, or bean curd in spicy meat sauce.

The Japanese government named Chin a contemporary master craftsman and awarded him a Medal with Yellow Ribbon.

Chin frequently appeared on television cooking programs and other shows. On NHK's cooking series, he showed viewers how to prepare various family dishes. He also spread the word about Sichuan cuisine.

The company that runs Chin's restaurant said Chin was diagnosed with cancer several years ago. It said the chef kept working while he received medical treatment.

Apparently, he was still working at his restaurant at the end of last year.

Source: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230314_18/