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This year, Chizuko Kimura became the first female sushi chef to receive a Michelin star, a historic recognition for the Sushi Shunei restaurant in Paris. For the first time in more than 120 years of the history of the MICHELIN Guide, a woman is being rewarded for her work as a sushi chef. Two years after the tragic death of her husband, chef Shunei Kimura, creator of the restaurant, Chizuko Kimura received this star as a vibrant tribute to her commitment, talent and loyalty and to an extraordinary know-how: she promised her husband that no matter what happened she would continue with the restaurant and after his death, she decided to continue with the business, remembering everything she had learned with him and going even further.
Breaking Barriers
This distinction, awarded in the 2025 edition of the MICHELIN Guide, marks a major step forward in a field that remains largely male dominated. Even in Japan, no sushiya led by a woman had been crowned with a star until now. The recognition of Chizuko Kimura is, therefore, an unprecedented event, both for Japanese cuisine and for the restaurant world in general.
Before taking a seat behind the counter, Chizuko Kimura served as a tour guide. The 2020 pandemic brought an abrupt end to its activity. So she decides to support her husband, who is about to open his own restaurant in Paris. He fully immerses himself in the world of traditional sushi, learning gestures, codes, precision, respect for the product, everything that makes up the essence of this cuisine. Nine months after the opening of Sushi Shunei, the restaurant received a star in the 2022 MICHELIN Guide. But a few weeks later, Shunei Kimura dies suddenly. Chizuko then makes a decision: to keep the promise made to her husband to never close the doors of the restaurant. She continues this adventure alone, the day after the drama, with an unstoppable force. “I did it for me and for him. It was her dream, and perpetuating the restaurant is a way to keep it with me". Surrounded by an experienced team and supported in particular by chef Takeshi Morooka, a renowned figure in traditional sushi, she maintains an impeccable demand. Three years later, the star lights up Sushi Shunei again. In a universe where sushi counters are still one of the most masculine bastions of haute cuisine, the distinction awarded to Chizuko Kimura has a strong symbolic reach. It paves the way for a new generation of women, whether in Japan, France or elsewhere in the world.
A Source Of Inspiration
Today, Chizuko Kimura embodies much more than an exceptional journey: it is becoming a reference. Her commitment, her fidelity to the memory of her husband and her ability to perpetuate extremely rigorous know-how have earned her this rare recognition. “I never imagined receiving this star again after the death of my husband. I just wanted to keep the promise I had made to him by working every day to make our customers happy. Recovering the Shunei star makes me very proud. I hope this star inspires many women, whether they are sushi chefs or those who barely dare to dream about her, to believe that anything is possible.”
Headquartered in Montmartre (3 rue Audran), Sushi Shunei perpetuates the spirit of chef Shunei Kimura, with whom the restaurant was founded in 2021. The place, designed by the architecture agency Sala Hars, artistically directed by Paul Dupuy, reflects Japan's minimalist elegance. At the heart of the restaurant, a 7-meter-long hinoki (Japanese cypress) counter welcomes diners, in the purest Sushiya tradition. The demanding selection of products follows the strict codes of traditional sushi, while revealing the personality of Chizuko Kimura and his team. Long live “Sushi Sunei”.
Read the full story on ELLE Spain