The Art of the Tool: Tetsuya Saotome, the “God of Tempura,” and His Chopsticks

For a tempura chef, cooking chopsticks are more than utensils. They are essential tools—an extension of the chef’s hands.

Ginza Natsuno recently visited Tetsuya Saotome of Mikawa Zezankyo in Tokyo, one of Japan’s most respected tempura chefs, often referred to as the “God of Tempura.”

For years, Ginza Natsuno has crafted custom cooking chopsticks for Saotome.

Through years of daily use, however, Saotome continued to refine them himself—carefully shaving and adjusting the chopsticks to better suit the movements of his hands and the demands of his cooking.

A Tool Refined Through Use

In tempura, even the smallest difference in the shape of a pair of chopsticks can affect the chef’s work.

Saotome explained that when the tips taper too sharply, ingredients can slip forward as pressure is applied.

For occasional use, this difference might seem insignificant.

But for a chef handling a large number of pieces during a single service, even a slight slip can interrupt the rhythm and precision of his movements.

Over time, Saotome reshaped the custom chopsticks himself, refining their form to suit the way he works.

The result was not simply a worn pair of chopsticks.

It was a tool that had evolved in the hands of its user.

What Makes a Good Tool?

One idea from our conversation with Saotome left a particularly strong impression:

“A good tool allows you to perform at your best without distraction.”
— Tetsuya Saotome, Mikawa Zezankyo

A good tool should not force the craftsman to adapt to it.

Instead, it should move naturally with the person using it.

For Saotome, every movement involved in preparing tempura has a purpose. Even the smallest motion of one hand may support a larger movement of the other.

The chopsticks must therefore become almost an extension of the chef’s body—allowing technique, experience and instinct to flow without interruption.

Beauty Alone Does Not Make a Tool

Our conversation soon extended beyond chopsticks to Japanese tableware, craftsmanship and the relationship between beauty and function.

A beautiful object is not necessarily a good tool.

Its form must serve a purpose.

Its function must support the person using it.

And when function, usability and beauty come together, an everyday object can become something much more significant.

This philosophy lies deep within Japanese craftsmanship.

Japanese tableware and cooking tools have developed over centuries in response to different foods, seasons, techniques and ways of eating.

Behind these objects is a simple but profound question:

How can we make this one moment of eating better?

From the Chef’s Hands to the Craftsman’s Hands

After listening to Saotome and studying the chopsticks he had reshaped himself, Ginza Natsuno brought his feedback back to our workshop.

Our craftsmen are now creating new prototypes based on what we learned from his hands and his experience.

Different forms and finishes are being explored, not simply to create something new, but to understand what a professional cooking tool should truly be.

From the user to the maker.
And from the maker back to the user.

This dialogue is an essential part of how tools continue to evolve.

Connecting Those Who Use with Those Who Make

Ginza Natsuno works with chopstick craftsmen throughout Japan.

But we believe our role as a chopstick specialist goes beyond simply selling finished products.

A chef who uses a tool every day understands things that can only be discovered through use.

A skilled craftsman has the ability to translate those sensations into form.

We listen to those who use.
We communicate their experience to those who make.
And we return what is made to the hands of the user.

Standing between these two worlds—and helping connect them—is part of what it means to be a chopstick specialist.

The chopsticks born from our conversation with Tetsuya Saotome are still evolving.

We will continue to share the story as this new tool takes shape.