Hiroji Obayashi

Hiroji Obayashi is a master Japanese chef who helped introduce authentic Japanese cuisine to Los Angeles. After emigrating from Japan in the late 1970s with his wife Yasuyo, he opened Hirozen Gourmet in a modest West Hollywood strip mall in 1989. The intimate family-run spot earned acclaim for its farm-fresh vegetables, pristine sushi and sashimi, omakase service, and creative fusion dishes. Their story of building the restaurant while raising a family became the subject of the award-winning documentary Hiro’s Table, filmed over 16 years. Obayashi later passed the business to longtime protégé Naruki Matsumoto, who rebranded it Matsumoto in 2016. Now retired in Portland, Oregon, he shares his expertise through private cooking classes and recipe collaborations.