On September 9, 2026, a new restaurant was born in Tokiwa, Kamakura. Its name is “philosophy” — a slightly mysterious name that, in Japanese, means exactly that: philosophy.
It’s about a 10-minute walk from Shonan Fukasawa Station on the Shonan Monorail. The location is far from overly convenient, but that’s precisely why an experience found nowhere else awaits once you arrive. This restaurant was created by two young chefs: co-owner and chef Kotaro Murata, and pastry chef Aruto Haga. In this article, we’ll introduce the journey that brought these two here, and the cuisine they’re striving to express through the land of Kamakura.
“philosophy,” Born in Kamakura’s Tokiwa
philosophy is located in the residential neighborhood of Tokiwa, a little distance from Kamakura Station. It’s a modern French restaurant that makes the most of a Japanese house built about 50 years ago.
The name “philosophy” is said to carry the two chefs’ wish to express, from this very place, the kind of cuisine and restaurant they believe in. Why use this ingredient? Why must it be this land? Having their own answer to each of these questions is the mindset the two chefs value most. They want to honor the life of every single ingredient, and to deliver the scenery and seasons of this land directly through their food. The name “philosophy” feels like an expression of the two chefs’ philosophy itself.
“The dishes were delicious, of course, but I also found myself wanting to eat bowl after bowl of rice on its own!”
When I first heard the restaurant was named “Philosophy,” I’ll admit I felt a little on guard. But after hearing their story, it felt like a very natural name, one that truly suits the two of them.
Two Chefs Who Walked Different Paths
Murata and Haga were apparently once in the same classroom as students. At the time, though, they sat at opposite ends of the room and weren’t especially close. From there, the two set off on entirely separate paths. Murata built up experience in Japan and abroad centered on French cuisine, while Haga honed his skills across a wide range of fields — Japanese cuisine, French cuisine, desserts, bread, and even farming.
Two people who built up such different experiences would eventually come to stand in the same place, creating one restaurant while trusting each other’s backs. Behind the birth of philosophy lies a story that feels like both a roundabout journey and an inevitable one. For the two of them, opening this place isn’t the goal. Rather, they see this as the point where their “true start” begins.
Kotaro Murata’s Career and His Encounter at Restaurant DEJA
Chef and co-owner Kotaro Murata entered the culinary world at the age of 19, learning the traditions and fundamentals of French cuisine at restaurants in Japan. At 21, he moved to France, where he served as sous chef at “Restaurant DEJA” in Alsace. During a temporary return to Japan, he also completed an internship at “noma Kyoto.”
Building on a foundation of French culinary technique, Murata also came into contact with Nordic culture, deepening his interest in Japanese ingredients, fermentation, and local terroir. He says there was a period during his student years when he didn’t know what he wanted to do. It was amid that uncertainty that he chose the path of cooking, a hands-on craft, driven by a desire to “create something that remains in tangible form.” For Murata, French cuisine is a style of cooking with great freedom, one that can always keep evolving into something new.
During his time at Restaurant DEJA, watching an owner-chef of his own generation earn recognition in a short span of time was, he says, a major experience for him up close. Colleagues who were at first like friends gradually became like family. That relationship seems to have shaped not only Murata’s cooking itself, but also his way of thinking ever since.
Aruto Haga’s Multifaceted Experience
Pastry chef and co-owner Aruto Haga’s starting point was the Japanese cuisine kitchen of a local hotel. From there, he built a career that wasn’t confined to any single genre. Haga honed his skills mainly in assiette desserts (plated desserts) at places like the two-Michelin-star French restaurant “Restaurant ESQUISSE,” “Pierre Gagnaire,” and long-established establishments in Ginza. Driven by a desire to “understand ingredients more deeply,” he also gained experience working the soil as a farmer.
He later moved to Canada, where he continued to refine his skills in bread, desserts, and restaurant management. Japanese and Western, cooking and dessert, production and management — it’s this multifaceted perspective, spanning all of these fields, that gives rise to the new culinary value only Haga can create.
A Space That Makes the Most of a Japanese House Built About 50 Years Ago
The building that houses philosophy is a Japanese house built about 50 years ago as a private home by the landlord, who was a carpenter at the time. The tastes and attention to detail of that era, along with the delicate craftsmanship woven into every corner, still remain throughout the building today. At philosophy, the charm of this building has been left largely untouched, preserving its original form as much as possible. At the same time, contemporary sensibilities have been layered in as well, such as lighting that beautifully highlights the ceiling beams.
At the hearth, tea is brewed after meals using Nanbu ironware, and meat is sometimes grilled there as well. On the tatami mats sit floor chairs designed to be about 10 centimeters higher than usual and able to swivel, with the table height custom-adjusted to match. Traditional Japanese culture is also woven naturally into the dining experience in other ways, such as using a “chasoku” tea implement as a rest for hand towels. Cherishing what has been passed down from the past while layering in modern sensibility and comfort. That approach to creating the space comes through in every corner of this building.
“The dishes were delicious, of course, but I also found myself wanting to eat bowl after bowl of rice on its own!”
It was a space that felt somehow like coming home, one where you could let your shoulders relax.
Cuisine That Reflects the Land and the Seasons
At the heart of philosophy’s cuisine lies the belief that “food is a reflection of the land.” Building on a foundation of French culinary technique, the restaurant turns its attention to Japan’s natural landscape, its four seasons, and the producers who work closely with nature, starting with Kamakura itself. By capturing the fleeting moment of each ingredient’s peak season and drawing out its inherent charm, they strive to express, within a single plate, the scenery and culture of the land behind it.
Signature Dishes
“Splendid Alfonsino / Amazake / Ripe Plum / Lemon Verbena” is a dish made with splendid alfonsino from Misaki, Kanagawa, cured with 2% salt, then cured again with kombu before the skin is briefly blanched. It’s paired with a confiture of ripe plums from Rainbow’s Farm’s Mr. Ishii, homemade amazake, tomato water foam, and lemon verbena oil.
“Somen / Squid Somen / Hiba Cypress” is a dish featuring Miwa somen noodles from Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture, alongside beka squid from Misaki, Kanagawa, cut into noodle-like strands. It’s finished with a broth drawn from squid, kombu, and sudachi citrus, with hiba cypress oil adding fragrance. Where Japanese ingredients meet French sensibility, it’s a new expression of somen.
“Venison / Blueberry / Black Garlic,” made with venison leg from Hanno City, Saitama Prefecture — Murata’s hometown — is a dish of venison coated in Nepalese pepper oil, served with a confiture of black garlic and blueberries. It’s finished with a sauce made from stock drawn from the deer bones and blueberry juice.
Haga’s creativity also shows in his dessert names, which are given unique titles using onomatopoeia (sound- and mimetic-word expressions).
One of his signature creations is “Punipuni,” inspired by “peach wrapped in shiso leaf,” a local dish from his hometown of Fukushima Prefecture. The whole plate is brought together with the fragrance of benzaldehyde, an aromatic compound reminiscent of almonds. The reason behind the name is said to become clear the moment you actually taste it — we encourage you to experience it for yourself, with all five senses.
“Puchi Puchi,” which expresses the scenery of a summer festival, is another dish that feels distinctly like Haga. A mille-feuille combining corn ice cream, aonori seaweed, and sunflower praline evokes grilled corn on the cob, served with a sauce inspired by goldfish scooping.
The homemade bread that accompanies the meal also reflects exceptional care. It blends Kitanohikari wheat from Hokkaido with whole wheat and rye flour, using red wine for half of the dough’s water content. Fermented slowly at low temperature for 24 to 48 hours, it achieves a refined tanginess along with a crackly crust and a chewy interior. Made to bring out the flavor of the meal, it’s an indispensable part of dining at philosophy.
A Brand Film That Reflects the Two Chefs’ Story
philosophy has a brand film introducing the journey the two chefs have taken so far, and the new story now beginning in Kamakura. It’s titled “Until Two Chefs Opened a Restaurant in Kamakura. | Restaurant philosophy.” Why did Murata and Haga, who walked such different paths, come to open a single restaurant together in Kamakura? We hope you’ll feel the story behind it through this film.
This brand film was produced by Peri of Hayanavi.
Shop Information & Access
Restaurant name: philosophy
Address: 273-5 Tokiwa, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture 248-0022
Access: About a 10-minute walk from the exit of Shonan Fukasawa Station on the Shonan Monorail / About a 7-minute drive from the west exit of JR Kamakura Station / About a 5-minute drive from Hase-dera Temple
Web：https://philosophy-restaurant.com
Grand Opening: September 9, 2026
Hours: Wednesday 18:00–
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 12:00–15:00, 18:00–21:30
Closed: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (lunch)
How to Make a Reservation
TableCheck
https://www.tablecheck.com/ja/philosophy-restaurant/reserve/message
Tabelog
https://yoyaku.tabelog.com/yoyaku/net_booking_form/index?rcd=14104448
Phone: 0467-95-2121
In Summary: The “True Start” Begins Here
Two chefs who walked different paths have reunited in a Japanese house in Kamakura’s Tokiwa to create one restaurant together. The name “philosophy” carries the two chefs’ hopes for the cuisine and the kind of restaurant they’ll continue to weave together going forward. The opening isn’t the goal — the true start begins here. What kind of scenery will they show us from here on? We at Hayanavi will continue watching closely.
I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of moments this newly opened place will build up over time.
Source: philosophy official website and provided materials (all content rewritten for this article)
Hi, this is Peri from Hayanavi!
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