Rokusaburo Michiba
Rokusaburo Michiba | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 January 1931 Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan |
| Known for | Iron Chef |
| Culinary career | |
| Cooking style | Japanese cuisine |
Current restaurant(s)
| |
Television show(s) | |
| Website | http://www.michiba.com/ |
Rokusaburo Michiba (道場 六三郎, Michiba Rokusaburō; born January 3, 1931[1]) is a Japanese chef, best known as the first Japanese Iron chef on the popular television series Iron Chef. He served from the show's debut in 1993 until his retirement on his 65th birthday, January 3, 1996. [2]
Career as Iron Chef
Michiba was renowned for his Inochi no Dashi ("Broth of Vigor") - a signature blend of katsuobushi (skipjack tuna shavings) and kombu (edible kelp), which he used in nearly every battle.[3] In his debut battle, he faced Yousei Kobayakawa (trained in French cuisine) with foie gras as the theme ingredient - and won. [4]
Hobbies (Calligraphy and Performance)
A devoted calligrapher, Michiba typically wrote his menu in beautiful script at the beginning of battles. On rare battles, when he delayed or omitted this, it sometimes cost him a victory.[5] In an episode where his sous-chef challenged Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, he later explained that the practice helped him communicate his presentation and guide his assistants. [6]
Illness and retirement
Michiba's tenure was briefly interrupted in mid-1995 due to an illness that required hospitalization. Following his recovery, he began experiencing fatigue from the combined stress of appearing on the show and managing his three restaurants: Poisson Rokusaburo in Akasaka, Ginza Rokusan-tei, and Kaishoku-Michiba in the Ginza district. The introduction of a fourth judge also contributed to longer overtime battles.
According to Takeshi Kaga, after deciding to retire, Rokusaburo Michiba vowed to recruit his successor. The show continued with just French Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai and Chinese Iron Chef Chen Kenichi for two months. Koumei Nakamura was appointed as his successor; he initially refused but later accepted. Nakamura's first battle was on March 1, 1996, against French chef Kiyoshi Suzuki. During the introduction of the theme ingredient, Takeshi Kaga, or Chairman Kaga, stated that he wanted to choose foie gras because he wanted to partially recreate Michiba's first victory by using the same ingredient.[7]
Michiba also supported Nakamura's successor, Masaharu Morimoto, who also frequently used non-Japanese ingredients. The show often referred to the relationship between Michiba and Morimoto as master and student, especially after an episode where Michiba flew to New York to visit Morimoto's restaurant, Nobu. Before Morimoto's New York battle with chef Bobby Flay, Michiba gave Morimoto a large box of Katsuobushi flakes with a message: "Respect the old, but seek out the new."[8]
Subsequent appearances
Michiba made appearances throughout the 2012 revival ("Ryouri no Tetsujin Dream Match! World Iron Chef Live Battle Special")[9] of Iron Chef through interviews with former assistant Kenichi Miyanaga, a seat on the tasting panel, and as a competitor against new Iron Chef Jun Kurogi.
Iron Chef tie-in events
In 2017, Michiba participated in an Iron Chefs All Star Dinner event at Australia’s Sydney Opera House.[10]
Career outside Iron Chef
Michiba has operated several restaurants across Japan, most notably Kaishoku Machiba in the Ginza district of Tokyo. As of 2022, Michiba was still running these restaurants at age 91.[11]
Manga
The manga series Kandō Ō Retsuden featured a story about Michiba in volume 2, titled "Michiba Rokusaburō Monogatari".[11] It was compiled by Yasuo Negishi and illustrated by Yoshihiro Takahashi.[12]
External links
References
- ^ "Cooking is my love". Chichi Publishing (in Japanese).
- ^ Jax, Jimbo (2022-03-07). "Where Are The Stars Of The Original 'Iron Chef' Today?". TheThings. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
- ^ "Wano Tetsujin (in Japanese)".
- ^ "Iron Chef #2 - Foie Gras Battle". SujoyHere. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
- ^ "Iron Chef #2 - Foie Gras Battle". Sujoy Here. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
- ^ "Rokusaburō Michiba - Iron Chef Battle Database". ironchefdb.com. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
- ^ "Iron Chef Japanese Rokusaburo Michiba". www.geocities.ws. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
- ^ "Iron Chef Michiba Spotlight". Food Network. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
- ^ "Japanese cuisine can evolve using non-Japanese elements– Iron Chef Rokusaburo Michiba". SBS Language. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
- ^ "Iron Chef All Stars Dinner 2017 to Feature Famous Chefs and Cuisine from Around the World | PRUndergroundPRUnderground". www.prunderground.com. 2017-07-10. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
- ^ a b "Where are the original Iron Chefs from the hit 90s reality TV show now?". South China Morning Post. 2022-06-12. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
- ^ Negishi, Yasuo; Yoshihiro Takahashi (15 July 1998). Kandō Ō Retsuden 2: Michiba Rokusaburō Monogatari. Japan: Shōnen Sunday Comics. pp. 101–190. ISBN 4-09-125412-8.