Akemi Yokoyama has a background in Japanese food provenance, nurtured from her Father, who along with his family foraged and fished throughout the Island of Hokkaido. She is now a Japanese food specialist, chef, presenter and writer based in London. Her regular Japanese cookery classes at Sozai have received very favourable reviews in the UK’s national media, including Time Out and The Telegraph. She has also appeared on the popular TV programmes, C4’s Sunday Brunch and CBBC's Saturday Mash-Up, teaching the presenters how to make sushi. She is also an in demand private chef.

She demonstrates authentic Japanese cooking in the UK and Europe at many diverse events, and she regularly works with the Japanese government’s related organizations promoting Japanese cuisine and sake to the media and public. Her latest culinary interests include all aspects of fermentation and flavour experimentation across multiple food cultures. 

Sozai Cooking School - Principal

Gohan.London - Founder

Member of Japanese Culinary Academy, UK

Certified miso sommelier, Japan

Certified koji making instructor, The Koji Academy, Japan

International Wine Challenge Sake Judge 2020/2021/2022 

ロンドンで和食文化を広める和食講師、シェフ、コンサルタント、プレゼンター。英国初の和食料理学校、ソザイ料理教室で教えるクラスはタイムアウト、テレグラフなど英国メイディアで高い評価を得ており、テレビの人気料理番組チャンネル４の「サンデー・ブランチ」、BBCの子供向けチャンネルCBBCの「Saturday Mash-Up!」で司会者に寿司づくりを教えるなどして活躍。多様なイベンドで和食のプロモーションを務め、日本政府関連機関の和食PR事業でも調理、講演、デモンストレーションを行う。

2018年にGohan.London設立。2018年と2019年には豪華客船クイーンエリザベス号に和食のゲストシェフとして乗船、日本に向かうインバウンド客に和食イベントを通じて料理を提供し食文化のセミナーや料理教室を行う。日本料理アカデミーUK会員。味噌ソムリエ、IWC日本酒部門審査員 2022/2021/2022。麹の学校認定講師。