Kyoto

Miyakawacho Tensho

宮川町　天匠

Tensho offers a refined encounter with tempura kaiseki, presented through seasonal dishes that balance tradition and originality. In addition to classics such as shrimp and whiting, Chef Ryuji Hasegawa delights his guests with exquisite combinations like squid topped with caviar and sweet snapper with sea urchin. Housed in a restored machiya townhouse in one of Kyoto’s geisha quarters, Tensho distills the essence of Japanese culture into a unique dining experience.

Tensho opened in the spring of 2024 in Miyagawacho. The area is famous as one of Kyoto’s historic neighborhoods with traditional townhouses, cobblestone streets and preserved architecture. The restaurant occupies an old machiya, its traditional façade marked by latticework and earthen walls. In the dining area, a single slab of Yoshino cypress forms a beautiful counter that wraps around the main frying station.

What sets Tensho apart is the craftsmanship of Hasegawa, whose background in traditional Japanese cuisine is evident in every course. He spent two decades with Ryokan Tempura Yoshikawa, serving as head chef for 18 years, evolving his techniques and deepening his understanding of hospitality. At Tensho, he offers a more expressive approach to tempura, incorporating new ingredients and concepts.

Encounter with tempura kaiseki

Tensho offers two seasonal omakase menus: a traditional tempura course, and a broader tempura kaiseki that incorporates sashimi, soup and other traditional dishes. Both options draw on Hasegawa’s foundation in classic techniques while allowing space for his own interpretation.

The tempura is prepared using seasonal seafood and vegetables. Each ingredient is gently coated in a batter made with egg yolk and wheat flour, stirred with thick chopsticks to avoid overmixing. The use of soybean oil preserves the clarity of flavor and crispness of texture, while the thickness of the batter is adjusted depending on the amount of moisture in the ingredient.

Tiger prawns from Kagoshima are fried lightly in a thin batter to emphasize texture. The crisp shrimp head makes an ideal pairing with cold sake. Squid tempura is cut into thick chunks and cooked rare—topped generously with caviar for a contrast of soft and crisp textures, and a subtle salinity that suits champagne or dry white wine.

Japanese whiting tempura is dipped immediately in hot dashi broth, creating a sizzle and aroma that enhance the experience. The dish is served with freshly grated Kyoto daikon radish.

“We want our guests to enjoy the liveliness that only a counter setting can offer,” says Hasegawa, who sees each dish as a moment shared between chef and guest.

The sweet snapper from Nagasaki is fried with its scales intact to preserve a layer of texture. It is topped with raw red sea urchin from Awaji Island, quickly wrapped in seaweed, and passed directly to the guest’s hand. Shiitake mushrooms are paired with hairtail fish, served in a light ponzu sauce within a delicate tea bowl.

The final course offers a choice: tempura chazuke or a tendon rice bowl. In one version, sakura shrimp, mitsuba and enoki mushrooms are served over warm rice, finished with fragrant wasabi and dashi poured over at the counter.

INGREDIENTS
Hasegawa’s approach to ingredients remains deeply personal. Even during his tenure as head chef at a Kyoto ryokan, he visited the central market daily, selecting the day’s produce by hand. That habit continues at Tensho, where he works with trusted wholesalers he’s known for years.

His selections shift with the seasons. In spring, fragrant mountain vegetables such as butterbur sprouts and tara no me appear alongside freshly-dug bamboo shoots from Kyoto. Summer brings Kamo eggplant, sweet figs, conger eel and sweetfish. Autumn highlights include matsutake mushrooms, chestnuts and ginkgo nuts, while winter sees the arrival of oysters, creamy fugu shirako and Kyoto’s Shogoin turnips.

CHEF

Ryuji Hasegawa

Hasegawa was born in Betsukai, a rural town in Hokkaido better known for dairy farms than dining. Influenced by his mother, who worked in a restaurant, he developed an early passion for cooking. By high school, a part-time job in a kitchen set him on a clear path. He began his culinary training at a Japanese restaurant in Sapporo, refined his skills in Osaka, and later moved to Kyoto—the city he saw as the spiritual home of Japanese cuisine.

At 26, he joined Tempura Yoshikawa, a storied Kyoto restaurant-inn, and became its head chef just three years later. Over 18 years, he upheld its traditions while evolving its techniques. In May 2024, he opened Tensho with the intention of creating a restaurant that honors Kyoto’s heritage while expressing his own culinary approach.

VISION
Nearly a year since its opening, Tensho remains a work in progress. Hasegawa and his team approach each service with a deep sense of appreciation, committed to refining their craft to meet the expectations of both Kyoto locals and visitors from afar. Looking ahead, the restaurant aims to introduce a wider audience to the depth of tempura. Central to that ambition is the continued evolution of the tempura kaiseki course, where Hasegawa sees room for creativity and growth.

THE ART OF TEMPURA

Tempura may appear simple, but its execution leaves no room for compromise, Hasegawa explains.. With only the batter and oil to work with, the quality of each ingredient becomes paramount. Before the meal, the day’s ingredients are displayed in a wooden box and introduced to guests with brief explanations—an invitation to appreciate the meal not just through taste, but through story as well.

Hasegawa visits the central market each morning, selecting ingredients firsthand from wholesales he’s known for years. Some ingredients are sourced directly from producers in different regions, such as shiitake mushrooms from Musashi Farm in Okayama. The nori seaweed comes from the Ariake Sea, supplied by Yamamoto Nori Store in Tokyo. Its rich aroma and deep umami make it an essential part of his signature dishes.