ABOUT ICHI
"ichi" means, among other things, "the first."
Our Story
ICHI follows the tradition of "Restaurant ann," which was established in 2010 by our owner and managing director Shuichi Umino as the first authentic Japanese restaurant in Kiel and Schleswig-Holstein. Our mission is to present and share contemporary Japanese culinary culture, deeply rooted in Japanese traditions, here in Kiel.
Our owner : Shuichi UMINO
Shuichi Umino is originally from Miyazaki and is a professional opera singer. He studied at the Music Academy in Tokyo. Since 1995 he has sung at the Eisenach Opera House and since 1998 at the Kiel Opera House. The small town in northern Germany becomes Umino's second home; he also finds new cultural roots in classical music, which shapes his professional life. In return, the desire grows in him to bring valuable things from the culture of his first home to Northern Germany. His passion for the ancient traditions of Japanese food culture and the modern sophistication of Japanese cuisine inspires him to take an unusual step: he opens the restaurant "ann", where guests can experience and enjoy the still very unknown Japanese food culture.
“I want to offer our guests an unforgettable experience: at Ichi they can immerse themselves deeply in the incomparable Japanese food culture. The fact that we can create this feast for the senses with high-quality ingredients from Northern Germany makes me particularly happy. We have achieved something special: Japanese fine dining that can only be found here in Kiel!”
Shuichi & Yuko UMINO (Managing directors)