The Stillness of Sushi Within Folded Paper
- Sushi Shunei -
At the End of a Quiet Alley
the Beauty of Folded Paper
At the edge of Montmartre Hill in Paris,
Sushi Shunei rests in what seems like an ordinary alley.
Yet the moment you step inside,
breath gives way to silence.
Layered structures ripple across the ceiling,
inspired by the folds of Japanese origami (折り紙).
Gentle curves, reflected light,
and the natural warmth of wood spread
through the room like waves of stillness.
The space embodies a seamless union of
Japanese architecture and Parisian sensibility,
offering a density of time unlike anything
found in the bustle of the city.
At its center: a nine-seat counter,
free of barriers or excess,
where only chef and guest remain.
Design Becomes a Stage for Sushi
This remarkable space was born from the collaboration
of architectural studios Sala Hars and Vorbot.
Every structure exists for a single purpose — to let sushi shine.
• Light falls only on the chef’s fingertips.
• Wood holds warmth, embracing
even the delicate texture of a single grain of rice.
• Angles of illumination guide the guest’s focus to the food alone.
• The paper-like folds of the ceiling
leave resonance and emptiness in the air.
Like a stage where a quiet culinary performance unfolds,
the chef’s gestures are illuminated without a word.
The Sole Actor on This Stage: Chizuko Kimura
On this silent stage stands Chizuko Kimura.
She was never meant to be a chef.
Once a tour guide, she stepped into
this role when her husband, Shunei Kimura
— a sushi master who had worked in Paris for over forty years —
fell ill. At first, she was simply his helper.
But over time, she became the protagonist of the stage.
Every morning, she chose the fish, cooked the rice,
and memorized each movement of the chef’s hands. In the end,
she became something the world had never seen before:
“The first female sushi chef to receive a Michelin star.”
A Still Space, Sushi of Emotion
The sushi Chizuko holds is precise, yet never excessive.
Quiet as the space itself, warm as her presence,
and deep as what he left behind.
Each piece feels like a poem carrying her story.
Emotions passed in silence, resonating in the stillness.
She is not merely a chef — she is the keeper of memory.
Sushi Shunei Is Space, Is Heart
Sushi Shunei is not simply a place that serves fine food.
It is a space of architecture, tradition, love, succession, and rest.
Every element gathers like a finely tuned
ensemble, in service of sushi.
At the quiet nine-seat counter, through the name of
Chizuko Kimura, we come to understand
what “still beauty” truly means.
It begins not with technique — but with the heart.