Francesco Bellissimo
Italian chef based in Japan, television presenter and promoter of Italian food culture
Biography
Francesco Bellissimo (born in Rome on 3 January 1979) is an Italian chef who has built his career in Japan, combining cooking, television and the promotion of Italian food culture. His path reflects the presence of Italian cooks in contemporary Japanese society.
His interest in cooking began early, through his parents, and he studied at the Alessandro Caravillani art school in Rome. He moved to Japan in 2001 and completed a Japanese language course at the YMCA. For two decades he served as president of the Italian Ryouri Kenkyukai, an association devoted to Italian cooking in Japan. Since the 2010s he has been one of the most recognisable Italian faces on Japanese television, appearing on programmes such as Sekai no minna ni kiitemita and Sekai banzuke, and he also writes for Japanese cooking magazines and books.
Since 2017, together with the historian Daniele Macuglia, he has led a research project on Italian Renaissance cuisine, which starts with courtly dining and reaches back to ancient Rome. His most recognisable legacy lies in cultural mediation between Italy and East Asia, a role he continues to pursue.
Key contributions
- Presidency of the Italian Ryouri Kenkyukai in Japan, which for two decades acted as a meeting point for Italian cooking in the country.
- Appearances on Japanese television programmes such as Sekai no minna ni kiitemita and Sekai banzuke, which brought Italian food to a wide audience.
- Research on Italian Renaissance cuisine, begun in 2017, which links courtly dining to the material culture of the period.
- Cultural mediation between Italy and East Asia, with projects that connect food, education and cultural diplomacy.
- Initiatives aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, focused on responsible use of resources and food education.