Mikuni was born in the town of Mashike, Hokkaido in 1954. After training at Sapporo Grand Hotel and Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel, he was appointed as chef of the Japanese Embassy in Switzerland. He continued his training at Michelin 3-star restaurants in Europe before eventually returning to Japan. In 2015, he became the first Japanese chef to receive the Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d’Honneur decoration from the French Republic. In 2022, he closed Hotel de Mikuni, the restaurant that he opened thirty-seven years earlier in Yotsuya, Tokyo, and is now preparing to open a new restaurant.

Mikuni is also active in many other areas, including food education and slow food. He talked with Kataoka about his life history, his connections with art, and his thoughts on food and art.