*Due to sudden heavy rain, the camera function was affected, resulting in fewer photos.*I visited TSUSHIMI after about two years. It’s located in Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture, about a 15-minute taxi ride from Nirasaki Station. The address is not publicly available, but they will provide it once your reservation is confirmed. Most taxi drivers waiting at Nirasaki Station are familiar with TSUSHIMI, so just mentioning the name usually suffices.This is my fourth visit, and every time I’ve mentioned TSUSHIMI, the drivers have known where to go.TSUSHIMI is an innovative French restaurant nestled in the forests of Nirasaki City, operating by invitation only, with reservations required and limited to one group per day.It opened on May 26, 2022.After operating in Komaba, Tokyo, Chef Seiji Tsushimi developed the forest into a private atelier-style restaurant, now run by him and his wife.Chef Seiji Tsushimi was born in Hiroshima in 1962. He moved to Tokyo at 22, training in various restaurants and hotels. In 1989, he went to France, where he trained for six years in three-star restaurants before returning to Japan. He opened MIRAVILE in 2000 and MIRAVILE Impact in 2007, earning a Michelin star for three years starting in 2008, which he later declined. In 2010, he opened TSU・SHI・MI, establishing a unique culinary style that emphasizes domestic ingredients, with vegetables as the main focus and meat and seafood as complementary elements. In 2017, he received the Chef Award from Gault & Millau. He has also produced culinary events in Beijing and Hong Kong. In 2021, he won the Discovery Award at the World’s Best Vegetable Restaurant Awards. In March 2022, he relocated to Nirasaki City, opening "TSUSHIMI" in May with the concept of "Tasting Japan’s Forest."This restaurant is limited to a ten-year operation until May 28, 2032. Under the chef's policy of seeking new expressions every decade, the Nirasaki location is also operated as a "limited-time" establishment for ten years.The main theme is to "eat the forest of Japan," offering a course menu centered around wild edible plants, herbs, and carefully selected vegetables. Meat and fish are used primarily to enhance the flavors of the vegetables and plants.The restaurant provides a completely private space for one group per day, accommodating 2 to 4 guests. The chef personally prepares dishes exclusively for the guests, creating a space where you can feel the warmth of the fire and the breath of nature, along with attentive hospitality.The course consists of 13 to 14 dishes, and the portions are quite generous. If you are a light eater, it’s advisable to inform them beforehand to adjust the portion size. The experience lasts about 4 to 5 hours, including breaks. Be mindful of your return train schedule; they will ask how you plan to return and can call a taxi for you.The service provided by his wife is also warm and exceptional.**Specialty**The highlight of TSUSHIMI is undoubtedly the "Farm," which consolidates dozens of varieties of vegetables and wild plants onto a single plate. Each time I see it, I am overwhelmed.The "Farm" specialty is packed with care, featuring a diverse range of cooking techniques and textures using over 30 to 40 types of vegetables, wild plants, and herbs. Instead of cooking everything together, each ingredient is treated with the optimal approach—raw, steamed, sautéed, fried, grilled over an open flame, or fermented—to maximize its unique flavors and textures. This is the defining feature and the true essence of the "Farm."The flavors express the forest and soil, with the earthy aroma of root vegetables, the bitterness of wild plants, and the sweetness and acidity of leafy greens creating a multi-dimensional experience that allows you to savor an ecosystem or seasonal landscape on a single plate.With its stunning visuals and prominent presence, the vegetable plate at TSUSHIMI takes center stage in the course, unlike typical French cuisine where vegetables are mere side dishes to meat or fish.TSUSHIMI is truly exceptional!