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Naoya Higuchi

ひぐち なおや

Higuchi Naoya

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1981 （Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Culinary researcher, Writer
Active Years
2005-
Influenced By
Shizuo Tsuji
Nominations
Nominee for the 133rd Akutagawa Prize (for 'Sayonara America')

Education

Hattori Nutrition College
Country: Japan
Graduated from a vocational culinary school.

Awards

Gunzo New Writers' Award
2005
Work: Sayonara America
Organization: Gunzo (magazine)
Result: 受賞 (Winner)

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Sayonara America

2005 Novel

A debut novel drawing on the author's experience as a cook, exploring youth, loneliness and loss.

foodnostalgiahuman relationships

Moon and the Armadillo

2006 Fiction

A collection of short pieces focusing on the intersection of everyday detail and unexpected events.

everyday lifelonelinesschance

Otona Drop

2007 Novel

A novel about adult conflicts and relationships. The work was adapted for the screen in 2014.

relationshipscoming-of-agefood
Adaptations
  • [Screen adaptation] Otona Drop (2014)

Hinata Under the Starry Sky

2008 Short story collection

A short story collection characterized by lyrical depictions of everyday life.

everyday lifenostalgiarelationships

Sunflower Kiss

2009 Novel

A novel that carefully portrays the nuances of love and family.

romancefamilypersonal growth

Aquanaut and the Jellyfish's Tears

2010 Novella / Fiction

A mid-length work using fantastical metaphors.

fantasylonelinessnature

The Princess of the Land of Soup

2014 Children's / Food story

A food-centered story with illustrations, accessible and warm.

foodfantasywarmth

Kitchen Wars

2015 Novel

A novel depicting human dramas set in kitchens.

competitioncookingprofession

There Is a Reason Delicious Foods Taste Good

2017 Culinary essays / Non-fiction

An essay collection explaining the background and theory behind why food tastes good.

culinary theorymechanisms of taste

Menus of Longevity: What Those People Ate

2017 Non-fiction

Non-fiction examining the diets of long-lived individuals and exploring the relationship between food and health.

healthdietlongevity

Hoshigaoka High School Cooking Club: The Sunny-Side Up with a 68 Deviation Score

2018 Youth novel

An ensemble youth novel set in a high school cooking club.

youthclub activitiescooking

Rethinking Basics: A New Textbook for Cooking

2019 Practical guide / Cooking

A practical guide reconsidering standard everyday recipes and proposing better methods.

recipestechniquepracticality

The Basics of Cooking: Understanding the Mechanisms of Deliciousness

2019 Introductory book / Cooking

An introductory book that explains the science and theory behind cooking in an accessible way.

food sciencebasics

How to Make the Best Onigiri

2020 Practical guide / Cooking

A practical book focused specifically on methods for making excellent rice balls.

traditional foodtechniquerice

Naoya Higuchi's New Sauces – Make Everyday Dishes Dramatically Tastier

2023 Cookbook / Practical

A 2023 recipe book centered on new, lower-oil sauces that make everyday dishes more flavorful.

sauceshealthyapplied recipes

Bibliography

  • Sayonara America
  • Moon and the Armadillo
  • Otona Drop
  • Hinata Under the Starry Sky
  • Sunflower Kiss
  • Aquanaut and the Jellyfish's Tears
  • The Princess of the Land of Soup
  • Kitchen Wars
  • There Is a Reason Delicious Foods Taste Good
  • Menus of Longevity: What Those People Ate
  • Hoshigaoka High School Cooking Club: The Sunny-Side Up with a 68 Deviation Score
  • Rethinking Basics: A New Textbook for Cooking
  • The Basics of Cooking: Understanding the Mechanisms of Deliciousness
  • How to Make the Best Onigiri
  • Naoya Higuchi's New Sauces – Make Everyday Dishes Dramatically Tastier

Adaptations

  • 'Otona Drop' adapted for the screen (2014)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Detailed prose centered on food descriptions and everyday minutiaeClear, accessible writing with an empathetic tone
Recurring Motifs
kitchensmealsmemoryyouth

Legacy

Known for work that crosses cooking and literature, he debuted with an award-winning novel and has since worked in both fiction and culinary writing. His work has reached wider audiences through screen adaptation and media appearances.

In Popular Culture

  • Became better known through the screen adaptation of 'Otona Drop' (2014) and appearances on programs such as NHK's 'Shumi Doki!'.

Trivia

  • Born in 1981 in Tokyo.
  • Graduated from Hattori Nutrition College.
  • Owned his own restaurant at age 24 but later closed it and began writing novels.
  • Debuted in 2005 after winning the 48th Gunzo New Writers' Award for 'Sayonara America'.
  • 'Otona Drop' was adapted for the screen in 2014.
  • Has collaborated with illustrators such as Inio Asano and Daisuke Igarashi.