WELCOMING DEEP HEALTH AND COMMUNITY IN KYOTO INTERVIEW WITH NOKUBO MATSUZAKA OF OKAMI LABO

To start, could you briefly introduce yourself and share what led you to open OKAMI LABO? How long has it been open?

Hello, my name is Nobuko Matsuzaka, the owner of Chōkatsu OKAMI LABO. After graduating from university in Tokyo, I worked for five years as a home economics teacher. In 1996, I got married to a third-generation owner of a restaurant, and together we ran the restaurant as the okami (proprietress) for 20 years.

In 2019, I moved to Kyoto to work as a restaurant manager in a newly built hotel, and then in 2023, I became independent and opened Chōkatsu OKAMI LABO.

Previously, while running our restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo, I also operated a bar called OKAMI Bar. However, due to my inexperience, the bar struggled and eventually closed. I established OKAMI LABO to turn my past setback into a new opportunity. I firmly believe that gut health (chōkatsu) is something essential for the times ahead, which is why I chose the name Chōkatsu OKAMI LABO. We opened in April 2023, and it has now been 2 years and 6 months.

When I ate at your restaurant in March 2025, I was excited that OKAMI LABO always offered a set menu that featured many choices of side dishes and fish. This felt like a traditional, but also updated, Japanese meal. You also offered a daily curry. The menu felt very intentional and nutritional, but also focused on flavor and the enjoyment of food. Could you share more about the philosophy that informs your meal planning?

The concept is gut health (chōkatsu), so I focus on creating food that is good and gentle on the intestines. I aim for the kind of meals traditionally eaten in Japanese households by using fresh, seasonal vegetables from Kyoto, fiber-rich ingredients, and homemade fermented foods.

I also make sure to serve warm dishes that stay warm and cold dishes that stay cold.

The neighborhood where your restaurant is located, in Higashiyama, is very popular and busy, but your staff was very friendly and welcoming. I was inspired by how hard everyone was working despite being very busy. It was all women working at the shop, but it seemed welcoming and friendly to all guests. Do you feel you cater to a particular group of people or demographic?

I cater to everyone!

We want our restaurant to be a place where people can relax, enjoy delicious food, and even connect with fellow diners sitting next to them. In many ways, we want to create a space where people can eat happily and enjoyably.

OKAMI LABO also has desserts and a cafe, besides offering set meals. Could you share more about this part of your business?

For desserts, I mainly make gluten-free items.

For drinks, we offer homemade fermented beverages, smoothies, and even alcohol.

Your logo is very creative and fun — it includes a large image of human intestines. This made me smile when I first saw it. How have people responded to it? Can you share more about your name and logo, what it means to you, and what you hope people experience from it?

At first, people around me strongly opposed using intestines as the logo.

But I loved the design for its rock-and-punk vibe and its full of character, so I insisted on it.

As for the name, since I had long worked as an okami (proprietress), I used “OKAMI,” the same as in my previous OKAMI Bar. The meaning behind Chōkatsu OKAMI LABO is a place where the okami researches gut health.

Through our meals, I want our customers to become healthier from the inside out.

You also offer abdominal massage and other therapeutic work. How is this connected to your work at the restaurant, if at all? Is this work a big part of your daily schedule? How can guests learn more about this, and is it for a particular demographic of people, such as women?

The core concept of Chōkatsu OKAMI LABO is:

• Health from the inside out through food
• Balance from the outside through abdominal massage

Both are essential for guiding the intestines toward good health.

While women make up the majority of clients, men are also welcome to make a reservation.

Do you have a favorite food/recipe on your current menu, or in a previous month’s set meal that you can share?

For fish, I like simmered dishes made with homemade pickled plums.

For meat, I enjoy a dish where vegetables and meat are combined with nam pla, a fermented fish sauce, eaten almost like a salad.

Are there special events happening at OKAMI LABO in the near future, any events or updates that you’d like to share with our readers?

• We will be starting fermentation workshops in late September in both Kyoto and Tokyo, covering practical sessions like miso and kimchi making, along with lectures on fermentation.
• On September 14th, we will host a live event featuring the Chōkatsu Ponpon Exercise.
• Although the dates are undecided, we plan to continue hosting live performances in the future.
• We are developing a Chōkatsu tea, aiming to launch it within the year.
• We are also planning a dinner event combining food and music with a club-like atmosphere.

Thank you for your time and for the wonderful experience at OKAMI LABO. We wish you the best!

Learn more about OKAMI LABO:

Website: https://okamilabo.jp

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/okami_labo/

Feature photo credit: Okami Labo

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