What is "hajime"

is the Japanese word meaning . In the Japanese traditional martial arts such as karate, judo, aikido and kendo, it is a verbal command to "begin". Hajime is also a common Japanese given name for males, although it is occasionally used as a surname.

Hajime, officially Hajime Restaurant Gastronomique is a restaurant in Osaka, Japan named after its owner and chef Hajime Yoneda (born 1972). The restaurant was opened in May 2008 and only a year and a half later received a three-star rating in the Michelin Guide, the only restaurant in Osaka to receive that distinction.

Hajime Yoneda is a graduate of Kinki University's Faculty of Science and Engineering and worked as a design engineer for a company making parts for electronic devices in order to save money for culinary school. He attended the culinary academy in Osaka and later trained in restaurants in Osaka and Kobe. He moved to France in 2002.