Kinjiro Yabe (born 1946) is a Japanese chef and author. At the age of 17, he joined the Imperial Household Agency's culinary department, where he trained under Tokuzo Akiyama, the legendary "Emperor's chef." For the next 26 years, he prepared daily meals and ceremonial cuisine for Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun before retiring in 1989. Since then, he has promoted traditional Japanese cuisine and the culinary culture of the Imperial Household through writing, teaching, and public lectures. His best-known book, "昭和天皇と鰻茶漬 陛下一代の料理番" ("Emperor Shōwa and Eel Chazuke: Memoirs of the Emperor's Chef"), is a memoir that offers a firsthand account of life in the Imperial kitchen and the food culture surrounding Emperor Shōwa.
