July 5, 1937- Sept. 18, 2022

In honor of our beloved father, YONEDA, KUNIO, we celebrate his life and achievements as a chef and owner of Yoneda’s Japanese Restaurant. His greatest joy was seeing a satisfied customer’s face after enjoying a Japanese meal he prepared. He was a master-degree chef, the highest rank in Japanese culinary art.

As a graduate of the first class of the Tsuji Cooking School in Osaka, Japan (1960) he was sent by the president of the school to introduce Japanese food to Americans. He went to Denver’s Fuji En Restaurant, then to San Francisco’s Yamato Restaurant before settling in Stockton, California in 1971.

Although skilled at preparing all forms of Japanese food, he enjoyed doing Kaiseki- traditional Japanese dishes served one course at a time. It allowed him to be creative.

In 2008, he was especially honored to prepare a kaiseki dinner for then Prince Akihito of Japan at the Japanese embassy in San Francisco, CA. There, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays by the Japanese government.

He also served as the United States Chapter President of the Japanese Chefs’ Association for over fifteen years (1996-2011).

After dedicating over fifty years to creating and serving Japanese food, he retired. During retirement, he enjoyed gardening, doing woodwork and raising koi fish. He enjoyed the company of his dogs as well.

In loving memory,

His daughters,
Miki, Megumi, Mari, our spouses, children and pets