Why iRASSHAi?
iRASSHAi means “welcome” in Japanese. A welcoming word that became, in August 2023, a destination in the heart of Paris.
Unique in the capital, iRASSHAi offers a complete experience: two restaurants, a takeaway counter and a temaki café-bar… but the venue stands out above all for its large grocery store, packed with more than 1,000 products imported straight from Japan.
Connoisseurs come in search of distinctive products, while the curious make a thousand discoveries. You can shop there throughout the day, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., as well as online for home delivery.
Carefully selected products, simple explanations right on the packaging, recipe cards available on the walls, passionate teams ready to share their knowledge… Everything is designed to make Japanese cuisine, which can often seem intimidating, more accessible.
Carefully selected products, recipe cards on the walls, passionate teams ready to share their knowledge… The idea is simple: to demystify Japanese cuisine. No more language barrier when it comes to labels! Everything is designed so that everyone can finally get hands-on.
Contemporary, playful and authentic, the welcoming, laid-back Japan we love, in the heart of Paris.
Irasshaimase!
The founders at the heart of the project
Co-founder
THIERRY MAINCENT
A seasoned traveler and passionate admirer of Japan for decades, Thierry Maincent first honed his culinary skills at Le Cordon Bleu school in Tokyo and at a distributor specializing in fine wines, before taking the helm of the tour operator Japan Experience, of which he is now president. Together with Xavier Marchand, he envisioned iRASSHAi, a modern and welcoming place to rediscover the Japan he cherishes in Paris.
His favorite Japanese ingredient: amazake
His favorite Japanese recipe: sukiyaki
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Co-founder and President
XAVIER MARCHAND
Xavier discovered Japan in 2001 when he went to study architecture at the University of Tokyo. He spent a total of six years there in various professional roles, including as marketing director of Hearst Magazines’ Japanese subsidiary. Passionate about Japanese food, he was committed to making iRASSHAi a place where people can discover and enjoy authentic cuisine in a setting that evokes Japan, while presenting a contemporary and playful vision of the country, far removed from folkloric or ceremonial clichés.
His favorite Japanese ingredient : yuzu kosho
His favorite Japanese recipe: shabu shabu
Chefs bringing Japanese cuisine to life in Paris
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Ippei · the BIWAN chef
Ippei Kato has a unique background, shaped by direct contact with the land, the sea, and the seasons. Vegetable farming, flower cultivation, tea harvesting and processing, tuna fishing, hunting, black sugar production: these are just some of the experiences of a man who wanted to understand food at its source, before it even became a dish.
He then entered the professional culinary world and spent eight years in Germany working at several Japanese restaurants, including three years at Masa, which held a Michelin star during that period. Eventually, Paris drew him in, along with the kitchens of BIWAN, where the menu changes every month so that each meal reflects a specific moment of the year.
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Yuji · the temaki bar chef
Every evening, Yuji Misu conducts the ballet behind the KISSABA counter.
With more than 30 years of experience in Japanese cuisine, he underwent intensive training in Japan—the shugyō—then spent years immersed in the world of washoku, the traditional cuisine inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, which places the seasons, ingredients, and balance at the heart of everything. Based in France for 14 years, he also worked there as a sushi chef for eight years.
Behind the temaki bar, he respects Japanese fundamentals without being afraid to shake them up a little.
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Yasuhiro · the SHOKUDO chef
Yasuhiro Hamasaki trained at the prestigious Tsuji Culinary Institute, then honed his talent in the traditional restaurants of Japan, his home country. Several years followed in Paris’s finest establishments—the Plaza Athénée and Taillevent—before he returned to the cuisine that shaped his childhood and took charge of the SHOKUDO kitchen brigade.
His cuisine is home-style yet precise, traditional and comforting—the kind enjoyed every day in Japan, now available on rue du Louvre.
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Yuka · iRASSHAi’s pastry chef
Originally from Yokohama, Yuka Miakinen is the pastry chef at iRASSHAi. Through her desserts, she celebrates the meeting of two cultures, combining the precision of French techniques with the subtlety of Japanese flavors. With 25 years of experience, she has built her career between Japan and France. A gold medalist at the Kanagawa pastry chef competition during her eight years working in Japan, she moved to France 17 years ago. There, she honed her craft at several Parisian establishments and notably spent three and a half years leading the dessert creations at the renowned gourmet restaurant “Chez l’Ami Jean.”
And teams passionate about Japan
Behind iRASSHAi are more than 90 people: the kitchen teams, sales staff, servers, baristas, and all our support functions. A team spread between France and Japan, which comes in handy when you decide to make Japan your full-time focus.
On the shop floor, we give you genuine advice. No recited product descriptions—just people passionate about Japan and its cuisine who know what they’re talking about.
In the office, our purchasing, communications, e-commerce, and product teams are working to grow iRASSHAi, just a few minutes from 40 rue du Louvre—which means the 10,000-step challenge is usually completed before noon. So it’s not unusual to find the team leaning against the KISSABA counter, testing the drink of the moment or enjoying an onigiri between emails. The field nourishes the office, and the office nourishes the field: bringing business and pleasure together has never been more aptly named.
Japanese cuisine with an iRASSHAi twist
At iRASSHAi, we talk about Japan morning, noon, and night. We have no desire to spread ourselves across a thousand specialties: just one subject—the gastronomy of Japan—and the ambition to do it justice.
Three guiding principles for bringing Japanese ingredients into the daily lives of people in France.
Authentic
From the plate to the GROCERY STORE, and through our attentive Franco-Japanese team, we serve you the real culture of Japan, just as it is.
Contemporary
Today’s Japan: cool and stylish, in tune with current trends and Paris.
Playful
Cooking should remain a pleasure. We want to see you try, experiment, and have fun with our products to liven up your everyday dishes and create some iconic Japanese recipes!
When it comes to food, each space tells a different side of Japan:
- SHOKUDO: the canteen-style version, quick and casual, with a street-food spirit
- BIWAN: more premium, centered around traditional cuisine
- KISSABA · temaki bar: live cooking prepared before your eyes, proof that Japan goes far beyond sushi
- KISSABA · the café: pastries and coffee, combining Japanese flavors with French expertise
In every case, it is our chefs’ love of the product that guides them: putting Japan at the heart of our kitchens, through small or bold touches.
Sourcing, the iRASSHAi way
During the two years leading up to the opening, a dedicated team set about tasting a (very) large number of products to build the selection—the one that now includes more than 1,000 items.
Since then, the Purchasing team, with one foot in Paris and the other in Tokyo, has continued seeking out new products, while Xavier, our co-founder, also travels throughout Japan’s prefectures several times a year to meet producers. This teamwork has brought us many products that cannot be found anywhere else.
Next comes the stage everyone eagerly awaits: a group of very passionate food professionals gathers to scrutinize everything, from quality and price to taste and relevance. Suffice it to say that nothing reaches our shelves without first passing the taste test.
Missing a Japanese ingredient? Write to us at hello@irasshai.co, customer suggestions are more than welcome, and the Purchasing team will look into your request very carefully.
Discover our bestsellers
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Uji Sakura classic matcha tea from Kyoto ⋅ Yamamasa Koyamaen ⋅ 30g
Regular price 19.00 €Promotional price 19.00 € Regular priceUnit price 633.33 € by kg
Hakone white koji miso ⋅ Kato Heitaro shoten ⋅ 200g
Regular price 5.50 €Promotional price 5.50 € Regular priceUnit price 27.50 € by kg
Natural grated wasabi paste ⋅ Muso ⋅ 43g
Regular price 3.60 €Promotional price 3.60 € Regular priceUnit price 83.72 € by kg
Lemon black tea ⋅ Kirin ⋅ 500ml
Regular price 2.80 €Promotional price 2.80 € Regular priceUnit price 5.60 € by l
Hakone red miso ⋅ Kato Heitaro shoten ⋅ 200g
Regular price 5.50 €Promotional price 5.50 € Regular priceUnit price 27.50 € by kg
Vegan shiitake and kombu dashi ⋅ Muso ⋅ 40g
Regular price 3.50 €Promotional price 3.50 € Regular priceUnit price 87.50 € by kg
Kaede classic matcha tea from Uji, Kyoto ⋅ Yamamasa Koyamaen ⋅ 100g
Regular price 34.00 €Promotional price 34.00 € Regular priceUnit price 340.00 € by kg
White miso ⋅ Kato Heitaro Shoten for iRASSHAi ⋅ 200g
Regular price 5.50 €Promotional price 5.50 € Regular priceUnit price 27.50 € by kg
The iRASSHAi brand: Japan in your kitchen
VIEW PRODUCTSCooking Japanese food at home can sometimes feel a little intimidating. That’s exactly why we created iRASSHAi: to take the pressure off and make Japanese cuisine super accessible, without any fuss. Our new range of essentials features 20 Japanese staples to help you get started.
You’ll find the classics (rice, soy sauce, matcha), as well as exciting discoveries (tsuyu, ponzu, seaweed, rice vinegar). We carefully sourced these little gems for their authentic flavor, great value for money, and perfectly sized packs that let you get started without any stress. The idea is to make them a part of your kitchen!
So, we’ve thought of everything: super clear packaging in French, simple recipes to help you master iconic dishes, and plenty of tips to add a twist to your everyday meals with these new ingredients. In short, whether you’re a purist or simply curious about good food, this is an invitation to have fun and enjoy Japan at home. With iRASSHAi, Japanese cooking becomes easy, quick, and above all, just as delicious as ever.
iRASSHAi essentials
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White miso ⋅ Kato Heitaro Shoten for iRASSHAi ⋅ 200g
Regular price 5.50 €Promotional price 5.50 € Regular priceUnit price 27.50 € by kg
Udon noodles ⋅ Tanaka Bussan for iRASSHAi ⋅ 320g
Regular price 4.50 €Promotional price 4.50 € Regular priceUnit price 14.06 € by kg
Koshihikari white rice ⋅ Nanohana for iRASSHAi ⋅ 1kg
Regular price 19.00 €Promotional price 19.00 € Regular priceUnit price 19.00 € by kg
Classic sesame oil ⋅ Iwai no Goma abura for iRASSHAi ⋅ 140g
Regular price 7.80 €Promotional price 7.80 € Regular priceUnit price 55.71 € by kg
Shinshu soba noodles ⋅ Shinshu Togakushi Soba for iRASSHAi ⋅ 200g
Regular price 5.60 €Promotional price 5.60 € Regular priceUnit price 28.00 € by kg
Vegan shiitake dashi 8 sachets ⋅ Kanejo for iRASSHAi ⋅ 56g
Regular price 9.80 €Promotional price 9.80 € Regular priceUnit price 175.00 € by kg
Kyoto sencha tea ⋅ Yamamasa Koyamaen for iRASSHAi ⋅ 100g
Regular price 17.55 €Promotional price 17.55 € Regular priceUnit price 175.50 € by kg
Hon Mirin ⋅ Kokonoe Mirin for iRASSHAi ⋅ 14.5% ⋅ 300ml
Regular price 9.80 €Promotional price 9.80 € Regular priceUnit price 32.67 € by l
The Club
JOIN THE CLUBBecause iRASSHAi is above all a place to live and a community of enthusiasts, we created Le Club. More than just a loyalty program, it is our way of thanking you for sharing your love of Japanese gastronomy with us.
Whether you browse the aisles of our grocery store, order our essentials online, or sit down at our canteen, we wanted to celebrate every one of your discoveries. By joining Le Club, every experience at iRASSHAi earns you points, which then give you access to exclusive rewards. It is an invitation to extend the journey and enjoy Japan every day, with exclusive benefits, discounts, and wonderful surprises designed especially for you.
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