The story
LACERBA takes its name from the early 20th-century Italian Futurist journal that championed speed, technology and a break with the past. Chef Masaaki Fujita nods to that forward-looking spirit while keeping his feet planted in the deep cultures of both Japan and Europe. His theme for the restaurant is “looking to the old to create the new” – a balanced tension between tradition and evolution that defines every plate.
Born in Osaka in 1973, Fujita graduated from Kansai University and worked in education before turning to cooking at 24, driven by a long-held fascination with European culture. He trained in Italian kitchens in Osaka, then spent time in Italy working his way from trattorias to Michelin-starred restaurants. After returning to Japan, he served as head chef at several Italian restaurants in the Hanshin area and central Osaka before opening his own place in Minamimorimachi in 2007. In 2015, he relocated to Kitashinchi and opened LACERBA.
LACERBA offers an Italian omakase dinner – seasonal ingredients presented in a multi-course format. Two price levels are available: ¥18,150 and ¥24,200 (plus 12% service charge). The menu changes with the market, and the kitchen asks about allergies and dietary restrictions at the time of booking.
The dining room holds 16 seats: ten at tables and six at the counter. The interior is treated like an art gallery, a space where Fujita’s accumulated sensibility and knowledge are laid out for each guest to discover.
LACERBA was listed in the Gault et Millau Japon guide in 2020 and received Michelin Recommended status in 2026 – a quiet nod to the restaurant’s steady, serious work. It remains a place where Italian technique and Japanese precision meet, without fanfare, in the heart of Osaka.
Recognition
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