NAOE MIAMI | JAPAN'S CULINARY EXCELLENCE IS BORN IN MIAMI

Our corporation's name, Kamakura comes from Japan's ancient capital with a famed avenue of cherry trees still leading to its symbolic shrine, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu where Chef Kevin Cory's family's Nichiei Sake is offered to the Gods. Our family's finest sakes will make their United States debut where the nation's famed palm trees and beaches meet Chef Kevin Cory's new restaurant, NAOE®.

Located on an island off the center of a major city, Brickell Key was first created as an off-shore property in 1896
composed of two small islands by the Father of Miami, Henry Flager. In 1943, Edward N. Claughton Sr. combined them into a single 44-acre island. Since the late 1970's, Swire developed Brickell Key into a sustainable green community with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, ASIA and more encompassing the Village Green. NAOE® is located in the middle of town at the Courvoisier Centre which was acquired by Tishman & Speyer in 2007 and is managed by Jones Lang LaSalle.

In the 1920's Art Deco era, Shiseido Cosmetics used Art Deco style for their advertisements. Today, Shiseido creates major advertisements with Chef Kevin's first cousin, Cheiko Tsukayama's husband, an artistic genius and living legend, Katsura Funakoshi.

K A T S U R A F U N A K O S H I ~ S H I S E I D O M E N V I D E O

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In the photo below, Chef Kevin's Aunts, Kiyoshi Naoe (left) and Koko Naoe (right) are admiring our family's Nichiei Sake omiki (divine sake) offerings to the Gods at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, the symbolic shrine of Japan's old capital city, Kamakura.

(Photograph by Kevin Cory, 1999)

In the early 1900's, Chef Kevin's Grandfather, Naoe, Genhichiro continued the tradition of our family's 200 year old shoyu (soy sauce) brewery, Naoe in Oono, Kanazawa, Japan and opened another, NaoHichi while also operating the small town of Oono's Post Office and raising 11 children with his wife.

(Naoe family shoyu since 1825. The Naoe family's house is designated as a cultural asset of Kanazawa, Japan)

Soy beans and wheat are primary ingredients for shoyu production. Coincidently, Chef Kevin's other Grandfather, Christopher Cory born in 1873 had a farm near Mount Summit, Indiana, USA which primarily grew soy beans, wheat and corn. Christopher Cory later expanded to grow pepper in the Isle of Pines, Cuba. In 1973 when Christopher Cory was 100 years old, Chef Kevin was born in Miami.

In 1999, Chef Kevin Cory traveled to Toyama, Japan to reunite and train with his Uncle, Executive Chef Yasushi Naoe at Kawai Ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn with a reservation-only Kaiseki restaurant and formal tea ceremony since 1851. Yasushi Naoe first worked as an Itamae (Head Chef) in 1954 at the revered Asadaya Ryokan in Kanazawa, Japan. At Kawai Ryokan, Yasushi Naoe used Rosanjin pottery from the museum for very special occassions.

(Toyama: Yasushi Naoe at Kawai Ryokan. Photograph by Kevin Cory, 1999)

An acupuncture event at the spa?... More information about Chef Kevin's first cousin, Acupuncturist, Hiroshi Tsukayama is coming soon. The sculpture below is of Hiroshi Tsukayama by Katsura Funakoshi titled "Summer Shower," in his book "The Day I Go To The Forest".

wood sculpture of Hiroshi Tsukayama by Katsura Funakoshi

(Summer Shower by Katsura Funakoshi)

In 2009, Chef Kevin Cory unveiled his original and innovative Japanese restaurant, NAOE®. Chef Kevin Cory continues to uphold the unparalleled authenticity of professional Japanese cuisine, continues to create signature dishes, continues to obtain the highest quality seafood from around the world, and continues to make daily trips to local fishing boats to ensure "its not fresh... its Alive. ®"

Chef Kevin Cory behind the open kitchen wood counter at NAOE.