Francesco Bellissimo

He served as the president of the Italian Cooking Association in Japan (“Italian Ryouri Kenkyukai”) for 21 years, from 2005 to 2026. In a survey he was found to be the second most famous Italian in Japan after Giorgio Armani. Bellissimo writes for various Japanese cooking magazines and books.

• Name — Francesco Bellissimo • Born — 3 January 1979 • Birthplace — Rome, Italy • Citizenship — Italian • Occupation — Celebrity chef, actor, tarento, social media personality, martial artist, sommelier dell'Olio • Known for — Italian cuisine; Japanese television; cultural mediation between Italy and Asia; fashion and lifestyle media • Years Active — 2002–present • Agent — 株式会社ビリオネア（Billionaire Inc.）

Born in Rome on 3 January 1979, Bellissimo took an early interest in cooking through his parents. Graduated from the Alessandro Caravillani Art school of Rome. During his time at Sapienza University of Rome, he entered the army and graduated from school there. In 2001, he came to Japan and graduated from a Japanese language class at the YMCA. He has won first place at a Japanese debate contest.

Since the 2010s, Bellissimo has become one of the most visible Italian personalities on Japanese television, particularly through programs such as "Sekai no minna ni kiitemita" and "Sekai banzuke" His positive image is frequently associated with various products, both Italian and Japanese, through live events in Japan, Italy, and abroad. Bellissimo is often sought after as a presenter, guest, and moderator at major conferences and cultural events, particularly those centered on food, lifestyle, and entertainment. Additionally, he has appeared in commercials and on news programs. Besides his work as a chef and a foreign tarento, Bellissimo has experience as a food critic, Italian cuisine consultant, motivational speaker, model for fashion magazines, columnist, essayist, and sports commentator. His expertise in Italian culture extends to fashion, where he has been recognized for his trendsetting approach.

In 2017, he launched a cultural and historical program on Italian Renaissance cuisine in collaboration with historian Daniele Macuglia from Peking University. The project began with an investigation of courtly food and examined how Renaissance authors described the table as a setting where art and learning shaped everyday life. Among the sources considered are the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, which include reflections linking proportion and sensory observation to the material culture of the kitchen. From this nucleus the research turned to Ancient Rome, examined as a classical framework through which early modern Italy redefined ideas of taste and civility. The results have been presented in academic and public venues in the United States, China, the European Union, and Japan. Within this framework, Bellissimo and Macuglia regard cuisine as part of a wider inquiry into how culture records experience through material forms.

For more than twenty years, Francesco Bellissimo has worked to promote Italian cuisine and culture in Asia through media activity, educational programs, and public initiatives. His work connects gastronomy with cultural diplomacy and has contributed to the representation of Italy in contemporary Asian contexts. He has participated in projects that present Japanese craftsmanship and regional food traditions to audiences in Europe and other regions. Within this long exchange, Bellissimo is noted for his role in cultural mediation between Italy and East Asia. His activity shows how cuisine can function as a medium for international understanding and as an element of modern soft power.

Bellissimo takes part in initiatives consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). His activity highlights sustainability as a practical ethic and promotes food education as a means of civic growth. He has joined environmental programs that encourage careful use of resources and has worked with organizations that provide meals and support to children and elderly people. In cooperation with charities and public bodies, he advances projects that connect culinary knowledge with community life and regard food as a field of shared responsibility.

• Handsome Kitchen (Fuji Television) • Waratte Iitomo! (Fuji Television) • Wagamama!Kimama!Tabikibun (BS-Fuji) • GakkoChakkoTV (Akita Television) • Konnichiwa Itto6ken (NHK) • Kitchen ga hashiru! (NHK) • One Seg Lunch Box Raku Gohan (NHK) • Junbanmachi no Ryorikyoshitsu (LaLa TV) • Sekai ga Odorita Nippon!Sugoi desune!!Shisatsudan (TV Asahi) • Uchigohan (TV Asahi) • Eko no Saho (TV Asahi) • Shikamo!! (Nippon Television) • Sekai banzuke (Nippon Television) • Osama no brunch (Tokyo Broadcasting System) • Sekai fushigi hakken! (Tokyo Broadcasting System) • Sekai no minna ni kiitemita (Tokyo Broadcasting System) • Sekai kurabetemitara (Tokyo Broadcasting System) • Bara iro Dandi (Tokyo MX) • Goji ni Muchu(Tokyo MX) • Abema Prime (Abema)

• J-Wave – GOLD RUSH • J-Wave – WORLD AIR CURRENT • NHK Radio 1 – Chikyū Radio • NHK Radio 1 – Rajiru Lab • Bunka Hōsō – Otonari-san • Nippon Broadcasting System – Kenji Minemura & Hideo Matsumoto’s Gentle! Gentle?

• I'm Taking the Day Off (2014), Italian Chef • You Can't Expense This! (2019), Italian Chef • Adventure of Comandante Cappellini (2022), Simone

• Blaublitz Akita matches (Akita Television)

• Suits for AEON's Top Value line (March–May 2014) • Italian suits for AEON's Top Value line (September–November 2014) • Setagaya Shizensyokuhin (December 2018 –) • Croquette no Manma for Mikakuto Co., Ltd (October 2019 – December 2019)

• Forbes Japan (link-ties) • Shukan Shincho (Shinchosha) • Cosmopolitan (Hearst Communications) • Shuukan Shinchou (Shinchosha) • "Nutrition and Cooking" (Kagawa Nutrition University) • AMARENA (Fusosha Publishing) • ESSE (Fusosha Publishing) • SPA! (Fusosha Publishing) • "ASCII Weekly" (ASCII Media Works) • CanCam (Shogakukan) • PRECIOUS (Shogakukan) • Jyosei Seven (Shogakukan) • BIteki (Shogakukan) • S Cawaii! (SHUFUNOTOMO) • Akachan Ga Hoshii (SHUFUNOTOMO) Among others