Portfolio · Charter & Private Yachts

Bilingual Japanese yacht chef. Authentic Japanese & European cuisine.

Hello — I'm Monet, a Tokyo-born chef currently building sea time aboard S/Y Catana 581 (Trinidad → Antigua). Single-galley capable, rooted in Japanese technique, confident with Caribbean–Japanese fusion and modern Western service.

Based
Antigua · UK
Languages
JP / EN
Available
Jul '26
Chef portrait · 4:5 · Galley or dockside
02 · About

From potatoes to the open sea.

As a child I had severe allergies and could eat almost nothing but potatoes. Overcoming that turned food into something I never take for granted — every plate is a small act of care for the person eating it.

I came up through Japanese hospitality — sushi counter, izakaya floor, and as an early team member at a Tokyo café-startup helping develop new menu items from scratch. In June 2026 I complete the Certificate in Culinary Arts (CTH) at Ashburton Chefs Academy in the UK.

My path to yachting began crewing from Trinidad to Antigua aboard S/Y Catana 581, where I cook and serve from scratch and keep building my hours at sea. Calm and easy to live alongside on board, allergy-aware by instinct, and now seeking private or charter positions in the Mediterranean and Caribbean.

03 · Culinary Experience

Counter to galley, five kitchens in.

Sushi counter, izakaya floor, café startup, school-festival pop-up, and now a catamaran galley crossing the Caribbean. Each one taught a different muscle — precision, pace, menu-build, service rhythm, and finally cooking under way.

Mar 2026 — presentTrinidad → Antigua
Cook & CrewS/Y Catana 581 · ocean passage
Cooking and serving meals from scratch on board — building galley experience at sea, including ocean and coastal passages. Provisioning, watch-keeping and live-aboard crew duties alongside cooking.
Feb 2025 — presentTokyo, Japan
Startup Team MemberMacho Cafe (Macho Inc.)
Joined as an early member of the startup. Contributed to menu and product development — recipe creation, tasting, and bringing new café products to launch alongside the founding team.
Jul 2025 — Oct 2025Tokyo, Japan
Food ServiceAntoki no Izakaya
Front-of-house service in a fast-paced izakaya. Teamwork under pressure, serving traditional Japanese dishes through a high-turnover dinner service.
Oct 2025Japan
Team Member (school festival)Maro Cafe — pop-up
Part of the team running a café pop-up at a school cultural festival — prep, menu and full service for the run of the event.
May 2024 — Apr 2025Japan
Food ServiceKamesho Kuru Kuru Sushi
Served guests in a busy sushi restaurant — presentation, hospitality, and the high-standard customer service that defines Japanese hospitality.
04 · Certifications

Ready to sign on.

Core safety paperwork in hand. Food Safety & Hygiene and ENG1 scheduled ahead of the 2026–27 charter season. Originals and digital copies available for agency upload on request.

01 / 05
STCW '10 Basic Safety
Personal survival techniques, fire prevention & fire-fighting, elementary first aid, personal safety and social responsibility.
IMO / MCA
02 / 05
PDSD — Security Duties
Proficiency in Designated Security Duties — ISPS-code awareness for crew with designated security responsibilities on board.
MCA-approved provider
03 / 05
RYA Competent Crew
Practical sail-cruising qualification — sail handling, helm, watch-keeping, deck work and safe live-aboard crew skills.
Royal Yachting Association
04 / 05
Food Safety & Hygiene
HACCP-aligned food hygiene — preparation, storage, temperature control and allergen management for commercial kitchens. Scheduled June 2026.
UK accredited · scheduled Jun '26
05 / 05
ENG1 Medical
Seafarer medical fitness certificate. Required for all commercial yacht crew under MCA and Flag State regulation. Booked ahead of season start.
MCA Approved Doctor · pending
＋
Certificate in Culinary Arts (CTH)
Full culinary diploma covering classical technique, kitchen management, menu development and food & beverage operations.
Ashburton Chefs Academy, UK · Jun '26
Japanese
Native · 母語
English
Working · professional fluency
05 · Beyond the Galley

Food is the centre. Craft is the frame.

Long before I trained in a professional kitchen, I trained as a calligrapher — brush and pen, from the age of six. The practice still travels with me. On a charter, it shows up quietly: a handwritten card at each setting, a guest's name in kanji, a single character brushed and gifted at the final dinner.

01 / 05
Handwritten menu cards
Each course brushed by hand on washi paper — one card per guest, one per service. A quiet detail that sets a private charter apart from a restaurant booking.
02 / 05
Guest names in kanji
Each guest's name rendered in ateji — chosen kanji matched to the sound and meaning. Presented at the first service and kept as a souvenir.
03 / 05
Voyage-theme scroll
A single character chosen for the charter — 海 (sea), 縁 (bond), 航 (voyage), 和 (harmony) — brushed in one stroke and gifted framed at the final dinner.
04 / 05
Live performance
A short one-stroke piece before dessert for celebration charters — birthday, anniversary, honeymoon. Quiet, meditative, under five minutes. The finished work is gifted to the guest of honour.
05 / 05
Mini workshop
On sea-days or by request, a thirty-minute introduction — guests brush their own name or a character of choice. All tools provided; no prior experience needed.
＋
By request
Bespoke pieces for proposals, family crests, yacht names, or a guest's own chosen phrase. Discussed during the pre-charter briefing, prepared discreetly, and presented at the right moment in service.
Background
Japanese Calligraphy 書道 Certified in both brush (毛筆) and pen (硬筆). Selected for exhibition at the Nippon Budokan, Tokyo — 武道館奨励賞 (Encouragement Award). Trained from age six through senior secondary school under classical masters.

Offered at no extra fee. All tools — brushes, ink, stones, washi paper — are personal stock, brought in a single compact case and set up without disruption to galley service.

08 · Intro Video

90 seconds, face to camera.

A short personal introduction covering my story, training, and why I'm heading to sea. Captions in English and Japanese.

01:28 · Monet Hayashi · Intro
09 · References

Direct contacts, on request.

Owner of the catamaran I currently cook and crew aboard. Can speak directly to my work at sea, galley discipline, and life on board.
Gil Barden
Owner · S/Y Catana 581 · Antigua
Founding team at the Tokyo café-startup where I developed menu items from scratch. Can speak to recipe development, product launch and team work.
Manager — Macho Cafe (Macho Inc.)
Tokyo, Japan · contact on request
Manager at the sushi restaurant where I first worked the floor. Can speak to hospitality standards, service pace, and reliability.
Manager — Kamesho Kuru Kuru Sushi
Japan · contact on request

Full contact details for all referees released directly to placement agents and captains under consideration. Happy to set up a call.

10 · Contact
Available from July 2026
for the 2026–27
charter season.
Message on WhatsApp Download CV (PDF) Sample Menu (PDF)
WhatsApp
+81 80-4312-2913
Email
moneokamura@gmail.com
Instagram
@monet.galley
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Currently
English Harbour, Antigua · S/Y Catana 581
At sea
Available
Mediterranean & Caribbean · private & charter
Jul '26