Bekk

Bekk is a completely reimagined Italian restaurant located in Kitakyushu, Japan, beside the historic Tanga Market. Formerly known as “Bisteria Bekk,” the restaurant celebrated its 10th anniversary by transforming both its identity and interior. It moved away from the traditional restaurant format and embraced a new style focused on storytelling—where chefs engage with guests and share the origins of each organic ingredient.

The design is built around the concept of UNITY: the harmonious fusion of past and present, guest and chef, food and place. Over 90% of the interior is crafted from natural materials, including hinoki cypress, solid tamowood flooring, hand-applied earthen plaster, and hammered copper. These elements were chosen for their ability to grow more beautiful with age. The restaurant’s focal point is a single-slab counter made from a 450-year-old sacred tochi tree from Miyajirono Shrine in Oita, symbolizing the sacredness of everyday experience.

In 2022, two devastating fires struck Tanga Market. Construction on Bekk began just one month later. The project became a symbol of hope and resilience, fueled by the shared commitment of the chef, the designers, and the local community to help the market recover. A new window was added to the space, inviting daylight and the rhythm of the city into the restaurant. It frames scenes of daily life in Kokura, reinforcing the restaurant’s deep connection with its surroundings.

Bekk offers a seasonal course menu only—no à la carte—featuring heirloom vegetables grown without pesticides, pasture-raised beef, and wild-caught local seafood. A straw-grilling technique, rarely seen in the region, is used to draw out natural flavors.

More than a dining venue, Bekk is a sensory narrative. It merges craftsmanship, memory, and locality to create a space where the community’s past and future can coexist—and where each meal becomes part of an ongoing story of place and people.