Remembering Shohei Takamatsu, a pioneering restaurateur for Japanese food in Dallas
Shohei Takamatsu, a pioneer for Japanese food in Dallas, has died at age 94.
Takamatsu owned Royal Tokyo, “one of the longest-lived and most respected Japanese restaurants in the city,” The Dallas Morning News wrote in 2001. His landmark restaurant is credited with introducing some Dallasites to dishes like shabu-shabu, udon noodles, sushi rolls and green tea ice cream.
Royal Tokyo was open on Dallas’ Greenville Avenue from the early 1970s until 2001, when it closed because of a fire. The restaurant was lauded for its “elaborate gardens, bonsai trees, waterfalls and koi fish ponds,” according to a News story in 2003.
It was also home to one of Dallas’ first sushi bars, which was added in 1980.
When Takamatsu was unable to reopen the original restaurant after the fire, he moved his restaurant to Far North Dallas in the early 2000s. In a smaller, less ornate location, Royal Tokyo Sushi Den opened near the Dallas North Tollway and Trinity Mills Road. Royal Tokyo Sushi Den was “nearly as good” as its predecessor, a News critic said a few months after it opened.
Don’t let Google decide who you trust.
The bar was high for the man who started a culinary movement in D-FW.
Takamatsu, called “Mr. T” by customers, had been a Dallas resident since 1958. He moved from Osaka, Japan to Hillsboro, Texas, then Dallas, to work as an independent cotton buyer. Takamatsu guessed that only “20 or so Japanese families” lived in Dallas back then. Today, there are more than 5,000 Japanese people in D-FW, according to an estimate from the Japan America Society of DFW.
Catch up on the latest news and top stories from across North Texas, with updates in the morning and evening.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy.
Read more What is hantavirus? How it spreads, Texas history and what to know
Takamatsu called Dallas “an intimidating place” in a 1996 News article, saying it had no Japanese restaurants when he arrived in the 1950s.
As Takamatsu sought to make connections with neighbors, his home became an “unofficial restaurant” for his group of friends. Eventually, he opened Royal Tokyo, sharing the recipes and cultural traditions of his home country.
Takamatsu died peacefully on April 26, 2026 just over a week before his 95th birthday. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Shigeko Takamatsu; his sister, Harue Takeuchi of Tokyo, Japan; his three children, Emiko “Amy” Meyers (Rodney) of Houston, Chizuko “Susie” Hastings (Warren) of Dallas and Yoichi “Steve” Takamatsu (Melissa) of Austin; and five grandchildren. Visitation is 6-8 p.m. Friday, May 8, 2026 at Restland Funeral Home, 13005 Greenville Ave., Dallas. The memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday May 9, 2026 at Northrich Church, 1101 Custer Road, Richardson.
Read more Why do Texans have to display two license plates? Here are 5 traffic laws unique to Texas
