It’s Christmastime at Été, Natsuko Shoji’s exclusive, six-seat restaurant in Tokyo. In a glass display case at the back of the dining space, an installation of giant jigsaw puzzle pieces arranged in the outline of a Christmas tree glows brightly, lights transitioning from Yves Klein blue to electric pink and then gold. Delectable aromas of butter and roasted seafood waft from the kitchen as Shoji enters the room carrying a savory puff-pastry pie on an engraved silver platter.

“We’re crazy busy this season,” the 34-year-old chef says with characteristic frankness. The restaurant is booked solid for lunch and dinner, and her boutique cake shop, Fleurs d’été, is inundated with holiday orders. Despite putting in extra-long hours, Shoji, sporting a navy chef’s jacket over lycra cycling pants paired with brightly colored running shoes, displays no signs of fatigue.

In Japan’s male-dominated restaurant world, Shoji stands out as a leading female chef.