Some of the most compelling food stories begin far from the kitchen. For Sanenaga Sanjo, known to his regulars as Naga, the path to pizza started not with flour and fire, but with a design career that took him to Naples.
It was the city itself that changed everything. Naga was struck by Naples' "bar culture," where neighborhood cafés function as genuine community hubs, places where strangers quickly become familiars. Within just a few visits, shop owners knew his name. That sense of warmth and belonging left a mark he could not shake, and neither could the pizza.
With no culinary background and no idea how to hold a knife, Naga began training from zero. He built his skills the Neapolitan way, through hands-on practice, real relationships, and a deep responsiveness to the people around him. After returning to Japan and refining his craft across several pizzerias, he opened Pizzeria Da Naghino nine years ago in Kyoto, a city tied to his family roots.
The pizzas he makes carry the hallmark of Naples: a vivid contrast between a crackling, blistered edge and a soft, yielding center. The dough is light and balanced, a far cry from the dense, heavy crusts associated with American-style pizza. Fans range from children eating their first real Neapolitan slice to seasoned food lovers who return again and again. Italian guests have described his pizza as something that brings back memories of home, a quiet but powerful measure of authenticity.
Yet Naga's Japanese sensibility adds its own layer of refinement. Carefully selected Italian ingredients meet a precision and attentiveness that could only come from his particular journey, giving Pizzeria Da Naghino a character that is entirely its own.
