Tetsuhiro "Don" Tsunafuji

Tetsuhiro “Don” Tsaunfuji passed away peacefully on August 11, 2022 at Northside Hospital with his wife and son by his side. He fought a long and honorable fight against his cancer.

He was born in Tokyo, Japan’s Asakusa Prefecture. His love of food and the culinary arts would start at a young age while working in a French restaurant in Tokyo. He was a master of many cuisines extending from Japanese, Chinese, Italian and Korean. His stint at the French restaurant gave him the discipline, skills and life-long curiosity of cuisines from around the world. He would later be recruited to work in New York City and on to Houston, Texas and finally Atlanta, Georgia. He would work for the famed Bennihana and Kobe Steakhouse where in 1980 would meet his wife Verna. They both worked for Kobe Steakhouse in now Sandy Springs. His love was expressed through his cooking. He had dedicated customers follow him for decades to his first restaurant that he opened in 1986, Mt. Fuji and to their second restaurant Sushinobo in 2009. He didn’t just merely serve food, he nourished souls.

When not sharing his gift of hospitality, he was an avid golfer with a handicap of 5 and had six “hole in ones”. The golf course was his refuge where he could recharge from the physical demands of the restaurant. He always felt a great sense of honor that people chose to dine with him and his family. His most memorable vacation was his 3 week honeymoon through Europe.

When asked about his own mortality by a nurse in 2019 he said “I had a good life, I had a good wife, bye-bye.” He worked at Sushinobo up to the day he was hospitalized. After completing one last successful service at the restaurant he told his wife that he didn’t feel as if he was serving his customers properly because his heart and body were not there.

Don is survived by his wife Verna, their daughter Tomomi and their son Daichi. The Tsunafuji would like to thank the many customers that patronized the restaurants throughout the decades. It has been an honor and pleasure to be part of countless celebrations.

The Tsunafuji family would further like to thank all the many customers that they have had the honor of serving throughout the many decades. A Celebration of Life will be announced in the future.