Fujimoto, Kenji, 1947-

Kenji Fujimoto (藤本 健二, Fujimoto Kenji; born 1947) is a Japanese chef who was the personal sushi chef of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il from 1988 to 2001. Fujimoto, who uses a pseudonym and whose real name is not public knowledge, published a memoir in 2003 entitled I was Kim Jong-il's Cook, detailing many of his experiences with Kim Jong Il. Fujimoto correctly predicted that Kim Jong Un (who was relatively unknown at that time) would be appointed as his father's successor as Supreme Leader instead of Kim Jong-nam or Kim Jong-chul, which was contrary to the prevailing consensus of experts on North Korean politics. Fujimoto's prediction proved true in December 2011. A leaked U.S. diplomatic cable from Tokyo revealed that he was the best and often the sole source of North Korean information for Japan's Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office.