Koujirou Shinomiya

Owner of a French cuisine restaurant called Shino's, Kojirou was a student of the 79th generation and held the first seat of the Elite Ten. He is commonly seen sporting glasses and red hair. Known as the "Legumes Magician", Kojirou was convinced he was going to be successful in France with his French–Japanese fusion restaurant, Shino's. However, his French staff refused to follow his recipes, even sabotaging his dishes. Facing financial ruin, he hardened himself emotionally and fired anyone who questioned his skills in the kitchen. Although this allowed him to reach the top, his proud and stubborn refusal to make exceptions resulted in his skills stagnating over the years.

Kojirou returns to Toutsuki as a guest teacher, and "fires" Megumi for altering his recipe despite there being an insufficient quantity of suitable ingredients. He threatens to do the same to Souma for coming to her defense, leading Souma to challenge him to an unofficial Shokugeki. During this match, Shinomiya makes a technically perfect dish that is the unanimous winner. However, Gin gives a bonus vote for Megumi's dish, prompting Shinomiya to try it and admit that her flexible cooking style suits the tastes of the customer. Shinomiya is reminded of his mother's kindness, and taking this to heart lets Megumi pass.

Kojirou reappears in the story when Souma is assigned as a stagiaire (intern) at his new restaurant, Shino's Tokyo. His personality has noticeably softened since their last encounter, and he helps Souma by improving the latter's dish which earns a place on his menu. It is revealed during this time that Kojirou chose to specialize in French cuisine in order to make his mother happy.