Was born near Kobe, Japan in 1956. When he was 9 years old, his family started a small Japanese restaurant where he learned the joy of cooking. After graduating from high school, he began to work as an apprentice at ‘Genpachi’, one of the most famous restaurants in Osaka, he worked there for 5 years. He also became a member of a Sushi Chef Organization called ‘Yosei-kai’. At the age of 23, he returned to his hometown to help expand the family business. A couple of years later at the age of 25, his new challenge in life was to move to Los Angeles, California.