Portrait of Masayoshi Takayama
i. Biography
Masayoshi 'Masa' Takayama (born May 1, 1954) is a Japanese chef and restaurateur best known as the owner and head chef of Masa, a two-Michelin-starred Japanese and sushi restaurant in Manhattan's Time Warner Center, which he opened in 2004. He apprenticed for eight years at the prestigious Sushiko in Tokyo's Ginza district before relocating to the United States in 1978, where he established Ginza Sushiko in Los Angeles in 1987 and later expanded to New York. Takayama is recognized for his omakase-focused dining philosophy, meticulous sourcing of ingredients from Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market, and innovative fusion dishes that blend traditional Japanese techniques with Western influences.
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