When he was just a boy, Masayoshi Takayama grew up learning the art of cuisine. After high school, Takayama moved to Tokyo, where he began his work as a dishwasher at Ginza Sushi-ko; later he gained his status of a sushi chef. In the early 1980s he moved to Los Angeles and eventually opened his own sushi restaurant, Ginza Sushi-ko. Later, selling his restaurant, he moved to New York City to open Masa and Bar Masa.