He said that he started surfing when he was fourteen, and decided to visit the United States when he was a sophomore in high school. He stayed with his mother’s friend in America. Masa immediately fell under the spell of the big waves at Huntington Beach, which left an enduring image in his mind. Masa started working right after graduating from high school in Japan, making a living with part time jobs at a supermarket, pizza restaurant, and other places. When his hungry spirit gained enough momentum, Masa returned to America and was reunited with the alluring waves of Huntington Beach.

In the beginning of his life in America, Masa worked at a trading company and an udon (wheat noodles) restaurant while attending language school. Professional surfer Rob Machado was Masa’s idol. Although Rob is now retired from the World Championship Tour, his progressive yet classic riding style is legendary. Masa says that the shifting ocean waves are like the changing tides of our society. Surfing, to Masa, is something that is brand new every day. He was having a great time just surfing and working. After about a year, however, Masa could not help feeling that his work was becoming routine. It was then that an acquaintance suggested to Masa that he should consider working at Asahi Ramen.

Masa got a job at Asahi Ramen, but he did not have any formal culinary training. So naturally he started off at the bottom, washing dishes. Cleanliness is key in the restaurant business. He used this early experience to develop a sense of hygiene and the importance of keeping the workplace clean and neat. After two years of working as a dishwasher, he was promoted to cook. This position required that he chop up a large amount of vegetables everyday, which was tiring but certainly gave him a lot of experience. Since he spent so much time in the kitchen as a dishwasher and novice cook, Masa now knows and pays attention to every nook and cranny of the kitchen as the executive chef at Asahi Ramen. It is a challenging job to ensure the quality of his food and to meet his high standards, but Chef Masa loves every bit of it. What particularly make him happy are his customers’ satisfied reactions to his creations.