Wakizo was born in Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Japan, but moved to the United States when he was only nine months old. Wakizo always loved Japanese martial arts such as Judo and Karate. He used to go to a well-established dojo with a history going back to the World War II era for his martial arts training. Up until recently, as a matter of fact, Wakizo frequently went back to Japan to hone his skills in the martial arts. Wakizo is not as avid as he used to be, but he does still teach the Japanese martial arts to children. As for his c ulinary training, his experience encompasses Chinese, Hawaiian, and Japanese among other cuisines. Wakizo and Mr. Koyama, the president of the Bishamon Group, have known each other for many years. Wakizo has known Koyama since he was a teenager, well before he set foot in the restaurant industry. Since Wakizo’s house in Rosemead was close to Covina, his parents took him to Bishamon quite often.

When Daikokuya first opened, Koyama asked Wakizo to come aboard. Wakizo accepted the invitation. Incidentally, Daikokuya’s signature gyoza (potstickers) shaped like sticks are a Wakizo’s invention. When Wakizo tried to teach other employees how to wrap gyoza in the traditional manner, none of them could shape a gyoza proficiently. That is how his original and simple shape for making gyoza came to be. Wakizo, however, did leave Daikokuya and go to Japan for a while in order to focus on his Judo training.

Wakizo returned to America and started working at an upscale restaurant called Twist housed in the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel. The Head Chef, who supervised all the restaurants in the hotel at the time, fell in love with Wakizo’s uncompromising stance toward cooking. And the Head Chef assigned Wakizo to be Chief Chef at Twist. Unfortunately, however, Twist was a part of a big corporation, and the cooking methods and menu items were all highly regulated by manuals supplied by headquarters. Wakizo stayed with Twist for several years to gain experience, but he could not help feeling somewhat stifled in such a controlled environment. About the same time, Wakizo gave up his martial arts career and decided to devote himself to the culinary profession. In pursuit of freedom for his innovative ideas, he left Twist. “I want to lead my life, always excited about something. Cooking has always been a part of that.” Wakizo considers cooking integral to his life.

Four years ago Wakizo went back to Mr. Koyama and began working for him one more time. As Executive Chef, Wakizo is now the backbone of the restaurant and the curator of Bishamon’s long-standing history. Constantly in search of innovative ideas, Chef Wakizo keeps Bishamon’s traditions alive as well. Many of the original menu items are staple dishes that regular customers have loved for years. And when creating a new dish, Wakizo makes an effort to come up with something appealing and sexy. “Mr. Koyama is very understanding and respects our autonomy. I’m very thankful,” Chef Wakizo says. As he speaks, one can see how happy he is to be a chef and to be working at Bishamon. “Through my work, I’ve met all kinds of people over the years. And through those encounters, I’ve learned about many different kinds of values. Such experiences are precious and I count them as my treasure. People say that sporting events bring people together, or that music can unite the world. I believe that cooking can bring people closer together, too. I will carry on with my efforts to help make a better world someday,” Chef Wakizo expressed his ambition with a very positive attitude.