For over 30 years, Kazu has been practicing Japanese cuisine in South Carolina. A native of Nagano, Japan, Kazu moved to Greenville, SC in 1988 to work at Kanpai of Tokyo, one of the first Japanese restaurants in the state. By 1990 Kazu moved to Charleston to work at Kyoto Japanese Steakhouse. There he met Chef Hiro Osumi, who would go on to open the first sushi restaurant in Charleston, Sushi Hiro where Kazu further honed his craft.

After years in the Charleston sushi scene Kazu landed at Yamato Japanese Restaurant in Mount Pleasant, SC where he eventually met Chris Schoedler, his partner in his latest project, Sushi-Wa Izakaya. The pair strive to bring the traditional cuisine of Kazu’s homeland to the Lowcountry.