Born into a family of chefs and raised in Kanazawa, Chef Takagi spent a year in the United States after graduating from university, before beginning his training at the renowned kaiseki restaurant Kyoto Kitcho in Kyoto. In 1996, he returned to his family restaurant, Zeniya, in Kanazawa, and in 2008 became the second-generation family member to earn a Michelin star, following in his father's footsteps. Chef Takagi later led Zeniya in becoming a two-Michelin star restaurant, an accolade which it still holds today. A master of kaiseki – Japanese haute cuisine – Chef Takagi is renowned for his ability to imagine new dishes presented with exquisite artistry using only the finest seasonal ingredients.