Takahiko Hirai, CEO of the 881 (YAVAI) Group—a group that is never short of newsworthy topics—has built a headquarters operation for a business offering an authentic sushi course for 4,400 yen, including tax. The course currently has a waiting list of up to six months. Hirai appeared as a contestant on an investment-focused YouTube programme, attracting considerable attention. During the programme, he presented his unique business plan and successfully secured 12 million yen in investment in a full-round deal.

Despite his eccentric appearance, Mr.Hirai spoke with remarkable seriousness and passion about the system he has developed to train sushi chefs in just two months. He discussed the concept at length over two sessions, spending several hours explaining how the system works.

His ambition to help highly motivated young people become independent within three years is particularly striking—a concept rarely seen these days.

Mr.Hirai originally appeared on a popular television programme featuring ramen. This experience marked the beginning of his career in the food and beverage industry in earnest. He went on to successfully operate ramen shops and numerous other restaurants, while also experiencing his share of setbacks along the way.

From these experiences, he developed a new business model: an “omakase sushi course”　YAVAI SUSHI served as an entertainment experience at a fully reservation-only restaurant.

He spoke to us about his unique concept and meticulous management system.

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