this is masa takayama.op sushi chef is an injustice as he is much more than that. what is it about him that set him apart took him from a bleak farming community in rural japan to become first the toast of los angeles, and later the king of new york? it is a fascinating story. this is the capital of ishikawa prefecture on the west coast of honshu island along the sea of japan known for untouched by time traditional districts. one of the few cities in japan left relatively intact throughout the war. its famous for its crafts, for its beautiful ceramics in particular, but also it's artistic sensibility. the way it always valued beautiful things, traditions. it's a city that helped masa get to a crossroads and discover a whole new world of grace, aesthetics, of style that affected him deeply. for most, however, this is simply a place with great seafood. >> kitchen of the city. yeah. >> ooh, look at that. yes, a lot of crab. >> yeah. shrimp, sardines. it's all there. >> okay. >> look at that. >> reporter: sea u

but, new york city, in masa takayama's case, seems far, far away from the little town he grew up in. ♪ >> anthony: when i first went up this river, i was sick with love. the bad kind. the fist around your heart kind. i ran far, but there was no escaping it. it followed me up river all the way. that was ten long years ago. a previous episode of a previous series in a previous life. yet, here i am again. heading up to that same long house in the jungle. ♪ ♪ ♪ i took a walk ♪ through this ♪ beautiful world ♪ ♪ felt the cool rain ♪ on my shoulder ♪ ♪ found something good ♪ in this ♪ beautiful world ♪ ♪ i felt the rain ♪ getting colder ♪ ♪ sha la la la la sha la la la la la ♪ ♪ sha la la la la sha la la la la la la ♪ [ boat engine ] ♪ >> anthony: last time i saw all this, i think it's fair to say i was at a turning point in my life. i promised some people i'd come back, and i am back. my life has changed a lot. how much have their lives changed? ♪ ♪ kuala lumpur. happy to be here, but brimming with mixed emotions. surrounded by all the sights, smells and flavors i remember so well. this i