BEFORE coming to Niseko, Kohji Ito was a project marketing manager for 17 years at nearby Rusutsu Resort.
After a brief stint in Tokyo, Kohji decided it was time to return to Hokkaido’s nature and great food. Last year he opened yakiniku barbecue restaurant Kurobeko in Kutchan before starting seafood barbecue Tairyo-ya in Hirafu this winter. Decorated in tairyo-bata (fishermen flags) and with handwritten menus, Tairyo-ya is an authentic Japanese barbecue experience. Kohji wanted to replicate the rustic style of the Hokkaido fishermen he receives local seafood from everyday. In the future, he wants to continue providing great seafood barbecue to Niseko’s visitors.