A highly acclaimed trumpeter born in Kobe, Japan, Takuya is a forward-thinker who has created a unique hybrid sound that combines melodic jazz, funk, post-bop, fusion and hip-hop music. Following in the footsteps of his brother, a trumpeter who played in big bands, he moved to New York to study jazz and contemporary music at The New School in Union Square; a course he completed in the middle of the first decade of the 21st century. It was here that Takuya met vocalist José James, with whom he collaborated on the projects "Blackmagic and No Beginning No End. After graduating, Takuya established himself on the New York jazz scene, performing with Akoya Afrobeat and, in recent years, DJ Premier's band Badder.