The famous chef whom Ryoko Hirosue loved, “an elementary school teacher until the age of 30”.

The restaurant’s interior is lit by the gentle light of alcohol lamps, creating a relaxed atmosphere. We went there for lunch on a holiday, and the price was over 10,000 yen. The chef was a friendly guy. He spoke to us in a lighthearted manner, saying, “This is really delicious,” and recommending dishes he was proud of. He was a celebrity who often appears on TV programs and in magazines, so he had a confident air, saying, ‘You know me.

A man in his twenties who had visited the high-class French restaurant “sio” in Tokyo said, “The chef’s name is Shusaku Toba. The chef’s name is Shusaku Toba, 45. He is the partner of Ryoko Hirosue (42), the actress who had an affair with him, as reported in the June 15 issue of “Shukan Bunshun. What kind of person is he?

Mr. Toba is now a very well-known figure in the culinary world, but his background is unusual.

Mr. Toba was born in Toda City, Saitama Prefecture, and was not a very strong boy. When he was in the second grade of elementary school, his parents wanted him to play some sports, so he started playing soccer. He soon became absorbed in the sport and went on to high school at the powerful Urawa Minami High School.

After graduating from the university, he worked as an elementary school teacher while aiming to become a professional soccer player as a J-League trainee. The player he admired was Tomoyoshi Miura,” said an acquaintance of Mr. Toba.

Dream of becoming a soccer player dashed, Toba entered the culinary world at the age of 31.

A turning point came when he was 25 years old. When he saw professional soccer player Toshitaka Ohno, who was the same age as him, play, he realized that he was no match for him. He gave up on his goal of becoming a professional soccer player.

He felt a strong sense of frustration when he lost his dream. While continuing to work as an elementary school teacher, he continued to wonder what he should do from now on. The conclusion he came to was to become a chef, which he had loved and longed to do since he was a child. It was at the age of 31 that Mr. Toba made up his mind, quit teaching, and entered the culinary world.

(The same before). Mr. Toba trained at famous restaurants in Kagurazaka and Aoyama with other young people younger than him. He opened “sio” in July 2006 at the age of 40. His unique attempts to create a restaurant atmosphere by playing his own compilation of popular DJ songs and inventing original menu items such as “sukiyaki-style yakiniku beef” were a big hit. The restaurant has been awarded a star in the “Michelin Guide Tokyo” for three consecutive years since 2008.

In a magazine interview, Mr. Toba said the following (from the November 2006 issue of “Cuisine Kingdom”).

I’m someone who came in from the outside, so I think, ‘I shouldn’t be able to change things,’ and if I actually try, I can change things.

Toba has a wife who loves to cook and children who like to play soccer, but his affair with Hirosue has changed his own life. The current turmoil has caused a stir, including his resignation as “Toda PR Ambassador” for his hometown of Toda City. Mr. Toba is now faced with the decision of whether to remain in love with Hirosue or protect his family.