Born and raised in Kobe, Japan, Takaaki Otomo started the classical piano at the age of five, changing to jazz music a age 15: now an award winning jazz pianist may have started with listening to the music of Oscar Peterson. Taught by the pianist, Tadao Kitano, he belongs to the group Gingerbread Boys, which plays at a number of venues in Kansai area. In 2014, he moved to New York City.