MASA OTAKE

Principal, Shiseido Beauty Academy

Masa Otake was born in Niigata Prefecture, Japan in 1948. Upon graduating from the Shiseido Beauty Academy, Otake joined Shiseido Co., Ltd. in 1969. At Shiseido, Otake was in charge of the company’s advertising and promotion activities while also providing support at fashion weeks in Paris, New York and Tokyo for many years. He was also invited to compete in a number of international hair shows in cities across the world.

In 1974, Otake participated in the Japan Today Show held in Carnegie Hall in New York. In 1976, he became the first Japanese person to join Paris Fashion Week as a member of the backstage team. In 1982, Otake participated in the World Hairdressing Congress held at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

From 1995, Otake served as the first director of the Shiseido Beauty Creation Research Center and the principal of the SABFA school for over 10 years, actively engaging in efforts to develop the next generation of beauticians and hair & makeup artists and successfully producing many rising stars in the beauty world.

In 2009, Otake became the principal of the Shiseido Beauty Academy, his alma mater, and has been leading the hairdresser training industry with his outstanding professional skills while actively working at the forefront of beauty creation.

● Awards
Won first prize in the International Beauty Show’s Japan Contest in 1973
Awarded the title of Tokyo Meister by the Governor of Tokyo in 1999
Received the designation of Prominent Craftsman (Great Craftsmen in the Present World)
from the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan in 2004
Awarded the Medal with Yellow Ribbon from the Emperor of Japan in 2008

● Publications
Akunaki bi no tsuikyu Masa Otake jiden (The Relentless Pursuit of Beauty: The Autobiography of Masa Otake) published in 2019 and many other titles