Story
PIT MASTER Hagiwara has a deep love for Texas BBQ and dedicates himself to continuous research.
While studying the traditional techniques of Texas BBQ, he has integrated his own unique creativity to further develop the Low and Slow method and its possibilities.
He maintains a constant temperature within the pit, gently smoking the meat for 12 hours, as if "boiling" the meat in the smoke-filled pit.
The cooked meat, fragrant with smoke derived from Nagano Prefecture-sourced firewood, offers a flavor that can only be savored at Smokemanship.
Furthermore, the meat handled by Smokemanship is exceptional, carefully sourced through direct communication with the producers.
For beef in particular, they use only strictly selected A5 Wagyu.
There is one man who has been captivated by Hagiwara's Texas BBQ: Noboru Tani, a master of Japanese French cuisine from a renowned French restaurant in Tokyo.
Tani, who believes Hagiwara's meat surpasses the Texas BBQ he experienced in the U.S., continues to support him.
Come and enjoy the flavor that only Hagiwara can create—the unique smoked cuisine of Smokemanship, here in Niseko.
Our Team
Masa Hagiwara (PIT MASTER)
Mr. Hagiwara, a real estate company executive, moved to Karuizawa ten years ago.
Having spent his childhood in New York, he grew up familiar with authentic American food: pizza, steak, and hamburgers. Later, after living in Hawaii, he became captivated by the hearty meat plate lunches and local-style BBQ—bold yet approachable cuisine rarely found in Japan.
After settling in Karuizawa, he capitalized on the area’s spacious, nature-rich environment to begin his own smoke-style BBQ.
One day, by chance, he learned about a famous Texas BBQ restaurant. He was deeply struck by the profound, long cooking process, realizing how drastically it differed from the simple Japanese style of grilling thin-sliced meat, vegetables, and sausage over a grate.
This incident spurred him to begin his exploration of Texas-style BBQ. He discovered the "Low and Slow" smoking technique and dedicated himself to research. This involved learning about seasoning ratios, ingredient temperature changes, and even building his own smoker at home to understand the wood combustion process and smoke flow.
Today, fascinated by the versatility of this cooking method, his passion extends beyond Texas cuisine; he now challenges himself to smoke all kinds of ingredients.
In his private life, he enjoys traveling and exploring food with his wife. Both domestically and internationally, they skip tourist sites in favor of local haunts—supermarkets, markets, stalls, and restaurants—to experience the local ingredients, flavors, and atmosphere. This relentless pursuit of culinary excellence is the foundation of Hagiwara's deep passion for food.
Noboru Tani
The Master of French Cuisine
Born in Tokyo in 1952.
While attending nutrition school, he began working at "Île-de-France" in Roppongi, where he later joined the staff full-time after graduation. He traveled to France in 1976 and 1989, gaining extensive experience at renowned restaurants, including the three-Michelin-starred "Le Crocodile" and the two-Michelin-starred "Sillinger" in Alsace.
Upon returning to Japan, he served as chef at "Aux Ciseaux de Ruban" and "Savas" in Roppongi before opening "Le Mange-Tout" in 1994 (renovated and reopened in 2006). Since the launch of the Michelin Guide Tokyo, the restaurant has been continuously awarded two Michelin stars for 14 consecutive years.
He is the author of numerous publications, including recipe collections focused on authentic French home cooking.
Our Address
9-41, Niseko-Hirafu, 2 Jo-1chome, Kutchan-cho, Abuta-gun, 044-0089, Hokkaido. (Title: 167-23)