Yukihito "Yuki" Hanada was born April 4, 1952 in the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture to Hatsue (née Todaka) and Yukiaki Hanada.  He was the youngest of four children, preceded by an older sister and two older brothers, and lived in Japan throughout his youth.  He attended Tachibana Elementary School, Tachibana Middle School, and Kawasaki Ichiritsu Shogyo High School.  Upon completion of his studies, he chose the culinary art of sushi as his life-path, initially working at a local sushi bar as a food deliverer.  He would work various roles at the restaurant, eventually working his way up to sushi chef.

He met his wife, Takako (née Yoshimura) at a Sadao Watanabe live jazz show in bar in Kichijoji called the "Jiro Kichi."  His eldest son Taku, was born in 1979. In 1980, he came to America alone, working alongside world-renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa.  In 1981 his youngest son, Ryo, was born.  Yuki would work at various sushi restaurants in America, including Aki Restaurant in West Los Angeles, Bonsai Garden in Valencia, Robata on Robertson and Katsu 3rd in Beverly Hills.

Yuki enjoyed many things outside of work.  He was an avid sports fan, rooting for the Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers, Los Angeles Lakers, and the San Francisco 49ers.  He enjoyed listening to jazz, reading, spending time with his grandkids, and golfing on his days off.  He had a big and bright personality, enjoying conversations with friends and patrons at work.

In 1998, he was finally able to open his own restaurant, Sushi Hanada in Port Hueneme.  Committed to his art, he would travel at least 3 times a week to Downtown Los Angeles, waking up at 4 a.m. to hand-select the fish he would serve at his restaurant.  Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, he made sure to travel at least twice a week to ensure the quality of his product.  In September, he was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer, and succumbed to the disease on November 18, 2022.