Taka Higashino grew up in Osaka and moved to the United States to ride freestyle. He rode for Metal Mulisha in Southern California, training at the compounds and competing at X Games and Red Bull X-Fighters. His runs combined backflip tricks with full extension, including the rock solid backflip.

He became the first Japanese rider to compete in X Games Moto X in 2007. In 2012 he won Freestyle gold and followed it with two more wins in 2013. That same year he won the first X-Fighters event held in Japan, beating Tom Pages in the final in front of Osaka Castle.