Works
Works
From 2003 to the present. A field-by-field summary of work in food, products, region, and education.
01Restaurant Openings & Renovations
Representative projects from 65+ venues in total. Comprehensive work spanning menu development, brand design, PR, and operations.
2010–12
Augustbeer Club (Roppongi, Tokyo)The first restaurant built around the draft-beer brand “Augustbeer”; known for its pizza
2010–12
holoholo (Omotesando, Tokyo)Counter kitchen pairing a skilled chef's bistro cooking with a female sommelier's wine list
2013
GLACIEL (Omotesando)A new brand from Otaru's LeTAO; ice-cream cakes (“entremets glacés”)
2013
Ivorish (Fukuoka)Sparked the Asian-style French-toast boom; also proposed takeout items
2013–15
SP CAFE & BAR (Hiroshima)Launched a café & bar built around supporting local sports teams
2014
Yo-Yo! Kitchen (Matsuyama, Ehime)Brought in a food researcher; a new bistro/delicatessen concept using local ingredients
2014
10FACTORY (Roppongi, Tokyo)A takeout and delivery juice bar and store built around mikan oranges
2014
Ivorish Shibuya / 10×CAFE (Matsuyama, 100+ seats)Also Curry & Wine Koume (Arakicho, Tokyo; produced by Aya Sugimoto) and others
2015
OHYAMA SUKUSUKU CAFE & KIDS (Itabashi, Tokyo)Developed a “café supporting the child-rearing generation” concept with a shopping-district association
2016
BEURRE Hakodate flagship / AJIKURA by Al-ché-ccianoA butter-gaufrette specialty store; also Koppen Dot (Hakodate, Yokohama) and others
2017–19
Milk.Black.Lemon by GOGO NO KOCHA (Daikanyama)A concept café from Kirin Beverage × Dentsu (about two years)
2018
Ginza “888” (Tokyo)A Japanese-food retail concept offering “Ginza souvenirs”; also handled product development
2019
M2 Cafe (Hiroshima) / Peace Cafe Hawaii (Shibuya)A sports-support café bar / Hawaii's first vegan café, among others
2019
HAKKODO (Tokyo)A takeout shop for fermented-ingredient rice balls and fermented drinks
2020
NewsPicks NewCafe (Ginza, Tokyu Plaza)Planned and ran a café attached to a school founded by an economics media company
2020
Hirosaki CAFE & RESTAURANT BRICK (Aomori)Café & shop attached to the Hirosaki Red Brick Warehouse Museum (opened Jul 2020)
2020
Nara CAFÉ & BRASSERIE UGUISUA limited-run restaurant on the 2nd floor of Nara Tsutaya Books (Apr 2020–Mar 2021)
02Commercial PR & Regional Branding
2011–2020. Projects connecting urban development and food culture, and branding for regional food products.
2011–13
Mitsubishi Estate — “Rausu Festival” (Shiretoko Rausu)Autumn gourmet campaign: ingredient promotion, producer-origin tours for chefs, and events
2011–13
SHUN SHOKU LOUNGE (Grand Front Osaka)Produced Gurunavi's first food-related retail shop
2011–13
Mori Building — Roppongi South TowerAdvisor for the dining floors (B1F, 1F, 2F, RF)
2014–
Mitsubishi Estate — Will Conscious MarunouchiA large-scale, area-wide promotion in Marunouchi supporting women's health through food
2014–18
Ninben — “Odashi de Kirei Shukan”Organised a network of 400+ ambassadors: cooking classes, gift products, and social media
2014
Kobunsha × ADK “Washoku Style” / Made in FUKUSHIMAWeb-content supervision / dispatched experts via the Japan Chamber of Commerce for Fukushima food businesses
2014
Kamaishi “Umi-man Project” / Aomori UmiyamaKirin's Kizuna Project / proposed e-commerce expansion and packaging for Aomori tuna
2015–
Nishimeya Village Sweets Lab Plan (Aomori)Confectionery production and sales using local produce, plus talent development (dispatching pastry chefs)
2015–16
ca ca o (Kamakura) / cacao・cream (Chigasaki, Hiratsuka)Opening promotion for a new format: tastings, social media, media relations
2016
Oak Village Kashiwanoha (Chiba)Event production and business consulting for a combined “food and farming” facility
2016–18
Moriyama-en — TEKIKAKA CIDRE (Hirosaki, Aomori)Branding and packaging for a cider business using thinned apples
2017–19
JETRO regional-brand overseas expansionBrand producer: Niigata sake (Hong Kong), Hokkaido miso (Shanghai), Oita Hita pears (Vietnam)
2019–20
Marunouchi Food & Experience Design Lab (Mitsubishi Estate)Planning, operation, and lecturer selection for a school for restaurant-industry talent
2019–20
Fukushi-bori Juice (Fukushima, Kudamono-batake)Bottled juice from Fukushima fruit; packaging and sales-channel growth (won a package-design award)
2020
Tabi-Ketchano / Nara Tsutaya Books / Jō-sō ICCan design and ordering / 2F dining-floor production / basic concept for a TSUTAYA BOOKSTORE
03Hotel & Onsen Facility Supervision
Setouchi Retreat Aonagi (Ehime)Food & drink proposals and menu supervision for a renovation
Shima Onsen “Hinatami-kan” (Gunma)Supervised the full menu; dispatched a Japanese chef on-site for 6 months
Seibu-Chichibu Nakamise Street “Matsuri no Yu” (Saitama)Proposed the “LOVE CHICHIBU” brand; merchandising design, marketing, and packaging
04Own Businesses
Building, growing, and handing on businesses — the practical experience of running them myself.
2015 – 2018
Yaoya Zuika
- Took over a greengrocer in Kagurazaka. Grew to 80+ partner farms, and moved staff from part-time to full-time
- Mar 2018: opened a 20-tsubo store at “ISETAN FOOD & STYLE,” Yokohama Station West
- Oct 2018: founded Yaoya Zuika Inc. and completed a business transfer (about 3 years after taking over)
2015 – 2018
Alcohol sales
- Obtained an alcohol sales licence; planned and sold the whisky “R9 (Rikyu)” by mail order
- 2016: “sakaya-sakazuki” in Kagurazaka — selling sake, wine, and whisky alongside sake cups and vessels
- 2018: began wholesale to restaurants (TETTA in Okayama, MORIUMIUS in Miyagi, Higashino-Fumoto Shuzo in Yamagata, and others)
- Developed alcohol brands including Aomori's “TEKIKAKA CIDRE”
2020 – 2024
Hirosaki BRICK
- Launched and ran a café & museum shop attached to the Hirosaki Red Brick Warehouse Museum (opened Jul 2020)
- Representative Director, Hirosaki BRICK Inc.
- Mar 2024: concluded operations at the end of the contract term
2020 –
NewsPicks NewCafe
- A café attached to a school founded by an economics media company (operated by ufu Inc.)
- Opened in 2020 at Tokyu Plaza Ginza, later moved to Yaesu; led planning and execution
2010 – 2024
Corporate management (oiseau / Foodnia Japan)
- Jan 2010: founded oiseau Inc., running restaurant-opening support, a greengrocer, alcohol sales, and its own cafés
- The restaurant-consulting team became an independent entity; the greengrocer moved to a separate company
- 2021: renamed Foodnia Japan to focus on the food sector
05Broadcast, Advertising & Recovery
The roots of my current work: experience in reporting, film, advertising, and disaster recovery.
2003 – 2009
NHK / kagen
- NHK: from the Tokyo/Shibuya video-news department to the Aomori broadcasting station. Covered 800+ news stories (incidents, disasters, helicopter coverage, national elections, the Kōshien baseball tournament, and more)
- Programme coverage: NHK Tokuho Shutoken (including on-the-ground coverage of the Niigata Chuetsu earthquake), NHK Chiisana Tabi
- kagen: took part in launching around 10 restaurants; also ran the Schooling-Pad office
2007 – 2014
Orange and Partners
- Film work: TOKYO SMART DRIVERS, Tobu Railway's Spacia, a special interview with Kundo Koyama
- Social design for ZIP! (Nippon TV); national commercials and limited products for Kagome's “Yasai Seikatsu 100” featuring Kumamon
- Planning and operation for Gurunavi's “RED U-35” (1st and 2nd editions), the “Shun Shoku Yohoshi” seasonal-food forecaster, and SHUN SHOKU LOUNGE
- Communications for the Tsukiji market relocation and the new Toyosu market, the Tokyo Skytree opening events, and more
2011 –
Recovery · Overseas · Advisory
- Production of kizuna311's “Calendar for Looking Forward” (led by Kundo Koyama and Ken Watanabe)
- Kamaishi's “Umi-man Project”; support for Fukushima-produced food (including a package-design award winner)
- External expert, MUFG Research and Consulting's counter-function programme (from 2015) — around 50 interviews with farmers, producers, and food retailers in Kanagawa Prefecture
06Education & Research
University teaching, and hands-on projects connecting students, businesses, and local government.
2022 – 2026
Tohoku University of Art & Design
- Associate Professor (full-time, through Mar 2026), Department of Project Design, Faculty of Design Engineering. Around 320 students taught; around 40 seminar students
- From Apr 2026: Guest lecturer, Food Culture Design Course, Department of Project Design
- Systematic collaboration with Yamagata prefectural/municipal government, guest lectures at high schools across Tohoku, and career support from year 3 onward
- Planning and publishing the admissions free paper “PJD News”; a three-year regional partnership with Yamagata Broadcasting (YBC)
2022 – 2026
TOHOKU FOOD LAB
- Faculty for the “Tutorial” programme, Department of Project Design, Tohoku University of Art & Design. Working with Junka Kobo (production), SMASH (packaging), and e-commerce sales, guided students who co-developed the confiture “laugh ture” from Yamagata fruit with a local producer
- A promotional event at Sendai Station; a joint press conference and newspaper coverage with the producer (Dec 2024)
- FY2023: grape harvest through winemaking at “MORIUMIUS” in Ogatsu, Miyagi
2019 –
Keio University and others
- Adjunct Lecturer, Keio SFC. Practicum: “Building a Life From Agriculture”
- Adjunct Lecturer, SEADS (Tsuruoka agricultural entrepreneur training school) (2022–Mar 2026)
- President, Keio SFC Mita-kai (2015–); Fellow, SFC Research Institute (2021–)
2026 –
TOHOKU REGENERATIVE FOOD FESTIVAL
- PR Director. Leading PR (TV, radio, transit ads, social) and production
07Regional & Partnership Work
Collaboration with regional development and brands, and work as an ambassador.
2022
Sotetsu Group — “Yumegaoka” development
- Partnered with Chaos Inc. to propose restaurant-tenant leasing
- Planned the “MARKET STYLE” marché event inside the commercial facility (Mar 2022)
2024 – 2025
RAYS, Sendai — Tsutsujigaoka Building revival
- A revival project for the “Kosan Building” in Sendai's Tsutsujigaoka district
- Proposed an external concept for the dining floor and kitchen design (May 2024)
2023 –
Tamura Sake Brewery, F&B and Retail Advisor
- Advisor for the food & beverage and retail business of a mixed-use development around “Tamura Sake Brewery” in Fussa, Tokyo
- Mainly as advisor to the F&B and retail business of “&KASEN,” a sake-experience facility (restaurant & bar, sake bar, shop)
- Involved in restaurant concept design, product development (sake-lees gelato, etc.), and operations design
2025
Chichibu Regional Tourism Organisation — “LOVE CHICHIBU”
- The regional brand “LOVE CHICHIBU” of the Chichibu Regional Tourism Organisation
- Produced merchandise such as tenugui hand towels
2021
Marché operations — “0015 / Sasameza Marché”
- Coordinated participating farms, including Kakiemon Farm
- Planned and ran the marché
2023
Radio appearance — “Chikana Koto kara SDGs”
- Appeared as Foodnia Japan's representative on a regular programme broadcast across 8 stations (Oita, Nagasaki, Niigata, Tochigi, San'in, Yamanashi, Shinetsu, Miyazaki)
- Introduced his planning and production work
2026 –
KONO FUMIKO — “Good Wisdom”
- “Good Wisdom,” an international food platform conceived by food producer Fumiko Kono
- Advisor for concept design and website production
2026 –
NAHDAO
- Ambassador for NOT A HOTEL DAO (NAHDAO)
2026 –
SMJ COMPANY — “101 Namsan Tonkatsu”
- Signed a cooperation agreement (in progress)