| Name | Organization |
| Alfonso Martín | Managing Director, Union Liquors K.K. |
| Chihoko Wakita | Manager, Selesta |
| Chisako Morimoto | Wine Instructor, Academie du Vin |
| Kazuto Sakurai | Owner, Wine bar LOS VINOS |
| Naoto Uchiike | Owner, Wine speciality Store Petite Maison |
| Yasushi Tamura | President, MAVIE Corporation |
| Name | Organization |
| Joaquín Oscar Ponce Rodríguez | Founder, El Colmado Japan |
| Midori Niimura | Executive Managing DirectorSales & Marketing, Azalea Inc. |
| Momoka Arai | CEO, EAT8 |
| Tomohiro Oyama | Manager Sales Division 1, Asahi Grant Company Limited |
| Toshiya Tada | Chairman & Founder, The Olive Oil Sommelier Association of Japan |
| Rumiko Honma | Honorary Chairman, NPO Cheese Professional Association |
Alfonso Martín
Managing Director
Union Liquors K.K.
Alfonso joined Union Liquors K.K. in 2001, leading the development of their Spanish wines and liquors portfolio. The company imports and distributes brands with international awareness of Spanish wines and other kind of alcoholic beverages across Japan. Alfonso also serves as a Director at Nichifutsu Boeki K.K.
Chihoko Wakita
Manager
Selesta
JSA Sommelier
Chihoko is the manager at Selesta, overseeing the import of wines from 15 countries and B2B sales across Japan. As part of the Shibataya Group, Selesta supplies over 3,000 clients in the Tokyo area. A certified sommelier, Chihoko is also training as a Sake sommelier and holds a national license as an English guide interpreter.
Chisako Morimoto
Wine Instructor
Academie du Vin
CRDO Sherry Ambassador, CPA Cheese ProfessionalJSA Sommelier, WSET Level3
Chisako has been teaching Spanish wine at Académie du Vin (Aoyama School) for 15 years. She regularly travels to Spain, sharing her experiences with students. Emphasizing food pairings, she incorporates Spanish cheeses and Japanese dishes like soba and eel into her lessons. Chisako also promotes sparkling, still, and fortified Spanish wines, including sherry.
Kazuto Sakurai
Owner
Wine bar LOS VINOS
Ganador del “Concurso de sumilleres de VinosEspañoles 2007”, Caballero Confrare de MèritoConfraria del Cava Sant Sadurní
Kazuto is the owner of “LOS VINOS,” a Spanish wine bar in Shinagawa, Tokyo, and a seasoned wine specialist. With extensive experience in wine sales at restaurants and bars,he also teaches wine seminars, offers consulting, and actively promotes Spanish wines every day.
Naoto Uchiike
Owner
Wine speciality Store Petite Maison
JSA Senior Sommelier, Lecturer at Académie du VinTokyo, Lecturer at NHK Cultural Center, Sherry ambassador. Naoto trained at a beer company to prepare for taking over his family’s liquor wholesale business, which has operated since the Meiji era. He studied wine in France from 1989 to 1990, and in 2004, opened PetiteMaison, a wine specialty store in Setagaya, Tokyo. Naoto also writes wine columns and regularly appears on TV and radio.
Yasushi Tamura
President
MAVIE Corporation
Chevalier of the French Agricultural Merit by the Frenchgovernment, Bordeaux Wine Knight Connetablier deGuyenneBook writer, Wine educator
Yasushi spent 10 years in Europe as a marketing manager for a major food manufacturer, where he discovered organic wines. After returning to Japan, he founded MAVIE Corporation in 1998. His book Organic Wine Book won the Best Wine Book Award at the 2004 Gourmand Cookbook Awards. Yasushi now gives lectures nationwide, promoting European-style organic living as a lifestyle choice
Joaquín Oscar Ponce Rodríguez
Founder
El Colmado Japan
Born and raise in Barcelona in a traditional family. Connected since early age with the fields thanks to his Grandfather small farm near Barcelona.
Owner and Founder of El Colmado Australia in 2015 and afterwards in 2020 opening the second base in Japan. Passionate about the defence of Spanish Gastronomy roots and traditions.
Actually focusing in the Expansion of Spanish traditional producers in the Asia-Pacific market.
Midori Niimura
Executive Managing Director
Sales & Marketing
Azalea Inc.
Midori has 20 years of experience in the business of a wide range of Spanish ingredients, emphasizing “quality, rarity, and storytelling”'. She has been able to convey the wonders of Spanish ingredients with stories by directly and carefully making proposals to many Michelin-starredchefs.
Momoka Arai
CEO
EAT8
Momoka broadened her international perspective during high school in Utah and New York. After graduating from Sophia University, she joined LVMH Moët Hennessy Diageo. She enhanced her culinary skills at Le Cordon Bleu Madrid and interned at The Ritz-Carlton Abama. After returning to Japan, established EAT8 Co., Ltd. In 2021 and has been serving as a sales strategy advisor for Dassai since 2022, providing consulting services to food and beverage manufacturers.
Tomohiro Oyama
Manager Sales Division 1
Asahi Grant Company Limited
Tomohiro joined Asahi Grant Co., Ltd. in 2002, bringing over a decade of experience in the meat industry. He specializes in sales to retail and commercial wholesalers, as well as Western food specialty stores. Passionate about unheated meat products, he promotes salami as a versatile dining ingredient, highlighting its rich history and perfect pairing with food and wine.
Toshiya Tada
Chairman & Founder
The Olive Oil Sommelier
Association o Japan
Toshiya Tada is the Founder and General Director of the Olive OilSommelier Association of Japan. A Master Olive Oil Sommelier and international judge, he organizes OLIVE JAPAN and is a guest professor, best selling author, and global speaker. He holds degreesfrom ICU Tokyo and Trinity College Cambridge and is also a trained tea master.
Rumiko Honma
Honorary Chairman
NPO Cheese Professional Association
Guild Club Japon Vice President
Vice-chairman of MOMAJ (French Agricultural MeritAssociation)
Rumiko, born in Sado, Niigata Prefecture, started her cheese journey in 1977 with Chesco. She founded Fermier Co., Ltd. in 1986, introducing international cheeses and Japanese varieties to Japan. From 2000, she served as vice president of the NOP Corporate Cheese Professional Association, and as chairman from 2013 to 2022. She is now the honorary chairman.
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