Speakers

Wine Advisory Council

 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

Food Advisory Council

 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

PROFILES

Wine Advisory Council

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

Food Advisory Council

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.