Our Mission
"Creating the Future with ONE TABLE"
Let me ask you a question: in your everyday life, are there any foods you can't eat, or choose not to eat? Each person’s answer will be different.
When we look around the world, dietary choices are becoming increasingly diverse, shaped by societal issues like religion, allergies, and climate change.
Yet, society's understanding and consideration of this growing diversity in food choices haven’t fully taken root. Many still view these choices as “special” or “alternative.”
As a result, there seems to be an invisible barrier when it comes to food.
We want to tear down those barriers.
We envision a world where people from all walks of life, regardless of their dietary needs—whether vegan, allergic, or otherwise—can sit together and enjoy a meal at ONE TABLE, creating a brighter future, one meal at a time.
That’s the vision that gave birth to UMAMI UNITED.
"Aiming for a Diverse & Inclusive Society"
This belief in diversity and inclusion goes back to my childhood.
Growing up, I was a shy child with ADHD, which made it difficult for me to express myself or fit in with those around me.
Japanese education, which values harmony, is wonderful in many ways, but for me at the time, it felt stifling.
My turning point came in high school when I had the opportunity to study abroad in California.
For the first time, I was exposed to different races and cultures. Though I became aware of deep-rooted issues like discrimination, I also experienced a culture that respected diversity and welcomed newcomers.
I stopped comparing myself to others and learned to embrace my own uniqueness.
This experience was a major turning point in my life and became the foundation for my lifelong mission: to build a society that respects diversity.
My interest in the food industry began during my university years, when I worked as a volunteer guide for foreign tourists visiting Japan.
Through my interactions with vegan and Muslim tourists, I directly encountered the diversity of food needs around the world.
At the time, I was ignorant of the link between climate change and veganism, or why Muslims and Jews refrain from eating pork. But I quickly learned that the global food system must change in response to climate change and population growth, and that demand for alternative proteins is rising.
I also realized that society has not yet caught up in providing solutions or understanding these evolving needs.
This experience solidified my mission: to create a society that embraces diversity through food. And this mission laid the foundation for UMAMI UNITED’s core purpose: "Creating the Future with ONE TABLE."
"Captivating the World with Japan's Innovation"
Before founding UMAMI UNITED, I worked for a media outlet dedicated to sharing plant-based information from Japan with the world.
From Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south, I traveled extensively for promotions on YouTube and social media.
Each time, I saw Japan’s local cuisine and roadside stations, and I realized just how compatible vegan and plant-based food cultures are with Japanese food.
Japan has a rich history of plant-based cuisine, dating back over 1,200 years when meat consumption was largely prohibited.
The country's deep-rooted plant-based culture offers a wealth of possibilities.
That’s why I entrusted my vision to my co-founder and CTO, Ooba, to help bring this mission to life by harnessing Japan’s ancient food technologies—such as konjac, tofu, and fermentation. By integrating these traditions with our unique enzyme processing, we’ve successfully recreated the rich taste and texture of plant-based eggs.
"Aiming to Be the ‘Intel of Food’ as a Global Food Tech Company"
Lastly, I’d like to talk about eggs.
People often ask me, "Why eggs?"
My answer is simple: "Because there are so many people struggling without a solution."
In Japan, 40% of food allergies are egg-related, and the rising prices and supply instability caused by avian flu are well-known issues. Yet, there still isn’t a widespread alternative. We chose eggs as our first target to tackle this problem.
As we worked with eggs, we realized just how many we consume every day—far more than we ever imagined. Not just the eggs we see, like in omelets, but the "invisible eggs" found in cakes, bread, and countless other foods that we consume without even realizing it. In the food industry, eggs are an essential ingredient, almost like a crucial component in technology.
We want to upgrade this component and become a company like “Intel” for the food industry, building a new infrastructure and spreading it globally.Our goal is to grow into a global food tech company, where we can realize "ONE TABLE" all over the world.
The road ahead won’t be easy, but we are fully committed to making this vision a reality. With the support of many friends and partners, we will continue to work tirelessly to create a future where "ONE TABLE" brings the world together.
We sincerely ask for your continued support and guidance as we move forward.
UMAMI UNITED JAPAN
CEO Hiroto Yamazaki