FEFRI

・Establish a specialized food university in Japan
・Design, implement and manage public relations campaigns to promote various aspects of food culture.
・Research food cultures and cooking techniques to promote in Japan and abroad.
・Design and implement platforms for global food culture exchange
・Consult on policy discussions related to the hospitality industry, the food industry, and food culture for major corporations, government bureaus and other organizations.
・Develop content for online, digital, and print media
・Develop projects related to our mission statement


Administrators
Hisashi Furuichi - Chief Director
Yasuyo Yamazaki - Director
Yoshimi Ishikawa - Director



Founding Organizations:
FEAST International Inc.
Kuni Umi Asset Management Co. Ltd.

FEFRI is making concrete strides towards establishing a professional food university on Awaji Island, which will serve as the laboratory and classroom for the next generation of leaders in the hospitality and food industries. To actualize this vision, our organization is actively pursuing the world renowned Culinary Institute of America to join as our operating partner in this venture.

Presently, Japan‘s service industry accounts for over 70% of the nation‘s GDP. This staggering percentage, when combined with low levels of productivity, have lead many social scientists to become vocal about structural issues in our national economy. As Japan continues to outsource manufacturing, revitalization and innovation in the growing service economy is becoming a more urgent. Furthermore, future establishment of integrated resorts (IR) and promotion for inbound tourism will place even greater stress on growing and recruiting talent in the service sector. Despite this growing need, our country does not have the academic resources at the higher education level for preparing future leaders to tackle the challenges of the vast food industry, which includes, but is not limited to restaurants, wholesale, beverages, retail, logistics, and hospitality. For decades, universities in Europe and America have been educating future leaders in hospitality management programs within existing management or business schools. To accelerate the pace of learning and prepare students for careers in the hospitality industry, some institutions have even established on-campus student-managed hotels. There are many institutions that offer culinary-based degrees as well. FEFRI sees two examples of such universities, the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York, and the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Bra, Italy, as ideal models for harnessing the creative potential of young people with a passion for hospitality, and bringing necessary innovations to hospitality education in Japan.

FEFRI works with partners in both the public and private spheres towards achieving the common goal of promoting sustainable success for our hospitality and food industries into the future. The board of FEFRI may also request interested parties to join as an “Advisor“ or “Trustee“. As an “Advisor“ or “Trustee“ to FEFRI, your participation may include:

・Promoting Hyogo Prefecture as the site of a new food university run in partnership with CIA
・Advising to FEFRI on strategic initiatives
・Participating in FEFRI sponsored conferences, events, or meetings

Participating members will never be asked to interfere in the course of one‘s primary work on behalf of FEFRI.
Participation as a FEFRI advisor or trustee has no term limits.
Participation as a FEFRI advisor or trustee is voluntary and does not include remuneration.
If you are interested in becoming a FEFRI partner or have any questions about our work, please feel free to contact us at tel. 0799-72-2777.

Hisashi Furuichi, Chief Director
The Culinary Institute of America Alumni Club of Japan, Chief Director
PRIMIX Corporation, President and CEO
FEAST International, President
Medical Corporation Seimeikai Ikeda Hospital, Director
Waseda University, B.S.
The Culinary Institute of America, A.O.S.

Hisashi Furuichi first gained experience in the food industry as a consultant for major food processors, and cooking equipment manufacturers. Then in 1995, he established FEAST International as a consulting firm to the hospitality industry and food media. In 2001, he undertook a management role at Tokushu Kika Industries, the predecessor to PRIMIX, and ascended to CEO by 2004. Having proposed the development of four hectares of land in the Yumebutai section of Awaji City, Furuichi moved his company headquarters, factory, and R&D facilities to the area in 2015. He is now actively engaged in the revitalization of the Awaji City area.



Yasuyo Yamazaki, Director
Sun-Based Economy Association, Representative Director
Kuni Umi Asset Management, President and CEO
Research Institute for Growth Strategy, President
Tokyo University, B.A. In Economics, 1982
University of California Los Angeles, M.B.A., 1988

After a decade a building a reputation for international investment banking at Daiwa Securities, Yamazaki joined Goldman Sachs, where he was responsible for building their wealth management division in Japan. In 1998, he was named President and CEO of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Japan and named a general partner of Goldman Sachs & Co. After retiring from Goldman Sachs in 2002, he founded the think tank Yamazaki Associates, presently known as the Research Institute for Growth Strategy (RIGS). Their research has least to advocacy for a toll-free expressway system, a new industrial revolution of the Japanese countryside as well as structural reforms to the Japanese postal system. Yamazaki‘s research also delves into the financial and economic relations among Japan, China and India. In the most recent years, a clear understanding of the needs of our growing world population, combined with the our depleting natural resources and fossil fuel resources spurred Yamazaki to establish the Sun-Based Economy Association in 2009. Their work includes crafting policies in collaboration with the public, private and academic spheres to ensure the protection of our water, food supply and environment through solar-based energy. The Sun-Based Economy Association continues its research into the development of various economic, societal, and community models for sustainable co-existence.



Yoshimi Ishikawa, Director
Author/Journalist
Sun-Based Economy Association, Director
Kitamaebune Forum*, Chairman
Sakata City Art Museum, Yamagata Prefecture, Chief Curator

Author and Journalist Yoshimi Ishikawa is best known for is 1989 work, Strawberry Road, which received the Ooyama Souichi Nonfiction Prize. His work as a journalist spans topics from Japanese-American relations to tourism to recent development of cordial international relationships among Japan, China and India. For over six years, Ishikawa served as the president of the Akita Municipal Junior College of Arts and Crafts until stepping down in March 2007. Over his extensive career, he has built a strong network of top educators, artists, and business people striving to revitalize rural Japan. He has worked as a selection committee member for the Council for Better Corporate Citizenship, as a Japanese representative to the New Japan-China Friendship Committee for the 21st Century, as an advisor to the administrative committee of the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area, and as a special advisor to the Guilin People‘s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

* Ishikawa founded the yearly Kitamaebune Forum in 2007 based on his “Kitamaebune Corridor Plan“. This plan draws its inspiration from the history of “Kitamaebune“ merchant vessel that were used for shipping goods through Japan Sea and the Seto Inland Sea (Setonaikai), which effectively connected and spurred the growth of regional economies in Japan.
More information on the forum can be found at http://kitamaebune-forum.com/

Special Advisors

Toshizo Ido, Governor, Hyogo Prefecture
Yoshimasa Hayashi, Member of the House of Councillors



Advisors

Yasuhiko Kado, Mayor, Awaji City
Hiroshi Urakami, CEO, House Foods Group
Shingo Torii, CEO, Suntory Holdings
George Hara, Director, Alliance Forum Foundation



Trustees

Several Requests Pending