# Top 50 Food and Beverage Angel Investors in Japan in May 2026

## Yu Akasaka
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 6
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Food and Beverage, Content, Internet

During Hosei University student, and intern at Hakuhodo C & D. After joining the Image-net, I do media monetization of EC site as a media planner. Then, new business, engaged in Alliance. Launched a crowdsourcing site "MILLION DESIGNS" of design in the individual, sold to Ransazu Corporation. Established the Eureka Co., Ltd., wasappointed Representative Director CEO.

## Yusuke Sato
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 4
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Internet, Content, Food and Beverage

Yusuke Sato is the Co-Representative and Co-Founder at Pulit.

## Ryosuke Matsumoto
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 4
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A
- Focus: Art, Reservations, Software

Ryosuke Matsumoto is the founder and CEO of Community Factory Inc.Ryosuke is born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1981. He joined launching of the publication venture company, and ran a cafe while he was attending Chuo University in Tokyo. Since he joined launching the social media venture company in 2004, he has been in social media business. In2006, Ryosuke founded Community Factory Inc. which specialized in planning and operating social media and blog services.Community Factory started to specialize in social application for mobile from 2009, and Community Factory draw investments of around 4.5 million US dollars from venture capitals and mixi inc. then the biggest social media in Japan. DECOPIC, Community Factory's one of the apps for smartphone, has been downloaded 6 million times in the 6 months since its release, and it is rapidly gaining users mainly in Asian countries.In Sep 2012, Ryosuke and other stock holders sold Community Factory to Yahoo Japan Corp., and he remains as CEO of Community Factory.

## Nobuhiro Ariyasu
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 4
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Content, Internet, Finance

Nobuhiro Ariyasu is the CEO at Coach United.

## Jun Nishikawa
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Series A, Angel
- Focus: Media and Entertainment, Mobile, Content

Jun Nishikawa - Co-founder, Executive Vice President, COO @ eureka, Inc.

## Naruhisa Nakagawa
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Manufacturing, Beauty, Environmental Consulting

Naruhisa Nakagawa is a Founder & Chief Investment Officer at Caygan Capital.

## Hidetoshi Takano
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Internet, Information Technology, Media and Entertainment

Joined Intelligence in 1999. Established Key Players Inc. in 2005. Consultation with more than 3,000 managers and career counseling for more than 10,000 individuals. In addition, we have invested in more than 55 outside directors, advisors and angels in Silicon Valley and Bangladesh in Japan. Over 100 lectures on careers, entrepreneurship andstartups.

## Hiroaki Kitano
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Debt Financing
- Focus: Health Care, Information Technology, Fitness

Hiroaki Kitano is the SVP at Softbank Mobile. He attended Waseda University.

## Kotaro Chiba
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Internet, Content, Software

Kotaro Chiba is the founder of ChibaDojo Fund. Kotaro Chiba attended Keio University.

## Chikako Morimoto
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Human Resources, Employment, Information Technology

Chikako Morimoto - External Counsel @ Traimmu

## Goshi Yamaguchi
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed, Corporate Round
- Focus: Food and Beverage, Digital Media, Apps

Goshi Yamaguchi

## Dai Tamesue
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Angel, Seed, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Apps, Sports, Health Care

Dai Tamesue is the Chief Marketing Officer of Miekuru.

## Kazuma Ieiri
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Content, Fashion, Recruiting

Born in 1978 and raised in Fukuoka prefecture, Kazuma founded paperboy&co. inc. (currently GMO Pepabo) and went on to become the youngest CEO ever (at the time) to take a company public in Japan by taking paperboy&co. public on the JASDAQ Japanese stock exchange. After leaving paperboy&co, he continued his startup trail by foundingBASE, CAMPFIRE, and XIMERA. Kazuma also dabbled in the food services industry via the founding of On The Corner (a cafe) and is active in the startup investment scene. He also started the Liverty-house project which attempts to create shared housing for young people in need.

## Yusuke Tanaka
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Tourism, Consulting, E-Commerce

"Shin"ichiro joined Yahoo Japan in April 2013. From July 2013, he joined YJ Capital. He has served as COO of YJ Capital since January 2015. Prior to Yahoo! Japan, Shin was General Director of Dream Incubator Vietnam from 2007 to 2012, managing US$50 million private equity funds in Vietnam. He was formerly a Project Manager at DreamIncubator Japan. He started his career at Future Architect as a system engineer.Shin received his bachelor's degree in Policy Management from Keio University.

## Komura Fujio
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Content, Ethereum, Marketing

Komura Fujio

## Makoto Takano
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A, Series B
- Focus: Content, Sports, Apps

Makoto Takano is CEO of atomixmedia, inc., publisher and editor-in-chief of Forbes Japan and Rolling Stone Japan since June, 2014. Prior to joining Atomixmedia, Inc., he was Managing Director and President of PIMCO Japan Ltd. Before joining PIMCO in 2001, he was head of marketing at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Makoto's prior experiencealso includes work at Daiwa Securities where he was head of the strategists team at Daiwa Institute of Research. He has published extensively on the capital markets. In 1992, he was awarded Securities Analysts Journal Prize by the Securities Analyst Association of Japan. He has also given lectures on asset management at Waseda University and Kyoto University. He holds master’s and undergraduate degrees in engineering from Waseda University. Makoto serves as Director of Nippon Finance Association and Rebuild Japan Initiative Foundation.

## Naoki Yamada
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Information Technology, Software, Sports

Naoki Yamada

## Narita Shuzo
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Task Management, Media and Entertainment, Content

Narita Shuzo is a Executive Vice President/COO, CrowdWorks Inc.

## Nishio Kentaro
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Information Technology, Internet, Software

Nishio Kentaro is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer & President at Game8.

## Yusuke Umeda
- Type: Angel
- Location: New York, New York, United States
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Sports, Communities, Food Processing

Yusuke Umeda - Chairman @ NewsPicks USA, LLC

## Soichiro Kawai
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Media and Entertainment, Information Technology, Internet

Soichiro Kawai - CEO @ ReBoost

## Fumiaki Koizumi
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Internet, E-Commerce, Content

Fumiaki Koizumi - Executive Director @ Mercari

## Shunsuke Sasaki
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Social Media, Content, SNS

Shunsuke Sasaki - Executive officer @ Jiraffe

## Nobuyuki Nakagawa
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Angel
- Focus: Apps, Mobile, Mobile Apps

Nobuyuki Nakagawa - President and CEO @ Mynavi

## Kino Nobukuni
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Food and Beverage

Kino Nobukuni

## Masaru Tange
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Internet, E-Commerce, SaaS

Masaru Tange graduated from Kyoto University and joined Incs Inc. in 2000 where he started their IT business and strategy consulting group with only 2 members and developed it into the company's main business with a team of 140 consultants with annual revenue of $50M in 5 years. He then founded SHIFT Inc in 2005 in his studio apartment. He wasthe only employee. The business world wasn't very kind to him - he made no revenue for a while but he kept experimenting with the business model listening to the needs of customers. In 2009, he finally found traction in the "software testing industry." In 2014, Masaru successfully IPO'ed the company. Shift now has 500 employees.

## Shunsuke Ikegami
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Social, Cooking, Big Data

Shunsuke Ikegami is an angel investor.

## Yoshiki Ishikawa
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Marketing, Health Care, Video Editing

Preventive medicine researcher, doctor (medicine). While specializing in behavioral science and data science, he has also worked as a director at several operating companies, in charge of founding and managing. In January 2019, he became an outside director of Sansan Corporation. In addition to knowledge in the field of data analysis andutilization, make recommendations based on the perspective of management.

## Takashi Mitachi
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: SNS, Brewing, Employment

Takashi Mitachi joined BCG in 1993 and is the head of BCG’s Japan operations. He leads the Strategy practice in Japan and is also a core member of the Financial Institutions, Marketing and Sales, and Organization practice areas.Takashi has led projects for Japanese and multinational clients in a wide range of financial and consumer industries.He has also written a book, The BCG Way – the Art of Strategic Insight, which focuses on how to develop capabilities to generate strategic insight.Before joining BCG, Takashi worked for 14 years at Japan Airlines, where his positions included manager of the corporate planning department at the head office in Tokyo. He holds an MBA with high distinction (Baker Scholar) from Harvard Business School and a BA in American literature from the University of Kyoto.

## Seio Nagami
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A, Angel
- Focus: Task Management, SaaS, Information Technology

Seio Nagami

## Hayama Takashi
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: SNS, Beauty, Medical

Hayama Takashi - Outside Director @ Eco Style

## Masayuki SHOBAYASHI
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Fitness, Software, Mobile Apps

Masayuki SHOBAYASHI

## Mamoru Taniya
- Type: Angel
- Location: Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Apps, Content, FinTech

After graduating from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo, he joined Solomon Brothers, where he became the youngest managing director in Asia, where he was in charge of Asian investment. After that, he created one of the largest independent Asuka assets. He also launched Japan's first independent online life insurance company,LifeNet Life Insurance, and inspired Japan's first International.

## Hideto Fujino
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Reservations, Travel, Real Estate

Hideto Fujino - President, Cheif Investment Officer @ Rheos

## Toshiro Wakimaru
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Task Management, Food and Beverage, SNS

Toshiro “Tosh” Wakimaru is the Chief Operating Officer of MedPeer, Inc. , Tokyo, Japan since May 2010. Medpeer is the “Medical Doctor Exclusive” SNS in Japan that has just successfully gone to the market in 2014.Prior to the current job, Tosh had been actively working for Price Waterhouse Consulting, Japan LLP (now IBM Japan, Ltd.) aftergraduating from the Boston University School of Management in 1996. While there he completed numerous projects in corporate strategy, operation improvement, and new business development focusing on the retail, service, and healthcare industries with a secondment to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

## Koji Yamada
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Software, Logistics, Food Delivery

Participated in the management of a student venture company while attending Keio University's Faculty of Policy Management. After graduation, he worked at Accenture Co., Ltd. for consulting services for companies in different industries such as media, apparel, finance and entertainment. In 2012, founded boundary spanner Co., Ltd. He alsoserved as a project manager for JAPAN CON-TECH FUND and a director of the Japan Home Party Association.

## Noguchi Keito
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Media and Entertainment, Marketing, Financial Services

Noguchi Keito - Founder @ Vapes

## Chiba Hisayoshi
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Food and Beverage

Chiba Hisayoshi is the Director and COO at Noin.

## Takashi Nagao
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed, Series A
- Focus: SNS, Video, Brewing

Takashi Nagao

## Yuto Nagatomo
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: SNS, Sports, Content

Yuto Nagatomo - President, CEO, and Founder @ Cuore Co., Ltd.

## Tsuyoshi Ide
- Type: Angel
- Location: Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Pre-Seed
- Focus: Food Processing, Food and Beverage

Tsuyoshi Ide is the Chairman, President, and CEO of Daiz Energy.

## Tomohito Ebine
- Type: Angel
- Location: Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A
- Focus: Home Services, Information Technology, Consulting

Tomohito Ebine is non-executive Director at Owls Co., Ltd.

## Kazuhiro Ishikura
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Beauty, Content, Fashion

Kazuhiro Ishikura served as the head of the Akatsuki Business Management Department in 2013 and as a corporate auditor of Akatsuki in 2014, contributing to the company's listing on the TSE Mothers and TSE 1st sections. Appointed 3minute CFO in 2015, engaged in business start-up and organizational design, and succeeded in large-scale M & Adeal with Glee. After leaving the company, he became a WARC director in November 2018. Certified public accountant.

## Hirofumi Miki
- Type: Angel
- Location: Shibuya, Kanagawa, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Content, Marketing, Internet

After JTB Co., Ltd. and CYBIRD Co., Ltd. as an initial member of Glee Co., Ltd. is responsible for business development. Currently, he is mainly engaged in venture support in the Internet area, investing in venture and venture capital, and served as management advisor for dozens of companies. Hands-on business development, growth strategydevelopment, financing advice, HR organization design support, partner referral and Recruit Support. He is also engaged in business support for ventures in the healthcare and university venture fields. He served as Digital Health Meetup Advisor, NEDOTCP Mentor and Future 2016 Mentor.

## Yusuke Inagaki
- Type: Angel
- Location: Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Marketing, Advertising, Cloud Computing

Prior to establishing UZABASE, Yusuke Inagaki was the project manager of the Technology Integration Division at ABeam Consulting, where he actively developed and constructed the entire company's system strategies. Inagaki was also involved in the design and construction of large-scale databases for financial institutions. With his richexperience and knowledge in systems technology, Inagaki co-founded UZABASE with Yusuke Umeda and Ryosuke Niino in 2008, and assumed the role of Co-CEO for UZABASE and CEO for NewsPicks in 2017.

## Shintaro Yamada
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Internet, Finance, Information Technology

During his years at Waseda University, Shintaro worked at Japan’s biggest e-commerce mall, Rakuten, Inc. On August 1st 2001, Shintaro established “Unoh Inc.” after graduating university. At Unoh he was responsible for designing and developing several web services, one of which was the online magazine subscription . Services provided by Unohinclude planning, development and management of the film enthusiast community site “Movie Life” (acquired by PIA Corporation) as well as “Sugu.CC” , “NeoAd” (both acquired by GMOAP) and the photo sharing site “Photozou” (acquired by Digital Garage).In 2009 Unoh entered into social gaming, creating multiple successful social games. Among these games, “Machitsuku!” has been its biggest hit with over 5 million users. On August 3rd 2010, Unoh joined Zynga and Shintaro became General Manager of Zynga Japan. He resigned on January 2012. After traveling around the world, He established the new company “Mercari, Inc.” on February 2013 and released the resale shopping app “Mercari” on July 2013 in Japan.He is a true Internet geek, spending a lot of time on the Internet and boasts around 180,000 followers on Twitter.

## Hiroaki Watatani
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Content, Software, Logistics

Hiroaki Watatani is the president of ASAKASHINKAN GROUP.

## Kensuke Furukawa
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Content, Media and Entertainment, Software

Kensuke Furukawa was born in June 2, 1981. He graduated Waseda University majoring Political Science and Economics, and in 2000, he launched "Milkcafe", a student community, which has grown to a site with 10 million PV per month. In 2004, he became the CEO of Media Clip, which operates a rental bulletin board service "ShitarabaBBS". After that year, he had transfer "Shitaraba BBS" to Livedoor, and took charge of starting up the Consumer Generated Media sector. In 2006, he joined Recruit, and took charge of starting up a new business at Business development sector. In June of 2009, he left Recruit, and became the CEO of nanapi （formerly Rocket Start), which operates the How-to Site "nanapi".

## Takashi Sato
- Type: Angel
- Location: Menlo Park, California, United States
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Angel
- Focus: Fitness, Computer, Software

Takashi Sato is a Managing Partner at MS&AD Ventures.

## Toru Shimada
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Task Management, Manufacturing, Content

Toru Shimada is a Senior Executive Officer and Director of Rakuten. Mr. Shimada is a Director of Rakuten Baseball, Inc., and Head of Asia Regional Headquarters Office of the Company.Mr. Shimada joined Rakuten in 2004. Prior to joining Rakuten, Mr. Shimada was founder and Director of INTELLIGENCE, LTD from 1989 to 2004. Prior to INTELLIGENCE, LTD.Mr. Shimada worked at RECRUIT CO., LTD. from 1987 to 1989.

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