JAPANESE FOOD
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & BRANDING
PROFILE
Maki Ukai
Founder & CEO, OFFICE MAKI
Food Brand Producer / Flavor Designer
Founder of Dashi Sommelier®
Maki Ukai is a Japanese food professional specializing in product development, flavor design, and food branding.
In 2011, she founded Dashi Sommelier®, an educational program dedicated to Japanese dashi and umami culture. The program has reached more than 5,000 participants across Japan, and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets. She is also the author of three books on Japanese food and dashi.
Today, she works with food manufacturers, restaurants, and regional producers to develop products and brands—from concept and flavor development to positioning and market strategy.
With deep expertise in Japanese ingredients, dashi, and umami, she creates food concepts that connect Japanese culinary culture with contemporary lifestyles and international markets.
She is currently developing new lifestyle and food projects for both Japan and the global market.
SERVICE
１．JAPANESE FOOD PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & BRANDING
We help food brands, restaurants, and hospitality businesses develop Japanese-inspired products and concepts.
Drawing on deep experience in Japanese food, dashi, umami, seasonings, and traditional ingredients, we support everything from concept development and flavor design to naming, presentation, and branding.
We also help adapt Japanese flavors and food concepts for international markets while preserving their authenticity and appeal.
２. DASHI, UMAMI & FLAVOR DEVELOPMENT / SUPERVISION
Drawing on extensive expertise in dashi and umami, we develop and refine flavors for food products and menus.
From dashi and seasonings to soups and other Japanese-inspired products, we provide flavor development and professional supervision tailored to each project.
３．REGIONAL FOOD PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
We develop products that bring out the unique ingredients, flavors, and food culture of each region.
From understanding the story and characteristics behind local ingredients to flavor development, product concepts, naming, and presentation, we help transform regional food assets into products with strong market appeal.
４. SPEAKING & MEDIA
Maki Ukai has appeared in a wide range of Japanese media and has been invited to speak at food-related events, seminars, and educational programs.
Her work has been featured on television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and online media, primarily in connection with dashi, Japanese food culture, and food product development.
For speaking and media inquiries →
MY BRANDS
１. YURUMU | JAPANESE LIFESTYLE & TEA BRAND
YURUMU is a Japanese lifestyle brand built around the idea of “time to unwind.”
Using Japanese ingredients and flavors such as tea, dashi, and umami, the brand is being developed to bring moments of calm and comfort into everyday life.
The project includes the development of tea products and future collaborations with hotels, cafés, and hospitality spaces, with both Japan and international markets in mind.
OFFICIAL YURUMU SITE →
２. DASHI SOMMELIER ACADEMY
Founded in 2011, the Dashi Sommelier Academy was created to share the knowledge, culture, and enjoyment of Japanese dashi.
Through its certification programs, more than 5,000 people have studied dashi and umami, including food professionals, chefs, and people working in the food industry.
The Academy continues to promote the value of dashi and Japanese food culture through education, media, and professional activities.
DASHI SOMMELIER ACADEMY →
PUBLICATION
Here’s an introduction to the books I’ve published. Click on the images to see more details.
