Appointment Ceremony of "Goodwill Ambassador to Spread Japanese Cuisine"
2025/3/11
On March 10, 2025, the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles held an appointment ceremony of a “Goodwill Ambassador to Spread Japanese Cuisine” for Mr. Yoshihiro Momose, CEO of Uogashi Global Innovation, LLC, and Fisheries Industry Coordinator at Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Los Angeles.
At the ceremony, in the presence of Mr. Momose’s family and a JETRO official, Deputy Consul General Naoshige Aoshima presented the certificate of appointment of a “Goodwill Ambassador to Spread Japanese Cuisine” and official badge to Mr. Momose, who was appointed as a “Goodwill Ambassador to Spread Japanese Cuisine” by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan in December 2024.
Mr. Momose has built an extensive distribution network for Japanese marine products in the seafood industry since his arrival in the United States in 1991. Immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, he conducted PR activities regarding the safety of Japanese marine products and sold sets of products to support earthquake recovery efforts. In addition to contributing to the improvement of the credibility of Japanese marine products in the United States, he created a new model for information dissemination using SNS and contributed to building a bridge between Japanese fisheries and North American restaurant personnel and general consumers. In 2019, Mr. Momose established Uogashi Global Innovation, LLC and built its own network to market Japanese marine products in the Unites States and sell fresh Japanese marine products to B-to-B and B-to-C customers. Since 2020, as a JETRO Los Angeles Fisheries Industry Coordinator, he has contributed to the promotion of marine products during Covid-19 and the diversification of exports to the United States after the ALPS treated water discharge.
Deputy Consul General Aoshima delivered congratulatory remarks for Mr. Momose’s appointment as “Goodwill Ambassador to Spread Japanese Cuisine” and expressed his hope that Mr. Momose will continue to promote Japanese food and food culture not only in this region, but also in inland areas of the United States and in non-Japanese restaurants as well.
Thereupon, Mr. Momose said “During Covid-19, many people in the food industry were facing a difficult situation due to a lack of information, and I supported the Japanese food industry by providing information on United States government policies and other information to restaurant personnel and others in the region. In doing so, I was reminded of the high level of trust people have in the safety of Japanese food. I believe that this is nothing but what our Japanese American predecessors have built. I feel that there are still many areas in the United States where there is room for Japanese food to be spread more. I would like to continue my efforts to bring Japanese food to people in the inland areas of the United States.”
Mr. Momose is expected to act as a Goodwill Ambassador to continue to promote Japanese food and its food culture with the Consulate General of Japan and JETRO.
At the ceremony, in the presence of Mr. Momose’s family and a JETRO official, Deputy Consul General Naoshige Aoshima presented the certificate of appointment of a “Goodwill Ambassador to Spread Japanese Cuisine” and official badge to Mr. Momose, who was appointed as a “Goodwill Ambassador to Spread Japanese Cuisine” by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan in December 2024.
Mr. Momose has built an extensive distribution network for Japanese marine products in the seafood industry since his arrival in the United States in 1991. Immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, he conducted PR activities regarding the safety of Japanese marine products and sold sets of products to support earthquake recovery efforts. In addition to contributing to the improvement of the credibility of Japanese marine products in the United States, he created a new model for information dissemination using SNS and contributed to building a bridge between Japanese fisheries and North American restaurant personnel and general consumers. In 2019, Mr. Momose established Uogashi Global Innovation, LLC and built its own network to market Japanese marine products in the Unites States and sell fresh Japanese marine products to B-to-B and B-to-C customers. Since 2020, as a JETRO Los Angeles Fisheries Industry Coordinator, he has contributed to the promotion of marine products during Covid-19 and the diversification of exports to the United States after the ALPS treated water discharge.
Deputy Consul General Aoshima delivered congratulatory remarks for Mr. Momose’s appointment as “Goodwill Ambassador to Spread Japanese Cuisine” and expressed his hope that Mr. Momose will continue to promote Japanese food and food culture not only in this region, but also in inland areas of the United States and in non-Japanese restaurants as well.
Thereupon, Mr. Momose said “During Covid-19, many people in the food industry were facing a difficult situation due to a lack of information, and I supported the Japanese food industry by providing information on United States government policies and other information to restaurant personnel and others in the region. In doing so, I was reminded of the high level of trust people have in the safety of Japanese food. I believe that this is nothing but what our Japanese American predecessors have built. I feel that there are still many areas in the United States where there is room for Japanese food to be spread more. I would like to continue my efforts to bring Japanese food to people in the inland areas of the United States.”
Mr. Momose is expected to act as a Goodwill Ambassador to continue to promote Japanese food and its food culture with the Consulate General of Japan and JETRO.
<Appointment Ceremony of a “Goodwill Ambassador to Spread Japanese Cuisine>
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| Group photo | Remarks by Mr. Momose |
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| Presentation of the appointment | Presentation of congratulatory flower |