Yukako SAITO
Genuine Education Network (Italy) – CEO, FOUNDER

Tsuruoka UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy

Education for Sustainable Development policy advisor

GEN Japan Co.,LTD – CEO

Yukako graduated the Department of Photography, University for the Creative Arts in the U.K.
After resigning from Recruit Co., Ltd. in 2010, Yukako launched a wine fund. In 2011,

Yukako moved to Europe with her two children. After staying in Budapest, Hungary,

she obtained her master’s degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences.

In 2014, she launched GEN using the startup program approved by the Italian government

and provided educational programs with a focus on Japanese food and local culture to Expo Milano

and the Children’s Museum of Milan as an official supporter of the Japanese Pavilion in Expo Milano.

Since then, Yukako has developed international research projects related to food

in Mie Prefecture, Tsuruoka City in Yamagata Prefecture, and Toyama City

and educational/training projects to disseminate local/food culture internationally.

Yukako became the advisor after the establishment of Genuine JAPAN in 2015

and became CEO of GEN Japan Co,.Ltd.in 2016.

Yukako now lives in Piedmont Region, Italy.

“Through GEN, I would like to spread the activities all over the world
to make food, community, and Earth better.”

2010年に株式会社リクルートを退職後、ワインファンドを起業。

2011年より２人の子供と共に欧州へ移住。

ハンガリー・ブダペストを経てイタリア食科学大学大学院にて修士を取得。

2014年イタリア政府認定スタートアップベンチャー制度にてGENを立ち上げ、

ミラノ万博日本館公式サポーターとしてミラノ万博やミラノ市立子供美術館へ

日本食や地域文化をテーマとした教育プログラムを提供。

これまでに三重県・山形県鶴岡市・富山市などと食に関する国際的な研究プロジェクトや

地域と食文化の国際発信を目的とする教育・研修事業を展開。

2016年11月株式会社GEN Japan設立。同代表取締役社長へ就任。
現在イタリア・ピエモンテ 州在住。

         「GENを通じて、食と地域と地球を良くする活動を世界に広げていきたい。」