Fermenting Forward: From Koji Traditions to Next-Generation Food Innovation

*Priority given for food industry executives **Registration must be approved to secure a spot. Where fermentation science, culinary creativity, and manufacturing technology meet Fermentation has shaped the world’s food culture for centuries. Today, it is a powerful tool for shaping flavor, transforming ingredients, and creating new possibilities in food development. Join food scientists, R&D professionals, product developers, chefs, and food technology innovators for a special event exploring how fermentation and modern biotechnology can inspire the next generation of food. The program will feature insights from university researchers integrating fungal biology, fermentation, and gastronomy to develop sustainable foods, and Japanese companies specializing in brewing machinery and automated koji-making systems. Bringing together scientific discovery, culinary experimentation, and industrial expertise, the event will also explore how insights from traditional fermentation can inform new approaches to food development, and how specialized equipment and process technologies help bring fermentation from concept to production. Date and Time: Thursday, December 3, 2026 at 3:00-5:00 PM Location: TBD Agenda: 2:30-3:00 Registration 3:00-3:05 Opening Remarks | Kotaro Otsuki, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco 3:05-3:15 Keynote Speaker 1 | Vayu Hill-Maini, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, Stanford University 3:15-3:25 Keynote Speaker 2 | Naosumi Nishimura, Fujiwara Techno Art Co., Ltd. 3:25-4:00 Panel Discussion Moderator: Hitoshi Hokamura, Food Tech Evangelist, InvestorVayu Hill-Maini, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, Stanford UniversityNaosumi Nishimura, Fujiwara Techno Art Co., Ltd.Takashi Sato, President of San-J International, Inc. 4:00-4:02 Closing Remarks 4:02-5:00 Networking