Experts

PROFILE NAME

Megumi Avigail Yoshitomi

Visiting Researcher, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), The University of Tokyo


Since 2019, she has been involved in rule-making activities (such as policy recommendations) in the cellular agriculture and cellular food sector (commonly known as "cultured meat" and the like). Her work emphasizes the development of Japan's food industry and the improvement of food self-sufficiency from the perspective of food security through the technology of producing "meat" and "fish" by culturing cells.

She is the Representative Director of Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA). She also concurrently serves as the Secretary-General for the Food Tech Public-Private Council's Cellular Agriculture WT under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. Additionally, she advises on Japan's bio-strategy as a member of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Bio-Manufacturing Revolution Working Group. She also shares information and provides advice on rule formation to external organizations such as the Bio Industry Association. From 2019 to 2023, she worked in the M&A advisory division of a European investment bank, and prior to that, she worked at startups focusing on blockchain and traditional industry combined with machine learning. In 2020, she was recognized by Forbes Japan as one of the "Top 30 Under 30 Japanese individuals making global impact" in the Law and Policy category.