Over 1,000 Participants! 'Yonana Meets' to be Held at Tokyo Midtown Yaesu 'POTLUCK YAESU'! Akita's Young Entrepreneurs Connect Through Food for Regional Revitalization Across 47 Prefectures
Yutaka Shoji, CEO of Yutaka LLC, will host the regional revitalization event 'Yonana Meets' at 'POTLUCK YAESU' in Tokyo Midtown Yaesu on May 16, 2026. This event, which brings together specialties from all 47 prefectures of Japan for interaction, marks its 20th occurrence and aims to reduce food loss and revitalize local regions.
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- 📰 Published: May 8, 2026 at 20:00
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## Overview: A New Form of Regional Revitalization Created by Tokyo Midtown Yaesu x Regional Players
'POTLUCK YAESU,' a regional economic creation project developed at Tokyo Midtown Yaesu by Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. and News Picks Re:gion (operated by Uzabase, Inc.).
On Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Tokyo Midtown Yaesu, Yutaka Shoji, CEO of Yutaka LLC (Minato-ku, Tokyo), will host the 20th 'Yonana Meets' as a one-day bar manager.
## What is Yonana Meets?
Yonana Meets is an event where people bring specialties from all 47 prefectures of Japan and interact while enjoying delicious food.
Started in 2024, this marks the 20th event. Over 1,000 people have participated so far, and the number of repeat visitors is increasing with each event.
Representative Shoji, born and raised on a farm, has felt the problems faced by primary industries, such as the decrease in nearby farmers, the aging of farmers, and a shortage of successors.
'Yonana Meets' was launched with the desire to 'let more people eat delicious Japanese vegetables and fruits!'
Through providing dishes made from delicious, off-spec vegetables that are perfectly fine in taste, the initiative addresses food loss reduction, upcycling, and regional revitalization.
By providing a place where each participant can bring local specialties and fully introduce their charm, it creates an opportunity to learn about the appeal of various regions while in the city center.
This time, the event will offer a menu featuring Akita Prefecture ingredients, including Akitakomachi rice from Representative Shoji's family farm, Shoji Farm.
It is an event where you can not only eat and enjoy but also feel a connection with the region and producers.
## Significance of Holding at Tokyo Midtown Yaesu
This event is not just a food and drink event.
There are three reasons for holding this event at Tokyo Midtown Yaesu, which is the gateway to Japan:
1. **A place for real experience where new 'relationship population' with regions is born:** It's not just about tasting Akita's ingredients; it provides a place for participants to experience bringing regional specialties they chose themselves and sharing the stories behind them. Beyond the 'consuming only' relationship in the city center, this Yonana Meets embodies the process of transforming into 'supporters of the region (relationship population)' who share thoughts about the future of the region.
2. **Rediscovery of deliciousness and efforts to reduce food loss:** This event utilizes off-spec vegetables that are perfectly fine in quality but cannot be distributed in the market due to shape or size. This not only contributes to food loss reduction but also directly delivers the 'deliciousness' of ingredients carefully cultivated by producers to people in urban areas. From Yaesu, a logistics hub in Japan, it provides an opportunity to collectively consider the challenges faced by production sites and sustainable food practices.
3. **Co-creation between urban and rural areas:** 'POTLUCK YAESU' is a project to create 'places' and 'opportunities' for people challenging themselves in the regional economy to gather and connect. Yutaka LLC's corporate philosophy is 'Everyone Shines,' aiming to realize a society where everyone shines. By resonating with 'POTLUCK YAESU's' objective of 'regional economic creation,' we will create a new trend of regional revitalization from here.
## Product Sponsorship
This event is sponsored by for okawari TOKYO Co., Ltd., which provides carefully crafted salt by artisans.
Through the provision of this product, which maximizes the flavor of Akita's rich ingredients, participants will discover even greater depth in food and new culinary experiences.
https://www.okawaritokyo.com/
## One-Day Bar Manager: Yutaka Shoji
CEO, Yutaka LLC
Born in Akita Prefecture, graduated from Iwate University. Established Yutaka LLC in 2021. Having grown up on a farm, he felt firsthand the challenges faced by primary industries. Yutaka LLC develops craft beer using off-spec vegetables and fruits, operates a kitchen car (libero), and plans events. Through these businesses, he works on food loss reduction and regional revitalization.
In 2025, he organized an event that mobilized 160,000 people in Tokyo. Since 2022, he has continuously operated a kitchen car at food events held in Minato-ku (totaling approximately 10,000 visitors over two days).
In 2026, he made a guest appearance on an FM Akita program and produced the vendor area at the 'Takeshiba Minato Festa,' a town development event in the Takeshiba area in collaboration with Minato-ku.
HP: https://yutakacompany.com/
note: https://note.com/tkcgift
[Event Details
'POTLUCK YAESU,' a regional economic creation project developed at Tokyo Midtown Yaesu by Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. and News Picks Re:gion (operated by Uzabase, Inc.).
On Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Tokyo Midtown Yaesu, Yutaka Shoji, CEO of Yutaka LLC (Minato-ku, Tokyo), will host the 20th 'Yonana Meets' as a one-day bar manager.
## What is Yonana Meets?
Yonana Meets is an event where people bring specialties from all 47 prefectures of Japan and interact while enjoying delicious food.
Started in 2024, this marks the 20th event. Over 1,000 people have participated so far, and the number of repeat visitors is increasing with each event.
Representative Shoji, born and raised on a farm, has felt the problems faced by primary industries, such as the decrease in nearby farmers, the aging of farmers, and a shortage of successors.
'Yonana Meets' was launched with the desire to 'let more people eat delicious Japanese vegetables and fruits!'
Through providing dishes made from delicious, off-spec vegetables that are perfectly fine in taste, the initiative addresses food loss reduction, upcycling, and regional revitalization.
By providing a place where each participant can bring local specialties and fully introduce their charm, it creates an opportunity to learn about the appeal of various regions while in the city center.
This time, the event will offer a menu featuring Akita Prefecture ingredients, including Akitakomachi rice from Representative Shoji's family farm, Shoji Farm.
It is an event where you can not only eat and enjoy but also feel a connection with the region and producers.
## Significance of Holding at Tokyo Midtown Yaesu
This event is not just a food and drink event.
There are three reasons for holding this event at Tokyo Midtown Yaesu, which is the gateway to Japan:
1. **A place for real experience where new 'relationship population' with regions is born:** It's not just about tasting Akita's ingredients; it provides a place for participants to experience bringing regional specialties they chose themselves and sharing the stories behind them. Beyond the 'consuming only' relationship in the city center, this Yonana Meets embodies the process of transforming into 'supporters of the region (relationship population)' who share thoughts about the future of the region.
2. **Rediscovery of deliciousness and efforts to reduce food loss:** This event utilizes off-spec vegetables that are perfectly fine in quality but cannot be distributed in the market due to shape or size. This not only contributes to food loss reduction but also directly delivers the 'deliciousness' of ingredients carefully cultivated by producers to people in urban areas. From Yaesu, a logistics hub in Japan, it provides an opportunity to collectively consider the challenges faced by production sites and sustainable food practices.
3. **Co-creation between urban and rural areas:** 'POTLUCK YAESU' is a project to create 'places' and 'opportunities' for people challenging themselves in the regional economy to gather and connect. Yutaka LLC's corporate philosophy is 'Everyone Shines,' aiming to realize a society where everyone shines. By resonating with 'POTLUCK YAESU's' objective of 'regional economic creation,' we will create a new trend of regional revitalization from here.
## Product Sponsorship
This event is sponsored by for okawari TOKYO Co., Ltd., which provides carefully crafted salt by artisans.
Through the provision of this product, which maximizes the flavor of Akita's rich ingredients, participants will discover even greater depth in food and new culinary experiences.
https://www.okawaritokyo.com/
## One-Day Bar Manager: Yutaka Shoji
CEO, Yutaka LLC
Born in Akita Prefecture, graduated from Iwate University. Established Yutaka LLC in 2021. Having grown up on a farm, he felt firsthand the challenges faced by primary industries. Yutaka LLC develops craft beer using off-spec vegetables and fruits, operates a kitchen car (libero), and plans events. Through these businesses, he works on food loss reduction and regional revitalization.
In 2025, he organized an event that mobilized 160,000 people in Tokyo. Since 2022, he has continuously operated a kitchen car at food events held in Minato-ku (totaling approximately 10,000 visitors over two days).
In 2026, he made a guest appearance on an FM Akita program and produced the vendor area at the 'Takeshiba Minato Festa,' a town development event in the Takeshiba area in collaboration with Minato-ku.
HP: https://yutakacompany.com/
note: https://note.com/tkcgift
[Event Details