Ajiwow Inc. Begins R&D and Commercialization Following Transfer of 'ROKU SHOKU' Technology and Patents from Sony Group
Ajiwow Inc. has acquired Sony Group's 'ROKU SHOKU' technology, aiming to convert chefs' tacit knowledge into data and transform cooking into reproducible IP.
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- 📰 Published: April 2, 2026 at 07:22
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 2, 2026 at 12:57 (1469h 34m after Published)
Ajiwow Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Tomoko Nomoto; hereinafter 'the Company') has received the transfer of technology and patents for 'ROKU SHOKU,' which Sony Group Corporation has been researching and developing since 2019. The Company will begin research, development, and commercialization on April 1, 2026.
'ROKU SHOKU' is a system that records and digitizes changes during cooking—such as heat, stirring, timing of ingredient addition, and moisture evaporation—with high precision, down to 1 second, 1°C, and 1g, enabling the reproduction of a master chef's taste. Cooking records are made in a dedicated studio, analyzed, converted into data, and then reproduced using a specialized IH system. Since the system automatically manages heat control and cooking status, anyone can provide a chef's taste with high reproducibility simply by following the cooking navigation, regardless of their cooking skills.
The food industry faces challenges such as the reliance on individual skills, labor shortages, and the loss of technical expertise. Just as the music industry expanded with the birth of 'recording' technology, the Company aims to build a new industrial foundation through 'ROKU SHOKU'—a technology that records and reproduces cooking. By accumulating cooking processes as 'reproducible IP,' we aim to protect chefs' creativity while connecting it to monetization.
This system was exhibited at the 'EARTH MART' signature pavilion (Producer: Kundo Koyama) at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. CEO Tomoko Nomoto was selected for the Forbes JAPAN '25 People Shining the Future of Food' project. Additionally, 'ROKU SHOKU: A system that can record and reproduce cooking' won the 'GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2025,' garnering widespread attention.
The Company will promote R&D and business development with a focus on the following areas:
1. Building a Cooking Data Platform: In collaboration with chefs, restaurants, food manufacturers, and local regions, we will promote the collection and standardization of 'ROKU SHOKU' data using the 'Cooking Recorder.' This aims to achieve quality stabilization, technical succession, and labor saving simultaneously, building a new culinary infrastructure across dining, home-meal replacement, and institutional food services.
2. Creating a Culinary IP Business: We will establish a mechanism to license and distribute accumulated 'ROKU SHOKU' data. In addition to restaurant expansion, we will promote adoption in elderly care facilities, group homes, corporate cafeterias, hospitals, and resort hotels. By expanding environments where chef-supervised menus can be provided stably with high reproducibility, we aim to form a new ecosystem that improves the dining experience for facility users, reduces operational burdens, and monetizes chefs' skills.
[Comment from CEO Tomoko Nomoto]
I am honored that Ajiwow Inc. can take on the R&D and commercialization of 'ROKU SHOKU,' a technology that Sony Group has researched for many years. Cooking has the power to move people and create excitement. Through 'ROKU SHOKU,' by making chefs' tacit knowledge recordable and reproducible as data, we hope to connect the value of irreplaceable dining experiences and the emotions born from them to more people and the next generation. We aim to realize a new industry where high-quality dining experiences can be delivered stably even in environments where it is difficult to secure cooking staff, such as elderly care facilities, hospitals, and corporate cafeterias, while ensuring chefs' skills are properly evaluated and monetized.
'ROKU SHOKU' is a system that records and digitizes changes during cooking—such as heat, stirring, timing of ingredient addition, and moisture evaporation—with high precision, down to 1 second, 1°C, and 1g, enabling the reproduction of a master chef's taste. Cooking records are made in a dedicated studio, analyzed, converted into data, and then reproduced using a specialized IH system. Since the system automatically manages heat control and cooking status, anyone can provide a chef's taste with high reproducibility simply by following the cooking navigation, regardless of their cooking skills.
The food industry faces challenges such as the reliance on individual skills, labor shortages, and the loss of technical expertise. Just as the music industry expanded with the birth of 'recording' technology, the Company aims to build a new industrial foundation through 'ROKU SHOKU'—a technology that records and reproduces cooking. By accumulating cooking processes as 'reproducible IP,' we aim to protect chefs' creativity while connecting it to monetization.
This system was exhibited at the 'EARTH MART' signature pavilion (Producer: Kundo Koyama) at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. CEO Tomoko Nomoto was selected for the Forbes JAPAN '25 People Shining the Future of Food' project. Additionally, 'ROKU SHOKU: A system that can record and reproduce cooking' won the 'GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2025,' garnering widespread attention.
The Company will promote R&D and business development with a focus on the following areas:
1. Building a Cooking Data Platform: In collaboration with chefs, restaurants, food manufacturers, and local regions, we will promote the collection and standardization of 'ROKU SHOKU' data using the 'Cooking Recorder.' This aims to achieve quality stabilization, technical succession, and labor saving simultaneously, building a new culinary infrastructure across dining, home-meal replacement, and institutional food services.
2. Creating a Culinary IP Business: We will establish a mechanism to license and distribute accumulated 'ROKU SHOKU' data. In addition to restaurant expansion, we will promote adoption in elderly care facilities, group homes, corporate cafeterias, hospitals, and resort hotels. By expanding environments where chef-supervised menus can be provided stably with high reproducibility, we aim to form a new ecosystem that improves the dining experience for facility users, reduces operational burdens, and monetizes chefs' skills.
[Comment from CEO Tomoko Nomoto]
I am honored that Ajiwow Inc. can take on the R&D and commercialization of 'ROKU SHOKU,' a technology that Sony Group has researched for many years. Cooking has the power to move people and create excitement. Through 'ROKU SHOKU,' by making chefs' tacit knowledge recordable and reproducible as data, we hope to connect the value of irreplaceable dining experiences and the emotions born from them to more people and the next generation. We aim to realize a new industry where high-quality dining experiences can be delivered stably even in environments where it is difficult to secure cooking staff, such as elderly care facilities, hospitals, and corporate cafeterias, while ensuring chefs' skills are properly evaluated and monetized.
FAQ
What is 'ROKU SHOKU'?
It is a technology that records a chef's cooking process with high precision—including temperature, time, and weight—and reproduces it using a dedicated system.
What are the benefits?
It eliminates the reliance on individual skills and enables the consistent provision of professional-quality meals even in labor-short environments.
Who can use this?
It is designed for restaurants, elderly care facilities, hospitals, and corporate cafeterias where both quality and efficiency are essential.