Exploring the Essence of Food Tech: A Liberal Arts Perspective on Our Culinary Future

On December 22, 2025, a thought-provoking book titled "Exploring the Essence of Food Tech: A Liberal Arts Perspective on Our Culinary Future" will be published. This work is a collaboration among Hirotaka Tanaka, CEO of UnlocX, Akiko Okada, Insight Specialist, and Michiaki Matsushima, editor-in-chief of the Japanese edition of WIRED. The book aims to redefine the intrinsic value of food through the lens of liberal arts and highlights the critical need to evaluate our food systems in light of emerging technologies.

The central questions posed in the book include: "What will we be eating in 2050?" and "Can we achieve true happiness in a technologically advanced world?" These inquiries resonate deeply with contemporary issues surrounding food security, sustainability, and the moral responsibilities of technology in enhancing human health and wellbeing.

Drawing on the popular webinar series “Future of Food Innovation” developed by WIRED Japan, the book features dialogues with leading researchers from various disciplines including anthropology, geology, architecture, and law. Notable contributors include:

- Hiroshi Miyata, Professor at Keio University School of Medicine
- Charles Spence, Professor at the University of Oxford
- Zōhei Shigematsu, Architect
- Sayaka Ogawa, Cultural Anthropologist
- David Montgomery, Professor at the University of Washington
- Masahiko Inami, Professor at the University of Tokyo

As we approach a world with a projected population of 10 billion by the 2050s, the book explores how food systems can enhance human society. The authors aim to investigate sustainable well-being, looking beyond the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to establish the Sustainable Well-being Goals (SWGs).

This book serves as a critical resource for anyone involved in the food business or those interested in the relationships between food, technology, and society. By incorporating a multifaceted viewpoint, it aspires to act as a compass in creating a better future for food.

- Introduction: The Shocking Realization that Technology Does Not Ensure Happiness
- Chapter 1: Why Liberal Arts Are Essential for the Future of Food
- Chapter 2: Food x Liberal Arts: Dialogues with 16 Thinkers

- Charles Spence: Rebuilding Social Connections Lost During the Pandemic Through Food Physics
- Zōhei Shigematsu: Transforming Urban Spaces Through Culinary Perspectives in Architecture
- Ken Fujiwara and Taizō Shima: Achieving Sustainable Fish Consumption Through Aquaculture
- David Montgomery: Saving the Planet Through Food by Considering the "Invisible World" in Soils and Body
- Junji Watanabe, Kazunori Ooki, and Munenori Sato: Transforming Kitchen Appliances with Gentle Technology
- Sara Robles: Reviving Food Sovereignty with Regenerative Approaches
- Hiroshi Miyata: Enriching the Food World with Data Science in the Web3 Era
- Ryo Yamazaki: Designing Communities with Edible Landscapes
- Sayaka Ogawa: Exploring What a Fragmented Self Eats
- Dominique Chen: Understanding What We Truly Taste
- Tatsuhiko Inatani: Who (or What) Decides What You Truly Want to Eat?
- Masahiko Inami: Enjoying Food Through Digital Twins
- Masanori Fukada: Crafting Future Food Stories Through Dialogue

- Chapter 3: Understanding the Essence of Food Innovation Through Liberal Arts
- Column: Unseen Assets Revealed Through a Liberal Arts Approach
- Conclusion: Discussing the "Future of Food" with Openness

Authors

- Michiaki Matsushima: As the editor-in-chief of WIRED Japan, Matsushima oversees a wide array of content across multiple platforms. He has a track record of editing influential works in the field of technology and design from leading thinkers like Chris Anderson, Kevin Kelly, and Jeremy Rifkin.
- Hirotaka Tanaka: The CEO of UnlocX, Tanaka has an extensive background in growth strategy and business development for the high-tech sector, including 8 years at McKinsey & Company. He founded UnlocX to support the creation of food ecosystems after helping launch the global food tech summit SKS JAPAN.
- Akiko Okada: Working as an Insight Specialist at UnlocX, Okada focuses on social implementation of food tech through business strategies. She has experience as a research specialist at McKinsey & Company and is dedicated to providing insights that help advance food innovation.

This upcoming release aims to stir important conversations among food industry professionals and lay readers alike, inviting them to consider the impact of culture, technology, and environment on our culinary choices and the future of food.