Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador

The Japanese Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) has appointed 21 Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassadors in February 2016 worldwide in order to promote Japanese foods and food culture to overseas. The ambassadors have a mission to propagate knowledge, information about Japanese foods and culture to a wide international audience and to expand exports of Japanese agricultural, forestry and fishery products.

The Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassadors are supposed to carry out the following three tasks:
1. Collaborate with MAFF to spread knowledge about Japanese foods and food culture.
2. Spread information about Japanese cuisine through a variety of outreach activities and various media.
3. Promote Japanese foods and food culture by providing professional advice to other parties.

The Danish professor and food writer, prof. dr. scient. Ole G. Mouritsen, has been appointed as Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador in February 2016 by MAFF.

Prof. Ole G. Mouritsen (University of Southern Denmark)

Professor Mouritzen


“Det er en stor ære at blive udpeget som Japansk Madambassadør. Jeg har I mange år været passioneret interesseret I det japanske køkken, og jeg vil som ambassadør fortsætte med at udbrede viden om japansk mad og madkultur.”

“It is a great privilege and honor for me to be appointed as Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador. Carried by passion and fascination for the Japanese cuisine I will continue to spread knowledge about Japanese food and food culture.”


Ole G. Mouritsen is a scientist and professor of biophysics. His research is directed toward a broad range of basic science questions, as well as their practical applications within biotechnology, biomedicine, and gastronomy. He is an elected fellow of the Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences, the Danish Gastronomical Academy, and Sigma Xi. He is the author of several scientific books and numerous scientific papers, in addition to being recipient of a number of prestigious science and science communication prizes. In his spare time, he cooks, collaborates with chefs, furthers his knowledge of all aspects of food, and writes articles and books about the science of food, including Sushi: Food for The Eye, the Body, and the Soul (2009), Seaweeds: Edible, Available & Sustainable (2014), Umami: Unlocking the Secrets of the Fifth Taste (2014), and Mouthfeeel: How texture Makes Taste (2016). He is currently president of the Danish Gastronomical Academy and director of Smag for Livet.

Prof. Mouritsen with Ambassador Suei