ANNUAL REPORT 2024
Dear TABLE FOR TWO USA Partners
and Supporters,
Your support for TABLE FOR TWO USA in 2024 has empowered us to deepen our impact and share the joy of healthy eating with thousands across the country. With your help, we’ve continued to connect communities through Japanese-inspired food education that nourishes both body and heart.
Our Wa-Sho – Learn. Cook. Eat Japanese! program reached over 5,300 participants through 292 classes and events. We also launched the Wa-Sho Seeds Partnership Program, enabling local partners in 11 states to bring our food education curriculum to their communities a truly exciting step forward!
We were honored to contribute to the inaugural Teaching Kitchen Symposium, where over 250 professionals from 40 states gathered to advance hands-on nutrition education. Being part of this national movement reinforced our commitment to making food literacy accessible and joyful for all.
Through our online Wa-Sho course, college students across 33 schools engaged with food in new ways—some even contributing translations to make the course bilingual. And for the 10th anniversary of Onigiri Action, nearly 293,000 photos were submitted, resulting in 1.46 million meals for children in need.
Thank you for being part of this journey. With your continued support, we look forward to growing our programs and planting even more seeds of healthy eating in the years to come.
Sincerely,
Mayumi Uejima-Carr
1 in 3 suffer from diet related In our world of 8 billion, while 10 people hungry,
health issues
Excess Unhealthy Foods
Inadequate Food
TABLE FOR TWO USA seeks to tackle both sides of the GLOBAL FOOD IMBALANCE by providing SCHOOL MEALS and FOOD EDUCATION to children in need.
ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2024
Onigiri Action
1.4M school meals
delivered to children in need through Onigiri Action(*).
School Gardens
1M school meals
delivered to children through sustainable school gardens.
Onigiri Action
posted during the campaign(*).
Onigiri Action
Photos from
50 states + D.C.
292K photos posted for Onigiri Action.
* The number of meals is the total of number of meals provided through TFT International and TFT USA
Wa-Sho
Wa-Sho
292
Live classes/events
5,367 people participated in our Wa-Sho program. provided all over the US.
55 events
2,782 students were held during #EdamameChamp campaign will have our food education opportunity
One of the most exciting aspects of the class was the energy and enthusiasm from the students. You could see how engaged they were, eagerly soaking in every detail. The instructors created an environment where the kids felt confident enough to ask questions and to get hands-on in the kitchen. It was wonderful to see them not just learning but truly participating in the process. What made the experience even more special was watching these students learn about Japanese culture through food. It wasn’t just about following recipes; it was a cultural immersion. They got to see how food connects to tradition, history, and even language. It was inspiring to watch them discover a new culture in such an interactive way.
Seeing the kids confidently working with ingredients they had never encountered before and taking pride in what they created was priceless. This cooking class wasn't just a lesson in making food it was a lesson in culture, teamwork, and creativity. The Wa-Sho Japanese cooking program is truly a one-of-a-kind experience, and I’m so grateful to have been a part of it. Highly recommended!”
Site Director at Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan Polite Piggy’s
OUR STORY / TESTIMONIALS
Elementary School Principal
“I have only heard wonderful things from parents and students! The biggest thing being that it is increasing students’ passion for cooking and their confidence in making recipes for their families at home”
Teacher
Parent
“My daughter made bento for her brother right after the workshop. Great class! Looking forward to the next one!”
“Thank you so much for coming out and having the kids try something new! It is always a treat for the kids to try something new and be exposed to other cultures.”
Elementary School Student
“I loved this program because we learned how to cook.”
Elementary School Student
"I liked eating healthy food that was super yummy.”
OUR PROGRAMS
School Meals
Meal-Sharing Program
Food Education
1: Meal Sharing Program
We partner with corporations and organizations to provide healthier options in cafeterias, restaurants, and vending machines. Twenty-five cents from each purchase is donated to provide school meals in areas of need.
Genji Sushi Bar in Whole Foods Markets across
2: ONIGIRI ACTION
Onigiri Action is our fall annual social good campaign that helps feed children. Since its launch in 2015, the Onigiri Action campaign has provided meals to millions of children in need around the world.
IMPACT OF ONIGIRI ACTION & SCHOOL MEALS
292K photos were posted
27% → 4% Health Issues
(% of students who have physical development problem) and more than 100 US schools participated in the campaign from 52 countries around the world, including 50 States + D.C. in the U.S.,
ONIGIRI ACTION IN 10 YEARS
2015 - 2024
Over 2M PHOTOS were posted
Over 10M MEALS were served to children in need around the world
The Children in Banda village, Rwanda, who have received our meal support since kindergarten continue to attend school. Two hope to become doctors and one a teacher.
Ms. Christine in Banda Village, Rwanda, is a former recipient of our school meal support in Banda Village who pursued her studies outside the village and returned as a dedicated elementary school teacher.
Japan and the U.S. photos in a fun relay!
-making event for Onigiri Action
FESTIVALS
SCHOOLS
Hundreds of students (Elementary to College!) made onigiri.
CORPORATIONS
MUFG
3: Wa-Sho
Wa-Shokuiku - Learn. Cook. Eat Japanese! (Wa-Sho) is a unique Food Education Program in which American students learn about healthy eating through Japanese food, which is known as one of the world‘s healthiest diets.
Learn
IMPACT OF FOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM
292 live classes/events
5,367 students
Wa-Sho class/event provided in 2024 For K-12, college students and community members
Wa-Sho Class Participants
The program has reached over 23K students since its launch in 2017
WHY JAPANESE-INSPIRED FOOD EDUCATION?
Balanced Diet & Longevity
- Registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
- One of the healthiest diets in the world
Comprehensive Approach
- Balanced meals
- Gratitude for food
- Inheritance of a rich food culture
- Solving food-related problems
Practical & Tasty Way of Cooking
- Teach how to cook healthy and tasty meals
- Use various cooking methods not only cutting and mixing but also stir frying, grilling, boiling
children are obese
Source: National Health Statistics Reports Nr.158, 2021
Necessary amount per year Average amount US students receive per year
7 hrs 40-80 hrs recommended
Source:
2024 HIGHLIGHTS Part1
seeds
A new partnership program “Wa-Sho Seeds” was launched to spread “Wa-Sho” to more regions in the U.S. Our partner instructors use our curriculum (seeds) and implement (grow) Wa-Sho programs in their communities
Over 30 colleges across the
Mini Wa-Sho
2024 HIGHLIGHTS Part2
Cookbook
Our cookbook for Kids and Family will be published! Release Date: Aug 2025
Chef collaboration
A lesson on how to cook vegetables in a tasty way and prepare a Japanese omelet taught by Chef Masa from Kyoto!
Okonomiyaki, Sweets to Soy, various lessons were provided for Navy families! Navy families
Ouchigohan
This year we worked with 8 Japan Societies to bring 11 online cooking classes to 350 participants across the U.S.
Thanks to our partners! Thanks to our partners!
2024 HIGHLIGHTS
Soy-related photos were posted!
Corporate Events
We partnered with the Embassy of Japan. With Japan Foundation LA, we organized "Hakko/Fermentation” event with Mr. Hiraku Ogura We had a demo the Japanese Food JAPAN-RELATED ORGANIZATIONS
Sustainable School Project TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE WORLD
At the schools we support in Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania, innovative sustainable school pumps powered by solar energy have been built. Schools along with community members and maize and sell the crops to purchase enough maize for school meals. Plus, children and members can learn about agricultural practices, food, nutrition education and environmental
Earmarked for Operations
$224,536
$7,149
Total $256,995
IMPLEMENTING PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
Japan-related Organizations
Embassy of Japan, Japan Information & Culture Center (JICC), The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of JAPAN (MAFF), The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Los Angeles, Japan Foundation Los Angeles/New York, Japan-America Society of Washington DC / Georgia / Boston / Houston / Colorado / Indiana / New York / Greater Philadelphia / North Carolina, JTM, Japanese Friendship Garden San Diego, US JETAA, Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program, National Japan Bowl, JOI, Globalize DC, Morikami Garden, Phoenix Garden, JCC Chicago, JACCC, Sakura Foundation, etc.
TABLE FOR TWO STARTED
ONIGIRI ACTION LAUNCHED PROGRAM Timeline
TABLE FOR TWO USA STARTED
MEAL SHARING PROGRAM LAUNCHED
FIRST SCHOOL MEALS PROVIDED IN USA
TABLE FOR TWO was initiated by and Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders.
As a non-profit organization which started globally, TFT USA has started innovative Action, #EdamameChamp and Wa Japanese!- featuring Japanese food issues.
OUR TEAM
Executive Advisors
Professor Jeffery Sacks
Director of the Earth Institute; Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development at Columbia University; Special Advisor to UN
Ambassador
Motoatsu Sakurai
Former President of Japan Society New York; Former President of Mitsubishi International Corporation; Former Ambassador and Consul General of Japan in New York
Board of Directors
Satoru Murase Partner, Mayer Brown LLP
Masahisa Kogure
Executive Director, TFT International
Atsushi Kuromatsu President, Mitery Associates
Hideharu Kojima Partner, KPMG
Fumitsugu Tosu Head of Programme, UN World Food Programme
Daniel Goldstein CEO, Purple Carrot
TABLE FOR TWO International: Founders
James Kondo
Chairman, International House of Japan
Motohisa Furukawa
Member of the House of Representatives
Nobuo Domae
Chairperson, Member of the Board of Directors, Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd.
Keiichiro Asao
Member of the House of Representatives
Syokei Suda President of Enigmo Inc.
Kohey Takashima President of Oisix ra daichi Inc.
Kumi Fujisawa Co-Founder of SophiaBank
Chikara Funabashi
Project Director, Tobitate! (Leap for Tomorrow) Study Abroad Initiative
Kota Matsuda Founder of Tully’s Coffee Japan
