Meet the Circular Yokohama Team
Yu Kato
Founder of Harch Inc., a sustainability-focused digital media company. Yu launched Circular Yokohama and Circular Economy Hub in 2020 to promote the circular economy in Japan. He is a director of the Circular Futures Design Center at Shizenkan University, and Coordinator at the Yokohama SDGs Design Center.
Rina Muroi
Rina was born and raised in Yokohama, and brings a ENG/JP bilingual edge to the Circular Yokohama team. With a background in second language acquisition and international education, she leads collaborative initiatives and storytelling projects that connect local efforts with global audiences, building friendships through circularity.
Momoka Maruyama
After studying emotional well-being in Denmark, Momoka returned to Japan to major in international cultural exchange and research circular systems in society. Blending her curiosity with an early interest in psychology, she now focuses on building a world where kindness, relationships, and resources circulate through community-driven action toward a more sustainable future.
Takahiro Amano
Motivated by a vision of a sustainable future, Takahiro bridges finance and circular economy to drive change. He supports decarbonization in Yokohama’s Minato Mirai district and manages Circular Economy Hub, a web media spotlighting circular innovations in Japan and around the world.
Keisuke Kikuchi
Raised in Yokohama’s Seya Ward, Keisuke brings tech industry expertise to the Circular Yokohama team. With a background in both corporate and startup environments, he now drives regional collaboration and project design, in the Minato Mirai 21 district and beyond.
Kazuto Ishizuka
Kazuto lives between Kanagawa and Nagano and leads editorial work for Livhub, a sustainable travel magazine by Harch. He holds a GSTC tourism certificate and is a certified ecological regenerator. With interests in travel, food, and land stewardship, he explores how tourism can restore people and the planet.
Yu Kaneta
Originally from Hokkaido and now based in Yokohama, Yu leads PR and writing for Circular Yokohama, promoting a more inclusive and compassionate society. She also owns Coyote Books, a local bookstore, and is a certified sustainability practitioner with a background in aesthetics and the arts.
Circular Yokohama aims to create a better eco-system where people connect through the circular economy in fun and collaborative ways—resulting in more resource circulation, more smiles, and a thriving local economy.
