Akito Ishizuka
After graduating from university, Akito Ishizuka joined Goldman Sachs as a member of its first graduate intake of Japanese professionals. In the Investment Banking Division, he worked on a wide range of capital-raising transactions, including IPOs of international companies and equity and debt offerings in Japanese and global markets.
He subsequently joined Citibank, where he worked in foreign exchange, interest-rate derivatives, government and corporate bond trading, as well as business development, building deep expertise at the forefront of the financial markets.
From the early 2000s, Akito served as a board director responsible for finance and corporate administration at a publicly listed company and as Chief Financial Officer of several emerging businesses. His responsibilities included fundraising, corporate governance, business revitalization and growth strategy. He also provided hands-on investment and management support to technology start-ups developing solutions in emotion recognition, speech recognition and cybersecurity.
In 2010, he joined Tokyo Star Bank and led the establishment and expansion of its financial markets business. Through designing the trading floor, recruiting specialist talent and developing a comprehensive portfolio of financial products, he helped transform the business into one of the bank’s principal sources of revenue.
In 2022, Akito was appointed Japan Country Head and Branch Manager of the Tokyo Branch of DBS Bank Ltd. Alongside overseeing the bank’s operations in Japan, he led initiatives combining finance and technology, including the introduction of an AI-powered platform for individual customers to the Japanese market.
Alongside his career in finance, technology and business leadership, Akito has cultivated a lifelong passion for wine and sake. He is fascinated by the character of each place, the philosophy of its producers, the culture surrounding the table, and the connections created when people share a bottle. Wine and sake have brought him many of life’s most meaningful encounters, both in Japan and around the world.
He holds the Japan Sommelier Association’s Wine Expert and SAKE DIPLOMA certifications, together with the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines and the WSET Level 3 Award in Sake. Through visits to wineries and sake breweries and conversations with producers, he has developed an appreciation of terroir that extends beyond technical knowledge to embrace the culture and spirit of place.
In 2026, Akito founded Terroir Nexus. He brings together the strategic insight and analytical discipline developed through finance, technology and corporate leadership with the sensibility and relationships cultivated through wine, sake, gastronomy and travel. His aim is to introduce the authentic values of Japan’s regions to discerning guests from around the world.
By understanding the land, its people and the stories behind their craft, Terroir Nexus transforms these elements into highly personal experiences. Guided by its mission, “Transforming Japan’s terroir into life-enriching experiences,” it aspires to build enduring connections between Japan and the world, and between extraordinary places and the people who seek to understand them.
Representative Director, CEO of Terroir Nexus Inc.
“Transforming Japan’s Terroir
into Stories the World Longs to Experience.”
Akito Ishizuka
Founder & Representative Director, CEO
Across Japan lie extraordinary culinary traditions, exceptional wines and sake, distinctive landscapes, and the untold stories of the people who bring them to life. We interpret their authentic value through a global lens and share it with discerning guests from around the world.
Our mission is to create a true “Nexus”—a meaningful connection between artisans and guests, transcending the boundaries of language and culture to inspire genuine and lasting emotion.
Through uncompromising quality and highly personalized concierge service, we bring the essence of Japan’s terroir to the world and preserve it for generations to come.
Track Record
Future Vision
With extensive experience in valuing diverse financial products within the banking industry and years spent as an executive for both startups and listed companies, I have dedicated myself to recognizing the true value of intangible assets. I now channel this expertise toward protecting and globalizing the unique essence of Japan’s terroir.
Our goal is to establish a global ecosystem where Japan’s pinnacle of quality is justly recognized through the harmony of technology and human sensibility. We strive to create a future where next-generation producers can innovate with pride, ensuring that Japan’s fading aesthetic sense is woven eternally into the global fabric.