In the far northern landscapes of Hokkaido, where agriculture, dairy farming, and nature shape everyday life, Takao Matsudate is building a technology vision rooted not in noise or spectacle, but in purpose. As the Founder and CEO of MintWorks G.K., established in July 2014, he stands at the intersection of food, health, primary industries, and information technology—quietly developing solutions that could redefine how society understands nutrition and wellbeing.
Unlike many modern technology leaders driven by scale, visibility, or valuation, Matsudate’s philosophy is grounded in consistency, responsibility, and human-centered innovation. His journey is not simply the story of building a company; it is the story of a leader who believes technology should accompany people in one of the most fundamental aspects of life—eating.
A Leadership Philosophy Built on Keeping Promises
For Takao Matsudate, leadership was shaped early in his career by a mentor whose words continue to guide him today.
“It was the supervisor of the department I was assigned to as a new graduate,” he reflects. “He drilled into me the principle: ‘Always keep your promises to your company and to your customers.’”
That principle became more than workplace advice—it evolved into the foundation of his leadership ethos. Even after founding MintWorks, Matsudate continued his relationship with that mentor. They still share meals regularly, and those conversations continue to reinforce the values of trust, consistency, and accountability.
These ideals later became essential during the company’s formative years, when establishing credibility was difficult and every client relationship mattered.
From Dairy Farming Roots to the World of Technology
Born into a dairy farming family in Hokkaido, Matsudate’s earliest experiences were deeply connected to Japan’s primary industries. Interestingly, his original dream was not to become a technology entrepreneur, but a chef. However, life gradually redirected him toward economics, business, and eventually the IT industry.
While studying economics at a university in Hokkaido, a seemingly ordinary moment changed the course of his future. Experimenting with a friend’s personal computer sparked a fascination with technology that would define the rest of his career.
That curiosity evolved into decades of experience across multiple technological eras—from EUC and the internet to cloud computing and AI. Few leaders today can say they have witnessed every major shift in modern IT firsthand, but Matsudate has navigated each transformation while maintaining a remarkably grounded perspective.
Three Turning Points That Defined His Journey
Every transformative career is shaped by defining moments, and for Matsudate, three turning points stand above all others.
The first was beginning his professional journey as a businessman. The second came when family circumstances led him back to his hometown, where he became deeply involved in the IT enablement of primary industries and smart agriculture. The third—and perhaps most consequential—was his encounter with functional components within food and agriculture.
That discovery ultimately inspired what has now become MintWorks’ core technological focus: personalized nutritional balance analysis based on functional components.
This evolution reflects the unique way Matsudate views innovation—not as disconnected technological advancement, but as something deeply intertwined with human life, regional industries, and social wellbeing.
The Birth of MintWorks
Founded in 2014 in Hokkaido, MintWorks began with a practical mission: supporting the IT enablement of agriculture. Over time, however, the company’s vision expanded into a broader information services business focused on food and health.
At the center of this evolution lies a mission that continues to guide the organization:
“To provide information technology that enables people to lead a rich dietary life through food.”
Rather than chasing technology trends for visibility, MintWorks pursued a long-term vision connecting nutrition, information technology, and sustainability. This direction eventually led to the company’s development of personalized nutritional balance analysis technology based on functional components—an innovation Matsudate believes remains unrealized elsewhere.
Overcoming the Early Struggles of Credibility
Like many entrepreneurial ventures, MintWorks faced a formidable obstacle in its early days: a lack of recognition and trust.
“Our greatest founding-era challenge was simply that ‘we had no credibility as a company,’” Matsudate recalls.
There was no shortcut around this challenge. Instead, the company relied on the same lesson Matsudate learned from his mentor years earlier—keep promises and deliver results consistently.
“The only way to overcome it was to complete every job we were entrusted with and earn the customer’s trust—the same thing my supervisor had drilled into me as ‘keep your promises.’ Doing the obvious things steadily, day by day, is how we broke through,” says Matsudate.
This disciplined and consistent approach gradually transformed MintWorks from an unknown startup into a trusted technology partner, particularly among research institutions and universities.
Building Innovation Through Product Thinking
One of the defining characteristics of MintWorks is its approach to innovation. Matsudate emphasizes that the company does not merely deliver technology solutions—it walks alongside clients from the earliest stages of idea development.
“Our solutions are grounded in product thinking,” he explains. “Many projects begin at the stage of refining an idea—we walk alongside the customer toward their goal.”
This collaborative philosophy has attracted organizations operating at the frontier of research and innovation. Many of MintWorks’ clients include universities and research institutions, reflecting the company’s ability to bridge technical expertise with practical human application.
The company’s internal structure also contributes to its differentiation. MintWorks is built around seasoned professionals, including full-stack and network engineers with more than fifteen years of industry experience. By adopting the Godo Kaisha (LLC) structure, the company reinforces a culture in which every member carries operational responsibility and ownership.
Digitizing the Philosophy of “Food and Medicine Share the Same Source”
Among the most intriguing aspects of MintWorks’ future is a confidential core project that Matsudate hints could transform how society approaches nutrition and health.
He references the traditional Japanese expression “ishoku dougen（医食同源）”—the belief that food and medicine share the same source.
“Confidentiality prevents me from giving details, but when the technology behind our current core project is released, this philosophy will be realized through information technology, and our mission will be achieved,” says Matsudate.
While details remain undisclosed, Matsudate suggests that MintWorks is working toward realizing this philosophy through advanced information technology. The project represents more than technological advancement; it embodies the company’s broader mission to connect food, health, and data in meaningful ways.
For Matsudate, this is not merely innovation for innovation’s sake—it is about creating systems that quietly improve daily life.
Leadership Rooted in Human Perspective
As CEO, Matsudate describes his central responsibility as that of a sales leader responsible for generating the company’s revenue. Yet his leadership extends far beyond commercial strategy.
“My central role is that of a sales leader, generating the company’s revenue. During projects, however, I often speak from the user’s perspective. Discussions between researchers and engineers tend to lean toward technical arguments, so I bring opinions from the standpoint of those who will actually use the technology,” he shares.
This ability to bridge technical sophistication with practical usability is one of the defining aspects of his leadership style. Rather than becoming consumed by complexity, Matsudate consistently redirects conversations toward human impact.
Creating an Environment for Passionate Work
Interestingly, when asked about work-life balance, Matsudate focuses less on personal routines and more on organizational culture.
His goal is to create an environment where colleagues—particularly experienced engineers—can work with passion, focus, and fulfillment.
“I strive to make MintWorks a place where my colleagues can engage in passionate, rewarding work. Maintaining an environment in which our seasoned engineers can devote themselves fully to their work and concentrate deeply—that is my ideal as a leader,” he says.
This reflects a leadership mindset centered on enabling others to perform at their best. For Matsudate, sustaining innovation requires not only technical capability but also an environment where people can immerse themselves in meaningful work.
Addressing Japan’s Labor Shortage Through Technology
Looking at the broader business landscape, Matsudate identifies labor shortages as one of Japan’s most urgent and universal challenges.
Even as AI automates many tasks, he points out that physical work still depends on human hands. For companies operating within primary industries, securing reliable talent and collaborators has become increasingly critical.
This reality further reinforces MintWorks’ focus on technology that strengthens rather than replaces human capability.
A Vision for the Next Two Years
Looking ahead, Matsudate envisions MintWorks expanding beyond food and health information services into a highly specialized primary-industry DX initiative centered on functional components.
The vision includes land-based aquaculture projects leveraging the vast land and abundant water resources of Hokkaido. Early partnership discussions with like-minded companies have already begun.
At its core, this ambition is tied to a national and societal objective: improving Japan’s low food self-sufficiency rate through information technology.
“The first step toward partnerships with companies that share this aspiration has already been taken. I hope to improve Japan’s low food self-sufficiency rate through information technology and contribute to society,” assures Matsudate.
It is a vision that combines regional revitalization, sustainability, agriculture, and advanced digital infrastructure into one interconnected mission.
A Message to the Next Generation
Having witnessed every major IT transformation over the past several decades, Matsudate believes the coming decade will create unprecedented opportunities on a global scale.
“Across EUC, the internet, the cloud, and AI, I have witnessed every major IT trend. The next decade will bring business opportunities in which the world itself becomes unified in both depth and breadth,” he says.
Yet his advice to future leaders is not purely technological.
“Hold firmly to your own identity, and seize these opportunities in a way only you can—that is my message to the next generation.”
That message reflects the same philosophy MintWorks follows every day: a commitment to authenticity, steady progress, and meaningful contribution over hype or short-term recognition.
A Legacy Quietly Built in Hokkaido
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of Takao Matsudate’s story is his definition of success.
MintWorks does not aspire to become the loudest AI company or the most visible technology brand. Instead, the company seeks something far more enduring: to be remembered as an organization that steadily supported people’s dietary lives through information technology.
At the heart of this philosophy lies a profound vision:
“Using the power of information technology to sustainably support eating—the activity most familiar and continuous to people—will become one of the most meaningful endeavors for society in the future.”
For Matsudate, AI, data infrastructure, and machine collaboration are not destinations in themselves. They are simply tools serving a larger human mission.
From Hokkaido to the wider world, MintWorks is cultivating technology that quietly accompanies people at their dining tables—technology designed not for attention, but for lasting societal value.
And perhaps that quiet consistency is precisely what makes Takao Matsudate’s leadership so remarkable.
Quotes
“Our solutions are grounded in product thinking. Many projects begin at the stage of refining an idea—we walk alongside the customer toward their goal, rather than merely providing technology. The fact that many of our customers are research institutions and universities is likely a result of this stance.”
“Our company does not aspire to become a famous AI firm or a high-profile technology company. What we aim for is to be recognized—when people look back in ten or twenty years—as one of the companies that quietly yet steadily continued to deliver information technology from Hokkaido to support people’s rich dietary lives through food.”
“MintWorks aspires to be a company that cultivates information technology—technology that quietly accompanies people at their dining tables—from Hokkaido and delivers it to the world. That is the legacy we aim to leave behind.”
