Raising the Glass: Yohay Wakabayashi ’03 is Reimagining Beer as Luxury

Seven years ago, Yohay Wakabayashi and his business partner, Keith Martinez, set out to create a luxury beer that could stand alongside champagne, the most common aperitif in elegant Japanese restaurants. “The image of beer is cheap and casual, not elegant and sophisticated,” says Yohay. “I realized that I need to build a brand from scratch so that people could drink it proudly.” This vision led to the launch of Maison Rococo and its flagship luxury beer, ROCOCO Tokyo WHITE.

The seed of Yohay’s entrepreneurial spirit was planted in the United States. Following his older sister, Yohay enrolled at Fay in September of 2000. On his first day, a faculty member gave him some paper and asked him to write about anything so they could assess his English skills. “I could only write my name,” he recalls. Despite the language barrier, Yohay remembers the kindness of his classmates, who would try to engage him in conversation even though it was difficult. 

After Fay, Yohay attended Brooks School and the University of Rochester, where he also earned an MBA with a concentration in marketing. Upon returning to Japan, he worked as a brand manager for American and British consumer packaged goods companies. However, Yohay’s American experience had ignited a desire to build something of his own. 

Yohay and his partner spent a year surveying the restaurant scene to develop the taste profile for ROCOCO Tokyo WHITE. In the United States, patrons often seek robust craft beers to complement strongly flavored foods like hot wings. However, in a fine dining setting, beer's flavor needs to be more subtle to avoid overpowering the delicate flavors of fine cuisine. “The food is the hero,” Yohay explains. To refine the product, Yohay met with leading chefs and sommeliers all over Tokyo to learn which beer would pair best with their cuisine. The minimalist Hefeweizen, known for its smooth flavor, non-bitter taste, and fruity aroma, was the clear favorite. It complemented the food without overpowering it, a quality that many did not think would be possible for a beer.

Crafting the beer was only the first challenge. Changing its cultural perception was an even bigger task, especially in Tokyo, a city with one of the most developed culinary scenes in the world. With over 130,000 restaurants—surpassing New York City's 20,000—Tokyo boasts the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants globally. Most fine dining establishments won’t even bring a bottle of Sapporo or Kirin to the table, so Yohay and his partner oversaw the creation of a unique label design so that sommeliers could present the bottle proudly to their customers at the table. 

Yohay’s last significant hurdle was to convince chefs at Michelin-starred restaurants to meet with him and try a product with zero brand awareness. For the first year that ROCOCO was on the market, he spent every afternoon attempting to secure meetings with chefs. Often, he would spend the lull between lunch and dinner seatings making his pitch. Despite the challenges, Yohay drew inspiration from the lessons learned at Fay: “There were many moments when I felt like giving up, but Fay’s motto, ‘You Can if You Will,’ became fundamental to the way I think.” 

Yohay’s persistence paid off. Within the first year, he forged partnerships with over 100 Michelin-starred restaurants to feature ROCOCO Tokyo WHITE. Today, the beer is available in over 500 restaurants and luxury hotels across Japan, as well as in Singapore and Taiwan. Yohay also collaborates with All Nippon Airways (ANA), and ROCOCO is served in the prestigious ANA Suite Lounge at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. Yohay’s strategy focuses exclusively on fine dining restaurants, luxury hotels, and upscale venues, with no retail distribution. 

Yohay’s compelling story resonated with fellow alums Patrick Ko ‘94, Joon Cho ‘03, and Kevin Lee ‘11, who have all invested in Yohay’s company. Classmate Tyler Godoff ‘03 supported the initial round of funding; afterwards, Tyler visited Yohay in Tokyo where they joined Arthur Ting ‘90 at Sushi Saito, a legendary 8-seat restaurant to sample ROCOCO Tokyo WHITE. When asked why he chose to back ROCOCO, Tyler remarked, “I am inspired by Yohay’s vision and the unique opportunity to invest in a Japanese company started by a Fay classmate who I got to know on the football field.”

Yohay is now setting his sights on breaking into the U.S. market. “ROCOCO may be made in Japan using water from Mount Fuji, but it has a very American DNA,” he remarks. “I believe we have a shot at becoming the most relevant Japanese beer in the United States.”