Wakao majored in Marine Environmental Studies and Marine Biology at a university in Florida. After graduation, he engaged in marine environmental conservation projects in the Maldives and Malaysia. In 2007, he spearheaded the Sustainable Seafood Project at the Japan office of an international environmental NGO.
After becoming independent, he founded Seafood Legacy in Tokyo in 2015 and assumed the role of CEO. With the aim of passing on an abundance of seafood, a symbol of the connections between marine ecosystems, economy, and society, to the next generation (legacy), he has been leading a system change to mainstream environmentally sustainable and socially responsible seafood in the seafood distribution of the Asian region.
- Member, Friends of Ocean Action, World Economic Forum
- Expert Committee Member and Chairperson of the Fisheries Resources Subcommittee, Nikkei Blue Ocean Forum
- Board member, Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions
- Board member, IUU Forum Japan
- Member, Working Group for Promoting Proper Seafood Distribution, Fisheries Agency of Japan
among other roles