News

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If you’ve been listening to this show even intermittently over the past several years, you’re probably already aware that starting a sake brewery from scratch in Japan is, and has been for decades, a gargantuan task. However, in recent years, the number of young entrepreneurs navigating regulatory loopholes in order craft sake themselves in a manner that fulfills a dream and mission of cultivating a more inspiring and sustainable culture (and business model) for the next generation are beginning to pop up here-and-there across the country.

The latest challenger pushing the envelope is Yuji “Yoshi” Adachi, founder, head brewer, and farmer at Adachi Noujo, a new craft sake brewery scheduled to open in earnest in Osaka before the end of summer 2023. An increasingly popular bit of vocabulary being adopted by a growing number of sake breweries looking to summarize their dedication to agriculture and commitment to brewing, “Noujo” is a made-up word that mashes together the characters of “farming” and “brewing”. With his own single plot of koshihikari that he spent the past couple of years restoring, for the foreseeable future, it’s a one-man operation where Yoshi is handling…everything.

But Yoshi’s foray into sake was by no means preordained. Having spent his early 20s in Texas pursuing a lifelong ambition to become an Olympic swimmer, followed by a stint helping his father establish and run a Japanese food restaurant in the longhorn state, his return to Japan and a stint at a popular sake bar in Kobe sent him spiraling down the an unintended sake path. Being so young it seems like this new brewery popped up out of nowhere, but after 3.5 years at Hachinohe Sake Brewery (makers of Mutsu Hassen, not to mention the most awarded sake brewery of 2021) and two years at Nishiyama Shuzojo in Hyogo both brewing and farming, he’s been laying the groundwork for his vision through his first original label, Koyoi, and is now on the cusp of bringing a new sake brewery to his home city of Osaka for the first time in a long, long time.

For this episode, Yoshi shares his story, plans, and ambitions (including the establishment of a sake brewery in Switzerland!) with regular host Justin Potts. If you’re looking for a source of inspiration this week, look no further.

At the same time, if you’re looking for updates @sakeonair, you can follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Don’t hesitate to also share any other sake or shochu-related thoughts or questions with the hosts at questions@sakeonair.com and rate us on the podcast service of your choice while you’re at it.

We’ll be back very soon with plenty more Sake On Air.
Until then, kampai!

Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

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We’re somewhat at a loss for words.

When we first began Sake On Air back in October of 2018 it was by no means a given that we would wind up putting 100 episodes about sake and shochu out into the world.

Ambition, intertwined with ongoing effort to make a sake-centric podcast a reality was actually years in the making prior to this thing ever getting started. There was a feeling that something of this nature ought to exist, but with no real sake-specific precedent for reference, we had no idea as to whether or not anyone would actually listen, or if there was enough interest out in the world to justify this sort of production.

This week, we just want to say, “Thank you,” to everyone for proving to us and the global sake community at large that we were just the right amount of crazy not only for starting Sake On Air in the first place, but also for keeping this thing going.

We’ve always hoped that Sake On Air could be somewhat educational for those with both a new or insatiable interest in sake or shochu, but with so many great educational programs available nowadays, more than anything we’ve wanted the show to be a place where we could expand the dialogue – and in turn, the breadth of possibilities – for how these incredible drinks could live in the lives of both casual drinkers, as well as enthusiasts. We want for anyone and everyone with a spark of interest in the world of sake to feel comfortable and empowered to integrate these into their life in a way that makes sense for them, as well as share that experience with others. We know that one 60-minute episode isn’t enough to capture the depth and breadth of what the worlds of sake and shochu have to offer, but by keeping a large cast of hosts and inviting a wide range of guests to explore a variety of topics every other week, our hope is that the cumulative output of Sake On Air will be something evergreen for both new and old listeners for years to come.

We don’t know what the future will bring for the show – or whether or not another 100 episodes are even in our future – but this week, we just wanted to take a moment and express our thanks to all of our listeners for continuing to be our inspiration for keeping this going. So go ahead and grab your favorite koji-powered beverage and tune in.

If you like, you can share with us your own thoughts on how Sake On Air can continue to contribute to your life with sake and shochu. We’ll keep doing this as long as we feel we’re in a position to bring something meaningful and useful to the table. What that looks like is as up to you, our listeners, as it is to us. We love hearing from you, so please do reach out to us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, or you can always email us directly at questions@sakeonair.com.

Thanks so much for letting us do this 100 times. We’ll be back with round 101 before you know it.  
Until then, kampai!

Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

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Last week we brought you the first session from Sake Future Summit 2022 in a nice, easy-to-digest podcast package. (Videos from across the two weekends are, of course, still available for your viewing pleasure). This week we’re continuing that trend and bringing you another very special session that specifically examined the current and possible future state of the U.S. sake market, titled appropriately, Bringing Sake to the American Mainstream.

This particular roundtable was hosted by Weston Konishi, president of the Sake Brewers Association of North America. Joining him was Nina Murphy, owner of Sunflower Sake in Portland, Oregon, Pablo Rivera, founder of WESAKE, and Matt Bell, CEO of Origami Sake in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Each of these three inspiring entrepreneurs comes from a very different professional background and the resulting path that they’re charting for their own sake projects are equally unique, each poised to chart a new and exciting trajectory for the future of sake across the U.S.

If after listening to this week’s you’re still in need of some more sake and shochu-related musings, you can head over to the official JSS YouTube channel for all of these sessions and more. If you’re looking for more Sake On Air,  @sakeonair will connect you straight to us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You’re always welcome to reach out to us at questions@sakeonair.com as well.

Believe it or not, next week we’ll be back for our 100^th episode of Sake On Air.
Until then, kampai!

Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

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Back in January across two weekends, the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association hosted the second iteration of the Sake Future Summit. (The first was held back in 2020). For those that missed it, now is as good of a time as ever to catch up!

There were a handful of sessions conducted in Japanese (with English subtitles) that will require you to set aside a bit of time to read along. These include programs on, “Cutting Edge Sake & Food Pairing” with Marie Chiba (EUREKA!) and Hitoshi Utsunomiya (JSS),  “Challenging Tradition & Innovation”” with Choubei Yamamoto (Kaze no Mori) and Norimasa Yamamoto (KID), “Shochu as a Global Beverage” with Julia Momose (Bar Kumiko), Shuzo Nagumo (Spirits & Sharing), and Marico Kojima (JSS), and plenty more.

While the above programs will be infinitely tied to YouTube for most of our listeners, there were also a handful of thoughtful sessions conducted entirely in English. For those that find podcasts to be a more enjoyable way to absorb their sake and shochu info, we’ve decided to compile a handful of these into the good ol’ standard podcast format for your listening pleasure.

This week we bring you the session that kicked off this year’s Sake Future Summit, “The Global Transformation of Sake”, featuring Monica Samuels (Vine Connections/Kome Collective), Lorenzo Ferraboschi (Sake Company), and Hugo Chan (Sake Central), mediated by your regular SOA host, Justin Potts.

If you finish up this show and are eager to dive into more sake and shochu-related discussion, you can head over to the official JSS YouTube channel for all of these sessions, and more. At the same time, if you’re looking for updates @sakeonair, you can follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Don’t hesitate to also share any other sake or shochu-related thoughts with the hosts at questions@sakeonair.com and rate us on the podcast service of your choice while you’re at it.

We’ll be back very soon with plenty more Sake On Air before you know it.
Until then, kampai!

Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

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In last week’s episode I interviewed Elliot Faber of Sake Central in Hong Kong If you missed that conversation, I encourage you to hit pause, go back, and check that out.

We had a very lengthy conversation, some of which wound up on the cutting room floor.

There was one topic, however, that after cutting it from the initial interview, after going back, I started thinking that maybe we ought to put out into the world.

Being a newly minted father himself, our conversation naturally shifted to the topic of parenting while working in the drinks business, and more specifically, the sake business.

As a father of two myself, it’s something that I think about regularly, struggle with frequently, and live with daily.

The thoughts and experiences that Elliot and I shared are by no means meant to be advice, suggestions, or rules to live by. We fully recognize that peoples’ relationship with sake – and alcoholic drinks in general – are uniquely influenced by many factors, that they’re nuanced, and occasionally sensitive.

More than anything, following our discussion, I just felt that it addressed an important topic that touches both people working in the drinks industry, as well as their families, but doesn’t often get discussed as part of the regular conversation around “drinks” all that often. In the case of sake and shochu specifically, we’re on a mission to not only bring these fantastic and inspiring beverages to more people, but to hopefully do it in a way that makes their lives better as a result. As people with children make up a massive part of the global population, maybe taking a moment to have these kinds of conversations – and then think about how we can be a beverage category that supports families of all definitions – might be a meaningful path forward for everyone.

If you have your own thoughts and experiences related to how you’ve managed drinks and parenting in your own life that you’re keen to share with us, be those sake-specific or otherwise, please do. We’d love to hear them. You can share stories with us @sakeonair over on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or send us something directly to questions@sakeonair.com.

Thanks so much for tuning in this week. We’ll be back again very soon with more Sake On Air. Until then, kampai!

Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

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Summarizing the work of Elliot Faber is a challenge. Often simply introduced as “Sake Samurai”, a title bestowed in 2016, which added him to the ranks of the select and deserving few to carry the title, ever since he catapulted onto the global sake scene as beverage director spearheading an inspiring sake program at Hong Kong’s now renowned Yardbird in 2011, Elliot has gone on to position and re-position himself in every crack and crevice of the sake industry where he found room for meaningful contribution. In doing so, the Canada born-and-raised workhorse has strategically and masterfully woven an ecosystem for the proliferation and education of exceptional sake throughout one of the world’s most competitive and dynamic sake markets – Hong Kong.

On this week’s episode, Elliot sits down with regular host Justin Potts to talk about the evolution of Hong Kong’s now sake experience mainstay – Sake Central (where he is now interim CEO) – as well as how his other ventures such as Sunday’s Spirits and Kura Collective have proven integral to bringing exceptional Japanese sake, whiskey, shochu (and awamori!) product and relationships to life in Hong Kong and beyond. We touch upon the rapid succession of new projects and evolving initiatives that he helped bring to life amidst the island’s complex relationship living with COVID-19, and how unexpected opportunities led to knew projects in Singapore and a soon-to-be-opened sake dining establishment in Germany.

Last but not least, in 2022 Elliot was finally able to track down and acquire the rights to his 2015 book that first demonstrated to many of the sake-loving public outside of Hong Kong the passion and dedication that had been inspiring his work for years. Sake: The History, Stories and Craft of Japan’s Artisanal Breweries is (finally!) available once again through the serendipitous birth of the currently one-off Tanso Publishing house. Elliot tells us about the challenges with bringing this passion product back to life, as well as plans to further expand the work with extensive travel plans scheduled this summer in Japan.

A difficult man to keep in one place, right now Elliot is doing a “Sake a Day” challenge over on his Instagram, which is a great way to interact with the ever-busy Sake Samurai.

As for us here @sakeonair you we’re easy to keep up with on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Don’t hesitate to also share any other sake or shochu-related thoughts or questions with the hosts at questions@sakeonair.com.

We’ll be back very soon with plenty more Sake On Air.
Until then, kampai!

Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

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Sparkling sake is on the rise. A style that was often served and enjoyed as an exciting and curious anomaly only a few years ago has become a staple in the lineup of sake breweries all across Japan. While more and more breweries enter new products into the increasingly crowded market every year, a handful of breweries have committed a massive amount of energy and resources to doubling down on their commitment to quality and their position as leaders in this ever-more popular style.

The logistical and often cost-prohibitive challenges to delivering a quality, consistent – not to mention non-exploding – bottle of sparkling sake to market are very real, however. It’s those challenges, and the resulting price on the shelf to the end consumer, that have kept many of the beautiful examples of sparkling sake out of the hands of the majority of sake lovers across the globe.

One brewery in the U.K., however, has taken those challenges head on, committing to the level of craftsmanship, as well as the challenges, that go into making and delivering this exciting take on our beloved koji-fermented beverage.

Aptly named, The Sparkling Sake Brewery is the largely one-man, handcrafted vision of founder and head brewer, Naoki Toyota, dedicated to producing solely sparkling sake. The result of a handful of drastic life changes, including a move to the UK from his home in Japan, along with the birth of his first child, Naoki’s fascination with the concept of “impermanence” in nature and the beautiful depiction of that which he discovered in the world of fermentation led him to pursue sparkling sake as his means of exploration and expression.

Now, with the support of a team helping him to realize his passion and vision out in the world, The Sparkling Sake Brewery is releasing fresh-brewed and seasonal small-batch sparkling sake on a regular basis. From their flagship “awa” to the (currently sold out) “berries”, the brewery has also contributed their sake kasu to a unique local craft beer product, and provides shio koji for those with culinary ambitions.    

This week we’re joined by head brewer Naoki Toyota, as well as brand advisor and sake educator Tracey Delaney. Together, the two walk us through the experiences the led to the birth of The Sparkling Sake Brewery, the path that brought them together on a mission to pursue sparking sake (and sake in-general) in the UK, and their excitement and ambitions for the future of category.

Those curious to follow along with happenings at The Sparkling Sake Brewery can register for updates on product releases, as well as follow along on Instagram.

As for us here @sakeonair you can always journey with us over on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You’re welcome to share any other sake or shochu-related thoughts or questions with the hosts at questions@sakeonair.com.

We’ll be back very soon with plenty more Sake On Air.
Until then, kampai!

Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

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It is not so uncommon these days to come across non-Japanese sake brewers, indeed we have featured many on this show, but in the case of this week’s guest, sake is quite literally in his family’s DNA. Having been raised in the US, George Briant Inoue Parsons is now preparing to take over from his uncle to run Inoue Shuzo, makers of Hakoneyama brand sake, a 100 year old sake brewery in Kanagawa. It’s a role George never expected would fall to him, and he needed some persuasion to take up the family mantle, but he gave up a career in the hotel industry in Hawaii on hold to answer the call.

As the 8th generation president in-waiting, he now faces the challenge of keeping his family tradition alive while exploring new frontiers to take the brewery into the modern age. In an industry as old as sake with so many traditions and rules, it is a tough task for any non-Japanese to adapt, but George has had the added pressure of family expectation. Suffice to say, it has been a huge learning experience, and this is just the beginning of his journey. George might be half Japanese, but having spent such a long time outside Japan, he has that natural outsider appreciation for the deeper elements of Japanese sake culture and he is able to take a fresh perspective that people who have grown up in the country perhaps cannot. He is in a rather unique position of being able to look outwardly at his brewery’s heritage and this may provide hints on what direction to steer it in the future. Perhaps following in the footsteps of his great grandfather who was something of a pioneer in promoting sake overseas, George is also trying to bring his family’s sake to an international stage. 

Join Sebastien Lemoine and Christopher Hughes as they explore George’s sake beginnings and his vision for the brewery.

We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with more Sake on Air.
Until then, kampai!

Sake on Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

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For Paul Willenberg – aka “Namazake Paul”– namazake is a unique exploration into the seasonality of sake.

Based in Portland, Oregon, Paul has been lovingly cultivating what’s become arguably the most prolific source for unpasteurized sake (namazake) in the U.S. Due to namazake being primarily available only as seasonal, limited releases, along with the logistical challenges (and costs) associated with bringing this special sub-category of sake to a market that’s still very much in its early stages, availability of this exciting slice of the sake category has long been limited. However, thanks to Paul’s passion and commitment, awareness is growing, as is demand.

This week Sake On Air hosts Chris Hughes and Sebastien Lemoine sit down with Namazake Paul to discuss the appeal and possibilities unique to the world of namazake, as well as the approaches and challenges to making a nama-filled sake world a reality.

And speaking of seasonality, it just so happens that Paul has put together a special labor-of-love for the holiday season: the world’s first and only Sake Advent Calendar! If you’re listening to this week’s episode and have someone in your life that you think would benefit from a holiday season fueled by delicious sake, or if you’re looking to treat yourself a bit this year, there’s still time to score this special seasonal package in time for the holidays.

Share your namazake experiences with us here @sakeonair over on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you’re curious to know what the cast and crew of Sake On Air are up to, be sure to follow along with us at any or all of the above. You’re welcome to share any other sake or shochu-related thoughts or questions with the hosts at questions@sakeonair.com.

We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with more Sake on Air.
Until then, kampai!

Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

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“My life in Kyoto is my life in sake.”

Those few words from this week’s guest, Sake Concierge Takashi “Umio” Eguchi, rather appropriately and succinctly sum up why it is we were so excited to have him join us to explore such an iconic sake region.

Author of the excellent tasting notes for The Japanese Sake Bible, host of his insightful YouTube tasting series and the accompanying Sake Concierge website, as well as hosting a wide range of tasting events and tours throughout Kyoto and the surrounding regions exploring the finer details of sake, Umio’s love and appreciation for his home of Kyoto is palpable.

Note, however, that while this week’s show does indeed touch upon the greater Kyoto region just a bit, as often happens, the Fushimi region pretty much steals the show this week. Which is fine, as there’s never enough time that can be dedicated to this iconic area. (Those keen to dig deeper can revisit Episode 55, or John’s interview with Gekkeikan from the Sake Future Summit, as well). Rest assured, we’ll be back to Kyoto again – and again, and again… 

Another exciting component of this week’s show is that we’ve finally got our often behind-the-scenes, ever-traveling social media supervisor (and co-host of Sake Unplugged), Cindy Bissig taking a turn in the interviewer seat!

And one more thing: as you’ll hear at the top of the episode, Sake Future Summit is coming back! Tune-in for info on dates and times and be sure to follow along for more details as they materialize.

For that, along with plenty more sake and shochu updates, follow along with us at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or if you’d like to share your thoughts or questions with the hosts, please reach out to us at questions@sakeonair.com.

We’ll be back with more Sake On Air in just a couple of weeks.
Until then, kampai!

Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is recorded and broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

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As much as this week’s episode is informative, it’s also a bit of a celebration.

Simone Maynard (aka: Sake Mistress) has been a dedicated, hard-working evangelist spreading the good word of sake in her native home of Australia for years. That was until the spring of 2020 sent any and all opportunity to congregate around a bottle of nihonshu to a screeching halt. Unable to sit idly by while Japan’s breweries’ sales slumped and sake-inspired communities seemed to gradually dissolve, she launched Taste with the Toji, a weekly online community bringing sake lovers and sake-curious into the virtual room living room’s of sake breweries throughout Japan. What began as an experiment in hopes of at least managing to do something rather than nothing while being stuck in one of the most restrictively locked down regions of Australia, that experiment organically evolved into a nearly weekly gathering that is now approaching its 100^th session as of this recording.

Managing to cultivate a sake-centric community that incorporated a vast range of Japan’s most inspiring breweries and dedicated sake-driven followers eagerly tuning in each week for new sake discoveries and to check in with new and old friends alike, Taste with the Toji has become an international sake-lovers’ virtual watering hole that a diverse and ever-growing community not only takes part in, but also contributes to.

For a number of reasons outside of her control, despite extensive and incessant communication with breweries and community members supporting her work from Japan, the Sake Mistress was unable to venture back to the sake homeland until September 2022. Thanks to her thoughtful and dedicated engagement with the world of sake, her return marked both an inauguration and a celebration, as she was honored the with the prestigious title of Sake Samurai.

For this week’s episode, we interview Simone in front of a live audience, digging into her personal sake story, but also discussing her experience with the evolution of Taste with the Toji while distanced from Japan but connected through community at a distance over the past 2+ years, how it feels to be back on the island after so long for an entirely unexpected (but well-deserved) honor, and how she’s thinking about her sake path ahead.

For some of our listeners, this episode may come across as a bit “inside baseball.” That’s because the live audience gathered for this week’s recording is comprised of individuals that have been either dedicated followers or contributors (most often both) to the Taste with the Toji community over the past couple of years. An endeavor intrinsically interwoven into Japan’s sake landscape, the support of many individuals based here on the island have been a critical component fueling what Taste with the Toji has grown into. For many, this was the first chance to meet in person, celebrating the work of an inspiring Sake Mistress and an opportunity to raise an ochoko together in real life.

This was a rather special session that we all enjoyed a great deal. We hope that all of our listeners enjoy it as much as we did.

We’re as busy as ever at @sakeonair over on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you’re curious to know what the cast and crew of Sake On Air are up to or awaiting hints about what we’ve got coming down the pipeline, be sure to follow along with any or all of the above. If you’d like to share your thoughts or questions with the hosts, please reach out to us at questions@sakeonair.com.

We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with more Sake On Air.
Until then, kampai!

Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

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We’re continuing on our Sake Travel series this week with a visit to the city of Niigata. While the entire prefecture of Niigata is littered with fantastic sake destinations, we’ve decided to narrow the scope just a bit and save our explorations into the greater region for another day. That being said, we’ve dabbled in Nagaoka and Sado Island as part of our previous episodes, which are you can tune into now if you’re seeking a deeper exploration into the larger region right this minute.

In order to help us do this great city justice we’ve recruited Tomomi Duquette to the show this week, founder and director of Niigata Sake Lovers, not to mention a prolific educator and navigator throughout the larger world of sake in general.

In this week’s discussion we more-or-less arrived at the conclusion that a visit to Niigata should start (and end) with a visit to Tabi Bar and Ponshukan – both located right inside Niigata Station – but where you go from there is really up to you.

When it comes to drinks and dining we touch upon Furumachi Jikon, Bit, Armonia, Ponshu Girl, Suzuki Sengyoten (for the early-risers), Minato Sushi, and more. If you’re in town at the right time, there’s Furumachi Burarizake (Furumachi Pub/Izakaya Crawl), the (in)famous sake festival, Sake no Jin, and the recent Niigata brewing industry mainstay, the Niigata Jozo (Brewing) Summit.

For those looking to explore the wider world of Niigata brewing and beverage, spending a night in the neighboring fermentation town of Nuttari is a must, not to mention the ever-growing Niigata Wine Country and the enjoyment of Japan’s first craft beer brewery, along with a handful of other great local beer producers.

For sake brewery tours, Imayotsukasa is an easy (and highly recommended) visit, as well as DHC for its hospitality and welcoming setup at Kayamatei tasting room and cafe. The brand new doburoku-centric producer (and café), Lagoon Brewery, is new entry making an impact thanks to its great sake and beautiful location.

If you’re looking for something on your way in (or out) of town, we touch on a few sake-centric or heavily sake-influenced excursions, including Kamosu Mori and the surrounding onsen region (not to mention Tomomi’s new brewery project), or a visit to Tsubame Sanjo to explore the insane level of craftsmanship in metal working, producing some of the world’s most sought after culinary knives and the most inspiring copper wares north of the equator.

Niigata is incredibly accessible, yet still resting firmly in Hidden Gem status. As much as we’d like to keep it all to ourselves, we thought you deserved to enjoy it as much as we do on your next visit to Japan.

For more sake explorations and regional adventures, follow along with us at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or if you’d like to share your thoughts or questions with the hosts, please reach out to us at questions@sakeonair.com. We’ll be back with more Sake On Air in just a couple of weeks.

Until then, kampai!

Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is recorded and broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

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For this third installment of our Sake Travel Series, we’re heading north – way north!

More commonly associated with some of the best skiing and snowboarding on the planet, extravagant snow festivals, expansive landscapes unlike anywhere else in Japan, and a wholly unique and celebrated culture rooted in the livelihood of the Ainu people spanning centuries, it’s fair to say that Hokkaido was really only added to the sake map relatively recently.

But what an incredible trajectory Hokkaido sake is on. From the rapid development of breweries across the territory by Kamikawa Taisetsu, to the unprecedented brewery relocation of Michizakura to the region, and the almost overnight transformation into a rice-cultivating powerhouse, Hokkaido is being looked to as a vision for the future of sake.

To help you chart that vision this week are your hosts John Gauntner, Cindy Bissig, and Chris Hughes. From local stories and history to exciting brewery developments and a few suggestions on places to check out for some exceptional sake discoveries, we’ve got you covered.

For more info on Hokkaido and other regional adventures, follow along with us at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or if you’d like to share your thoughts or questions with the hosts, please reach out to us at questions@sakeonair.com.

We’ll be back with more Sake On Air in just a couple of weeks.
Until then, kampai!

Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is recorded and broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

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In August we gave you a taste of our new Sake Travel series, which we’ll be returning to again here shortly.

This week, however, we’ve got the first in what will be another new ongoing series: Unfiltered.

New things are happening all the time in and around the sake and shochu industries that are noteworthy and impactful. As individuals living-with-sake, we’re also constantly having a range of new experiences that are being impacted by the constantly evolving worlds of sake and shochu.

We wanted a good excuse to bring our hosts – and occasional guests – together to not only inform our listeners of some of the industry’s more significant news and developments, but also provide a bit of context, sharing our own personal thoughts, experiences, and insights along the way. We may (likely) just chat on sake-related things that just happen to be on our mind, as well.

This week your hosts Rebekah Wilson-Lye, Chris Hughes, and Justin Potts sit down to discuss:
・The underrecognized impact that catching COVID has on those in the food and beverage industry.
・The possibility of a (nearly) fully open Japan in the not-so-distant future.
・The National Tax Agency’s less-than-perfectly executed campaign to “get more young people to drink”.
・The establishment of the Japan Craft Sake Brewers Association and how it reflects (and challenges) current industry regulations while striving to broaden the category.

We had a lot more to discuss, but will be saving it for a future Unfiltered episode. Let us know what you think of this new series format by following along and sharing with us at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can share questions and ideas for future Unfiltered discussion topics by reaching out to us at questions@sakeonair.com.

Somehow, sake and shochu taste (even more) exceptional this time of year.
Enjoy (responsibly) and kampai!

Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is recorded and broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

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In case you missed it, last week we kicked off a new mini-series in Osaka. This week, together with hosts John Gauntner, Rebekah Wilson-Lye, and Chris Hughes, we’re off to Nagano!

Despite being Japan’s only entirely landlocked prefecture, sharing a border with 8 different prefectures gives the region with 2^nd most breweries in Japan some wild diversity. Being a rather short and easy trip from Tokyo gives it some great accessibility. Together, the newly-minted Geographical Indication of Nagano makes for a no-brainer when it comes to sake travel.

Despite this being a travel-centric episode, this week’s show is additionally packed with regional sake facts and is a fantastic primer on the region as a whole. From a breakdown on regional rice varieties and yeast types to local styles, an examination of local regional differences to unique food culture, the group’s combined sake knowledge and clear love for Nagano makes this episode a resource worth bookmarking for future reference.

Beautiful (and dangerous) festivals, massive sake events, excellent museums, favorite sake picks, great brewery visits, world-class lodging and dining, sake therapy, and more, this week the crew goes over this gorgeous region with a fine-tooth comb, demonstrating exactly why Nagano deserves its place near the top of the sake pyramid and a significant chunk of time on your next Japan itinerary.

For more info on Nagano and other regional adventures, follow along with us at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or if you’d like to share your thoughts or questions with the hosts, please reach out to us at questions@sakeonair.com.

We’ll be off to a new destination next week.
Until then, kampai!

Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is recorded and broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.