Dec 20, 2025
We were responsible for arranging the itinerary and driving the tour for the 'Sake/Shochu Brewery Tour for Influencers' hosted by the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association.
This project aimed to raise international awareness of Japanese alcoholic beverages and provide educational opportunities for overseas experts. It consisted of two parts: a tour for sommeliers visiting sake breweries (five participants) and a tour for bartenders visiting shochu and awamori distilleries (five participants).
■ Sake tour for sommeliers (Tohoku area)
The participants visited Saura, Kanbai Sake Brewery, Akita Prefectural Comprehensive Food Research Center, Akita Sake Brewing, Kodama Brewery, Saiya Sake Brewery, Tenju Sake Brewery, Dewatsuru Sake Brewery, and Akita Konno Shoten.
The tour combined learning about research and development related to yeast and koji at specialized institutions with the ability to experience firsthand how that research reflects in sake brewing at various breweries. Participants praised this as a "tour to learn about the fusion of science and tradition."
■ Shochu and Awamori Tour for Bartenders (Kyushu/Okinawa Area)
The participants visited Chuko Shuzo, Miyazato Shuzo, Mizuho Shuzo, Okinawa Prefecture Sake Brewers Association, Ishikawa Shuzo, Kokubu Shuzo, Wakashio Shuzo, Shoro Shuzo, Kodama Jozo, and Watanabe Shuzo.
Participants gained a new understanding of the diversity and flavor structure of shochu and awamori, and many positive comments were made, such as "I would like to use this in future proposals at stores, cocktail development, and consumer education."
Based on the valuable knowledge gained through these experiences and the people participating in them, we will continue to design professional-level alcoholic beverage education programs and strengthen our collaboration with local breweries.
