Sake On Air

We’ve welcomed more than an a few non-Japanese kurabito to the show in the past that have made sake brewing here in Japan their chosen path for a day or a lifetime. As the number of breweries integrating more diverse members into their workforce increases, it’s becoming difficult to keep track of the range of characters immersing themselves sake-driven careers here in the land of the rising sun.This week’s guest, however, has been on our radar for some time. Having spent roughly a decade brewing at a diverse range of highly respected breweries across Japan, including Okazaki Shuzo (Nagano), Yoshida Shuzo (Shimane), Kamoizumi Shuzo (Hiroshima), Banjo Jozo / Kuheiji (Aichi), and now, Terada Honke (Chiba), Mehdi Alexandre Medhaffar has gradually been refining his craft while exploring the depth and breadth of his relationship with the beverage that’s become a pillar of his life and livelihood.While Mehdi’s relatively recent transition to Terada Honke marks a very significant and personal change (which we discuss), his path to the present and his learnings along the way all contributed significantly to the development of his values in relation to this miraculous beverage that we celebrate. Sebastien Lemoine and Chris Hughes join Mehdi this week as he retraces his steps and recollects on how his life and evolution as a kurabito has inspired an evolution within himself.For those interested in following along with Mehdi’s adventure, you can do so on Instagram at @nomad_sake_brewer. Be sure to also keep tabs on Sake On Air over on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, as well. Please also take a moment to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite listening service, as it helps new sake lovers discover the show. Any additional comments and questions can be sent to us at questions@sakeonair.staba.jp.We’ll be back with more Sake On Air in a couple of weeks.Stay tuned, and 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 a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

It’s been way too long since we’ve spent an entire episode dialing straight into the world of awamori. That’s why we’re thrilled that your host Christopher Pellegrini’s recent trip to Okinawa brought him together with Maurice Dudley, a man who has been slightly behind the scenes but at the absolute center of the concentrated efforts to bring the glory of awamori to spirits and cocktail connoisseurs throughout his hometown of Okinawa, as well as to regions across the globe.Maurice is a literal veteran in Okinawa, now having called the islands of the Ryukyu Kingdom his home since the mid-90s. This week he tells us about how during his time stationed with the U.S. military motivated him to double-down on his time spent with the local community on the island and the dining and drinking customs that accompanied the experience, how his bar and trade operation Blue Habu is playing a critical role in allowing him to communicate his love of awamori, and he also discusses with us takeaways from his recent promotional tour across Europe sharing Ryukyu 1429, followed by his aspirations for the future of the category.  We hope you’ll track down a bottle of awamori and pour yourself a glass (or several) and sip along with us for this personal and insightful interview. While you’re at it, follow along with Maurice and his Blue Habu exploits in Okinawa and beyond on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Be sure to also keep tabs on Sake On Air over on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Please also take a brief moment to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite listening service, as well. Any additional comments and questions can be sent to us at questions@sakeonair.staba.jp.We’ll be back with more Sake On Air in a couple of weeks.Stay tuned, and 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 a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

The podcast explores the historical and current collaboration between the sake and beer industries. It discusses the overlap between sake and beer enthusiasts, the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the evolution of sake brewing in Japan. The podcast also delves into the intertwined history of beer and sake in Japan, the development of the craft beer scene in Japan, and the intriguing combination of sake and beer pairings.

In Part 1 of this special two-part series visiting the producers reviving the lost art of kamejikomi, we spoke with Ken Kojima of Kojima Sohonten, makers of Toko sake in Yamagata Prefecture.This week we travel to the town of Gose in Nara Prefecture to chat with Chobei Yamamoto who represents 13 generations of sake-making at Yucho Shuzo, best known for their sake brand, Kaze no Mori. Yamamoto-san has not only reinstated the use of traditional kame earthenware pots into brewing, but he’s restored and reconstructed an entirely new brewery committed to traditional brewing practices utilizing kamejikomi.Having been dormant for the past 100 years, the new Kyoho Kura is dedicated entirely to the new soon-to-be-released Mizuhana brand sake. Mizuhana sake is not only brewed in traditional kame, but is also made in-line with traditional brewing recipes from start to finish. In this episode, Yamamoto-san gives us a bit of background into the role of Nara and the temple brewing that took place there which laid the groundwork for modern sake brewing, communicating why it makes so much sense for Yucho Shuzo to be dedicating the resources it has to these all-but-lost brewing traditions.You can learn more about Yucho Shuzo and Kaze no Mori here, as well as follow along with their work, their sake, and exploits in brewing and agriculture on Instagram at @kazenomori1719. Be sure to keep tabs on Sake on Air over on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, as well. Please take a moment to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite listening service. Any additional comments and questions can be sent to us at questions@sakeonair.staba.jp.We’ll be back with more Sake on Air next week.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 a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Back in Episode 51 we explored the hard work being invested in restoring kioke, the large-scale traditional wooden tanks that transformed sake brewing in the Edo Period. Thanks to the hard work of many, supply can’t keep up with demand and as more and more breweries are wanting to reintegrate kioke back into their brewing practices and more woodworking craftsman are stepping up to learn the craft.But brewing using kame has been completely abandoned for (probably) at least the past couple hundred years; that is until now.As with the historical vessels commonly used for brewing during more primitive times in cultures all around the world, earthen ware pots, or kame, were long the standard containers where fermentation took place. Having been retired entirely following the development of the craftsmanship that led to larger wooden tanks and vessels that allowed brewers to significantly scale production, kamejikomi – brewing in earthenware pots – long ago became a thing of the past.But in hopes of restoring brewing traditions, as well as the craftsmanship and lessons associated with them, a pair of breweries have recently managed to bring kamejikomi back to life in their respective kura. Across a pair of episodes featuring these respective breweries, we’ll hear about how this exciting challenge is being realized at a time when there’s still no real precedent in recent history.In this episode, we’ll be hearing from Ken Kojima who represents 24 generations of Kojima Sohonten, makers of Toko brand sake, as well as both the Retsu and Kojimaya labels. Tune in to learn how it is that one of the oldest breweries in Japan decided to make a brewing dream a reality in their beautiful winter wonderland of Yonezawa in Yamagata Prefecture.You can read more about Kojima Sohonten in this recent piece over at Japan Today, as well as follow along with the world of Toko Sake on Instagram at @toko_sake. Don’t forget to follow along with Sake on Air over on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, as well. You can also leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite listening service. Any additional comments and questions can be sent to us at questions@sakeonair.staba.jp.We’ll be back with Part 2 of this special series that will feature Yucho Shuzo, the makers of Kaze no Mori, 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 a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Last week we focused our energy on examining the Niigata region as a whole. This week we’re once again joined by our same guests, Ms. Kaoru Ito and Mr. Hiroshi Nagamoto from the Overseas Business Department of Asahi Shuzo Sake Brewing Company, makers of Kubota, to delve into the ubiquitous brand of sake almost synonymous with the region of Niigata and celebrated not only in its home territory of Nagaoka, but also throughout Japan and by sake lovers and connoisseurs across the globe.Instead of focusing heavily on the flavor and stylistic profile of Kubota (hint: we already know it’s good) or a lot of the technical minutiae that goes into differentiating it from other established tanrei karakuchi competitors, we wanted to instead take some time to examine the context behind which such an iconic brand initially came into being, how it developed, the ways in which it’s managed to sustain its relevancy amidst a turbulent industry, and how the team behind Kubota plans to chart their future both domestically and abroad.Whether it’s casually name-dropping “Niigata” in the context of “major sake producing regions” or ordering a glass of Kubota almost without thinking because of its established consistency and reliability, we recognize that many of the components of sake stories such as these are often almost taken for granted, when in reality, a lot of us haven’t really had the opportunity to commit the time to really internalizing why it is that certain names and places have the prominence that they do. While there’s still infinitely more detail that demands exploring, we thought that by taking a step back to examine Niigata through a lens of experience alongside the people that have been helping carry the torch for the region for generations, we might be able to meaningfully begin scratching the surface. Putting this pair of episodes together has been an exciting and insightful exercise for all of us here at Sake On Air. We hope you enjoy it too. For those curious to follow along with the latest happenings in the land of Kubota, any of the links below are would be a great place to start.Asahi Shuzo Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. - Official Website (English)https://www.asahi-shuzo.co.jp/global/Asahi Shuzo Sake Brewing Company – Official Facebook Page (English)https://www.facebook.com/KubotaJapaneseSakeAsahi Shuzo Sake Brewing Company – Official Instagram (Japanese)https://www.instagram.com/asahi_shuzo_jp/ As always, you can follow along with our shenanigans here at Sake On Air via Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Please also be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher service, as well. Any additional comments and questions can be sent to us at questions@sakeonair.staba.jp.We’ll be back with more Sake On Air for you in just a couple of weeks.Until then, kampai! roadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

There’s really no such thing as an “inferior” region for sake production in Japan. A particular region may boast more breweries, higher production volume, or more acreage dedicated to a popular rice variety, but you really aren’t going to struggle to find great sake being made just about anywhere on the island. (In fact, there’s a reasonable argument to support the idea that some of the nation’s most exciting sake is born in some of the less-talked-about regions).Despite that, there are a handful of regions that have been elevated to a particular pedestal, consistently short-listed in the conversation around premier sake-producing regions. One of those that gets name-checked without fail, is Niigata.To fully explore the depth and complexity of this exceptional region in a manner that would paint a complete and accurate picture, from its historical significance through its modern evolution, would require masterclass of epic proportions. Instead of waiting for that to come to fruition, we thought we’d at least begin laying to groundwork by offering a broad, overarching perspective, followed by a profile of one of the labels that has become nearly synonymous with the region.For the next two episodes we’re joined by Ms. Kaoru Ito and Mr. Hiroshi Nagamoto, both from the Overseas Business Department of Asahi Shuzo Sake Brewing Company based in Nagaoka, located in central Niigata, makers of the iconic Kubota brand sake. (Careful, as there are more than a handful of sake breweries that share the name Asahi Shuzo, each exceptional in their own right).This week we focus on the characteristics that make Niigata uniquely equipped to deliver on the promise that comes attached with the name. In addition to historical and geographical factors, we also look at local training, education, and technical development resources that have contributed to the region’s explosive growth over the past 50 years, as well as the elements that came together to give birth to the style of sake that’s become synonymous with the region – tanrei karakuchi – what that has done for the region’s development of technical prowess and notoriety amongst consumers, and how the future of the region’s sake might be better defined by another term: Niigata Tanrei.We touch lightly upon Asahi Shuzo Sake Brewing and the Kubota label, but we’ll dig into that in more detail in the week ahead. For this week, we lean upon the team with the deep connections and understanding of the elements at play that have cultivated one of Japan’s most celebrated sake regions, in hopes of providing a bit of context for how it came to be elevated to where it rests today and why we shouldn’t count the region out for its potential role in mapping the future of sake.For those looking to start studying for the week ahead, or who are curious as to what Kubota and Asahi Shuzo Sake Brewing Co. are up to, you can learn more at the links below.Asahi Shuzo Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. - Official Website (English)https://www.asahi-shuzo.co.jp/global/Asahi Shuzo Sake Brewing Company – Official Facebook Page (English)https://www.facebook.com/KubotaJapaneseSakeAsahi Shuzo Sake Brewing Company – Official Instagram (Japanese)https://www.instagram.com/asahi_shuzo_jp/ As always, you can follow along with our shenanigans here at Sake On Air via Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Please also be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher service, as well. Any additional comments and questions can be sent to us at questions@sakeonair.staba.jp.We’ll be back with more Sake On Air for you in just a couple of weeks.Until then, kampai! roadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Ginjo is king.Or at least, that’s kind of been a mantra for several generations of more than a few sake lovers, makers, and advocates. Looking at the numbers in recent years, some have dubbed this the current era to be the era of junmai ginjo. (Straight-up ginjo has been faltering a bit, however).Sake classified in the ginjo stratum today aren’t the same as that of yesteryear, and if the depictions of the style further permeating the market today are any indication, ginjo-classified sake will likely be a bit different tomorrow, as well. As the styles of ginjo-classified sake and other classifications evolve, we thought it would be worthwhile to remind ourselves (and listeners) exactly what it is we’re talking about when we talk about ginjo.This week John Gauntner has brought Rebekah Wilson-Lye and Sebastien Lemoine to the party to discuss the above and a whole more. We hope you’ll pour a glass of something ginjo-esque and join us. After listening, share with us your own ginjo-related experiences over on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. When you’re done with that, you can go ahead and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite listening service, as well. Any additional comments and questions can be sent to us at questions@sakeonair.staba.jp.We’ll be back with more Sake On Air again 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 a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Another year, another chance to set ourselves up for failure with a series of wild predictions!This year the team has independently put together their own lists of predictions and expectations for what the worlds of sake and shochu may have in store for 2022. Intentionally, we haven’t shared or discussed our views with one another in advance in some attempt to produce any “best” answer, so what you hear is a reflection of what each of us is seeing and feeling based upon our own views and experiences.Will there be any reoccurring themes? Should you anticipate any new or unprecedented movements? Is 2022 going to fulfill trends and promises that have begun to suggest themselves in recent years? Nothing is for certain, but it’s a fun exercise nonetheless.After listening, be sure to share your own insights and expectations for the year ahead with us over on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. When you’re done with that, you can go ahead and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher service, as well. We’ll be eternally grateful. Any additional comments and questions can be sent to us at questions@sakeonair.staba.jp. Note that the views expressed by everyone on this show are those of the individual and don’t necessarily reflect the thoughts and opinions of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association, any particular brewery, distillery or industry-related organization. Our thoughts are our own, which is part of what makes this fun. We hope everyone’s 2022 is off to a happy and healthy start and that the year ahead is filled with delicious sake and shochu (in moderation).We’ll be back with more Sake On Air for you 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 broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

This past autumn, something really special came into being that all of our sake and shochu-loving listeners ought to appreciate.A project that has been in-the-making for quite some time behind the scenes at the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, the Digital Kokushu Museum offers a rather particular kind of glimpse into the ongoing evolution of tradition and culture of Japan’s iconic and long-celebrated koji-fermented beverages – sake, mirin, and shochu – collectively referred to (occasionally) as, kokushu.Should you find yourself with the opportunity to visit some of the many sake breweries and shochu distilleries scattered across Japan, you’ll find that nearly each and every one has rooms (and sometimes entire buildings) brimming with sake and shochu-related artifacts, from retro advertisements and signboards, to vintage glassware and merch, and even volumes upon volumes of historical texts. The true nature of most of the content stashed away, however, is often a mystery even to the owners, as there’s just too much to sift through. It’s amazing when you consider the prospect of all that’s potentially out there, but as very little of it has been properly organized and catalogued, and because it’s all scattered to the winds across the island of Japan, very few people ever get the chance to encounter it, and even less an opportunity to appreciate it.The Digital Kokushu Museum is a small, but significant step in taking centuries of both physical and digital paraphernalia representing the evolution of Japan’s kokushu culture and curating it into an easy-to-navigate and insightful digital format online.With such a long, rich history, as well as vast pool of content to potentially draw from, we were curious as to how one would even begin to go about approaching such a daunting and gargantuan task, as well as determining how to then go about organizing and curating all that information. To find out, your hosts Marie Nagata and Justin Potts invited the project’s director and curator, Miho Ohta, to the show to share in the process, as well as the discoveries she and the team at JSS made along the way. Thanks for tuning in again this week. Please feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or whatever service you rely upon for your podcasting needs. Contact us at questions@sakeonair.staba.jp with any thoughts about the show, and feel free to follow us on  Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Everything from Sake Future Summit 2020, as well as a number of other recordings, are all archived over on our YouTube channel, as well.We’ll be back with more Sake On Air for you 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 broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.