In short
The hosts attend the Japan Sake and Shochu Fair 2025 (held in Osaka, ATC trading hall) and interview sake/shochu industry people while tasting drinks and pairing foods.
Key claims
Sake culture and history can “change your life” (speaker recalls getting into sake in 1988–1989). Koji is a unique umami ingredient that needs better explanation for global consumers. For younger audiences (Gen Z), sake should be easier, lighter, and less “complex.”
Notable examples
Niigata Sake Lovers runs the Niigata Seishu Kente and brewery experiences (Harashuzo, Katafune/Takeda Shizou, Kimi Noi Shizou, Naiba Shizou). A craft-sake license enables “Satoyama” (Yukito Satoyama Jozo) using botanical inputs; strict Nihonshu ingredient rules are noted. Food stalls include sweet natto (kuro mame), soramame, and beef-burdock root with firefly squid kombu and tarako.
Guests (backgrounds)
Tomomi Duquette, founder of Niigata Sake Lovers and former “Mrs Sake Japan” (Miss Universe-style sake advocacy contest). Takeshi Itani, 20+ years in sake/beer; works with JSS consulting breweries on global promotion. Shun Kosaka, bartender at Quarter Room (Tokyo), cocktail creator Hanashigure using shochu (Daiyame) and sakura/haiku-inspired presentation.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOInterview with Tomomi Duquette
1:06 to 2:18
Discover the Miss Sake competition and its cultural importance.
“So here we are in the Nihonshu Fair, which this year is being held in Osaka.”
Tomomi's Journey into Sake
2:18 to 4:48
Learn how Tomomi became a sake advocate and her love for Niigata sake.
“How did you find out about the Miss Sake contest?”
Hands-On Sake Production Experience
4:48 to 7:24
Explore the process of sake making and Tomomi's involvement in education.
“And then we started to do, like, you know, in Niigata, we have, like, you know, this sake, not licensed, how do you say, like an exam thing?”
Challenges of Female Brewers
7:24 to 9:28
Discuss the historical challenges female brewers face in sake production.
“And of course, the whole thing about kraftsake is in Japan, they don't give out new licenses for Nihonshu, right?”
Tomomi's New Sake Brand
9:28 to 11:28
Tomomi reveals her new sake brand and its philosophy.
“Yeah, I think anything with anything, you know, for a woman to start a business, it was difficult.”
Regional Sake Characteristics
11:28 to 14:00
Compare the sake characteristics of Niigata and Nagano regions.
“now right so we started doing pre-production pre-production and we need to buy a bigger tank because we want to do wooden barrel oh she's hard to get Yeah, kiyoke.”
Exploring Niigata Sake
14:00 to 15:42
Learn about the significance and evolution of Niigata sake at the Kokushu Fair.
“a big niigata sake only the one of the biggest sake events yeah maybe close second to this one in the year around maybe February or March.”
Introducing Local Food Stalls
15:42 to 16:04
Discover local food offerings at the Kokushu Fair that complement sake.
“Snow is like in English snow, I can't remember.”
Tasting Unique Japanese Delicacies
16:04 to 19:16
Experience a variety of unique Japanese foods that pair well with sake.
“There's actually like, obviously you can't see it, but basically there are a number of sort of like street stalls in that kind of style.”
Meet a Sake Industry Veteran
19:16 to 21:46
Engage with Takeshi Itani as he shares insights on the sake industry.
“We actually worked together when I worked for Saki Brewery Kojima Sonhonten in Yamagata.”
Show all 16 chapters
Understanding Consumer Trends
21:46 to 23:48
Delve into how generational differences affect sake consumption preferences.
“at the moment how many now two just two and also and um kind of what kind of needs do these that these breweries have?”
Event Dynamics and Highlights
23:48 to 28:05
Discuss the environment and highlights of the Kokushu Fair compared to past events.
“You're definitely a marketing guy, because to talk about Generation Z, it's very...”
Exploring the Shochu Space
28:05 to 29:48
Discover the unique atmosphere and offerings of the shochu area at the Kokushu Fair.
“And then they're also doing cocktails here as well.”
Meet the Mixologist: Hanashigure
29:54 to 32:38
An insightful conversation with a mixologist about their signature cocktail, Hanashigure.
“Okay, so I've waltzed over to the cocktail bar in this shochu section of the event.”
The Inspiration Behind Hanashigure
32:39 to 36:38
Uncover the story and inspiration behind the creation of the cocktail Hanashigure.
“Maybe it looks like it's a gin or whiskey.”
The Benefits of Shochu in Cocktails
36:39 to 39:45
Learn about the advantages of using shochu in cocktails and its popularity in Japan.
“So this cocktail competition concept, it is a Japanese culture.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:02Tomomi Duquette:The people of sake actually brought me into sake. Back in 1988 this place was actually in Ginza on the main drag. At first it was kind of soy sauce, it was miso.
0:10Chris Hughes:To the point where it actually changed my life. New Year's Day 1989. Not just sake as a beverage but all the culture and history. Hi and thanks for tuning to this episode of Sake On Air.
0:23Tomomi Duquette:In this episode we are on location at the Japan Sake and Shochu Fair 2025. This is an annual fair that's probably the biggest sake festival of the year, but it was held in Osaka for the first time. Chris Hughes and I went around on the fair floor and interviewed a variety of people in the sake industry, sipping a variety of beverages. In this episode, you'll hear Chris talking to Tomomi Duquette, the founder of Niigata Sake Lovers, representatives from the Zenkoku Chori Shokuhinkougyou Kyodou Kumiai, an organization that helps producers of preserved foods find new markets, Takeshi Itani, the founder of Sake Experience, and Shun Kosaka, a bartender at Quarter Room.
1:04Tomomi Duquette:And without further ado, I hope you enjoy the show today.
1:07Chris Hughes:So here we are in the Nihonshu Fair, which this year is being held in Osaka. And the Nihonshu Fair is arguably, well, I think the biggest sake event on the sake calendar. and it's run by the Japan Sake and Shochew Makers Association which are of course Sake On Air's main supporter and so during this event here in Osaka in the ATC trading hall we're going to be as we walk around and trying not to get distracted by all this wonderful sake but we will be tasting some sake as well we are going to be just interviewing uh some people who we know uh some people who are active in the sake industry either here in japan or overseas and i am here with the first mrs sake japan tomomi duket a good friend of mine and uh sake partner in crime and so you became it was last year yeah right and that was the first mrs sake up until now just so our listeners kind of for our listeners that don't know there was this uh competition that's the right way to refer to it where basically um how many people about 20 yeah yeah actually the easiest way to explain this is like a Miss Universe contest for sake right yeah but as well as obviously you know looks they also it's also about how much you know about sake how much you like sake and how much you're going to be able to kind of advocate for sake in Japan and also overseas up until now there was only just like with Miss Universe there was the Miss Sake and And one of the conditions of being Miss Sake is that you're not allowed to be married, right?
3:03Chris Hughes:So how did that come about? How did you find out about the Miss Sake contest? And what was the inspiration? Or who kind of introduced you to the contest?
3:16Takeshi Itani:Okay, so I've been a supporter for Miss Sake for a long time. And I just love cheering up all the young girls, get interested in sake culture. And that's a bright future for me, right? so yeah I've been a supporter and then I run day I got an email from the organization and saying like oh yeah we're starting this you know your competition for miss you know missus people and would you like to participate and that was just you know like regular like a general information to anyone so it's not just you know addressed to me I said yeah I just pick it up and oh like you know that's perfect is you know that's yeah that I really wanted to do
3:55Chris Hughes:that so when did you get into sake like i mean you're japanese so of course you know it's your culture right and it's out of everyday life were you always a lover of sake yeah yeah so the you
4:06Takeshi Itani:know when are you going to college like you start to drink alcohol i didn't like you know any other alcohol but sake so i had yeah i didn't like beer because it was bitter and cocktail you know it was supposed to be sweet but the aftertaste was bitter too and then when i tried sake for the first time with grilled fish it was just so good so everyone called me Oji-san because I was just a university student and but yeah since then I've been a sake lover so basically entire my life yeah and I
4:40Chris Hughes:should also say that you are very heavily involved with trying to put Niigata sake on the map tell us
4:48Takeshi Itani:a bit more about the projects that you're involved right so yeah I run a group called Niigata sake lovers and people who's you know lived in Niigata you know coming from overseas but who's lived in Niigata they didn't necessarily have you know good experience with you know sake or like you know cultivation of rice so when I met these these guys I said like it oh you know I want to learn too so do you want to you know join me so I can translate and we can go into the you know sake together and then you know talk to them and learn the culture so So that was the start back in 2013. Wow. And then we started to do, like, you know, in Niigata, we have, like, you know, this sake, not licensed, how do you say, like an exam thing?
5:33Takeshi Itani:Yes. Niigata Seishu Kente.
5:36Tomomi Duquette:Yes. And so, yeah, we were using the textbook to study about sake, just like WCT.
5:41Takeshi Itani:Right. Right. But then, you know, I actually asked a few breweries to come in to the study date. And then they said, oh, you know what? If you're learning this hard, why don't you come in and try to make it? And really? Of course, we would love to do that. And then, yeah, we went into the brewery. And then they also said, oh, if you were wearing sake, you have to cultivate rice too. So we did the hands-on experience from rice making to sake making.
6:11Chris Hughes:Do you remember which brewery it was?
6:13Takeshi Itani:It was Harashuzo.
6:15Chris Hughes:Harashuzo.
6:16Takeshi Itani:Harashuzo. and then we moved on to Katafune, so Takeda Shizou, and then Kimi Noi Shizou, and then Naiba Shizou. So we wanted to promote the sake brewery also, so we will take different breweries each year and then do the different program from scratch to the end.
6:35Chris Hughes:And you obviously enjoyed the experience because actually, how many years on? 10 years on,
6:42Takeshi Itani:right now you are actually running your own right brewery exactly tell us more about that right so yeah like you know when you go into the sake brewery it's only like in a once a year type of thing because you can't you know go into their work too much yeah um but like you know when we have these people coming in and experience our second you know making they became like not just a secular but like more like an ambassador you know it's like and they started to talk about like you know even the culture of you know like you know not just the secondary but like in around that area too yeah because we learn you know deeply about the you know place and you know food culture and even like i don't know like another industry and stuff too so yeah after you know we finished our program like those guys who graduated from our program like they you know some some people went back to Ireland or like a different countries but like you know they were you know doing suck events in their home country it's like we didn't even ask them to do that like they just spontaneously did that you know it's like so natural ambassador and that's what you want right exactly yeah so true passion right real passion yeah real passion so you know and also like and I wanted to you know let more people to experience this kind of experience but because if we're doing that at a brewery we can do it only once a year so we're like why not we should maybe take you know a new
8:14Chris Hughes:license and so you you have the license you have is the one where you make sake
8:21Takeshi Itani:for yeah so it's like the craft sake the craft cycle is right so you can't make a nihonshu I can't make a nihonshu so if I'm making so I can use koji I can use rice but I need to put one more ingredient on top of that or I can use a hundred percent koji right I cannot add a rice oh I see it that actually the
8:47Chris Hughes:could the restrictions are I didn't quite realize the restrictions are quite
8:50Takeshi Itani:quite strict Japanese sake should be made from rice and koji water and a yeast Only. Well, maybe alcohol.
9:02Chris Hughes:But generally, just those ingredients.
9:04Takeshi Itani:Right.
9:05Chris Hughes:So you can't add anything else. And of course, the whole thing about kraftsake is in Japan, they don't give out new licenses for Nihonshu, right? Right. So actually, I remember you were putting on Facebook that it wasn't easy to get hold of this, even this kraftsake license. And you're a woman, right? I hate to bring that into it. We don't really like to. But the fact is that, I mean, historically, traditionally, it's not easy for a female to actually obtain one of these licenses, right?
9:34Takeshi Itani:Yeah, I think anything with anything, you know, for a woman to start a business, it was difficult. Not just about, you know, sake brewery. So not many, like, female founders of any businesses. So sake was probably one of those. I'm sure there have been, actually, before Muromachi era, women were involved in such making. That's right.
9:58Chris Hughes:They were the only brewers to begin with, right? So the toji... Making Doboroku.
10:03Takeshi Itani:Exactly, yeah. And the toji word came from these workers. That's right. It means housewife, right? Yeah, yeah.
10:09Chris Hughes:Different kanji.
10:09Takeshi Itani:Different kanji. Yeah, yeah.
10:11Chris Hughes:But so you're basically returning things to the normal.
10:14Takeshi Itani:Right, exactly. Yeah, as it should be. It makes sense, right? It does make a lot of sense. Yeah, you make even Nukazuke at home, pickles, and using that lactic acid, you make Doburoku, and that perfectly makes sense. That's like Kimoto, right?
10:27Chris Hughes:Yeah, I mean, it's completely natural for me. But so there was a lot of paperwork, and it was a little stressful, I guess. So when are you going to be releasing your first batch of... Tell us the name, actually, of your... Oh, right. You've decided, right? The name of your brand?
10:45Takeshi Itani:Yeah, so it's now Satoyama. Sake, Yukito Satoyama Jozo Show. So we're brewing all the botanical coming from the mountain. Satoyama is the nature, the mountain where people are living with harmony with the nature, in harmony with the nature.
11:06Chris Hughes:Well, that's great.
11:06Takeshi Itani:And it's a long... Yeah, but I wanted to keep this Japanese name as it is so that the rest of the world can also learn about our philosophy of like in a hard as long as you have philosophy as long as you have a clear
11:20Chris Hughes:story it doesn't really matter about the name people will people will adjust to it you know it's quite long but people will adjust to it I think it's really cool it's got a proper story and so what's your first you you bring right
11:33Takeshi Itani:now right so we started doing pre-production pre-production and we need to buy a bigger tank because we want to do wooden barrel oh she's hard to get Yeah, kiyoke. So we might buy, you know, stainless steel. That's really tough. It is tough, yeah, exactly. So, yeah, we've got...
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11:55Chris Hughes:Are there people in Niigata who are still making those?
11:58Takeshi Itani:Not in Niigata, but there is one in Akita. And we recently bought one from Osaka, like, Yontodaru.
12:07Chris Hughes:Oh, okay. Yeah, because you don't need, when you're doing craft sake, of course, you can do smaller batches, right? Yeah, smaller batches, yeah. To finish up, so you've had a chance to go around the event and you've tried various sake. Are there any highlights so far?
12:22Takeshi Itani:Right. So Niigata and Nagano are right next to each other.
12:26Chris Hughes:That's right. Yeah.
12:27Takeshi Itani:But geography. But like we have like in Niigata, we have, you know, soft water. They also have soft water. But like they both say like, oh, Niigata has like a really nice soft water. Therefore, we have like nice dry, crisp sake. Yeah. Whereas Nagano say, oh yeah, we have nice soft water and we have really rich sake. Yeah, very different. Yeah, that's very different. But it's coming from koji, right? Yes. And also the food culture. And in Niigata, we have ocean. So like an ocean side, we have more drier, crisp sake. Whereas mountain side, we have more richer sake.
13:00Chris Hughes:More snow melt. Yeah, snow melt.
13:02Takeshi Itani:And the same as Nagano. So like Nagano has no ocean. So therefore, the entire prefecture has richer. Yeah, they're right in the middle of it. It's landmought.
13:12Chris Hughes:It's 100 % landmought. No, but it's in a way, it's almost like the Swiss, kind of, the Alps, isn't it, in a way? When Niigata has an ocean, so it's kind of more, well, actually, I can't actually think of any. Yeah, more like kind of another, like Scandinavian, maybe Finland, for example, which faces the ocean a little bit. Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, I think that's an interesting argument for why water should not be, you know, maybe the be-all and end-all of sake.
13:41Takeshi Itani:yeah yeah yeah just you know going around different breweries like and hearing all the stories that they even tell us like and it's just so interesting to compare because you know when i'm in niigata like you know going to sake no gin i only have you know niigata sake and even with the niigata we have like variety of sake too and you know comparison is fun so sake no gin is
14:00Chris Hughes:a big niigata sake only the one of the biggest sake events yeah maybe close second to this one in the year around maybe February or March. And normally you have to go in a lottery to get a ticket. It's a very, very popular event.
14:16Takeshi Itani:Right, right. We used to have like 140 ,000 people in two days.
14:19Chris Hughes:Right. That's a lot of people. Yeah, a lot of people. But it's only Niigata Saki. So, yeah, I get what you're saying. There's no opportunity to explore other prefectures, other styles. Because Niigata is very much, in a way, very much one style, right? But I should say that maybe that's traditionally what it's like, but now it's changing. There's an evolution happening. I think maybe Niigata has recognized that there needs to be other styles to cater to different audiences that are appearing now that weren't there before. But Niigata has got a lot of history. I mean, the most breweries in Japan, the second most used sake rice, gosheke mangoku.
15:04Chris Hughes:It created a whole style which became like the de facto sake style in Japan for a long time, Tanei Karakuchi. And it created the Ginjo boom, right? It started the Ginjo boom in the 80s. So, I mean, there are many prefetchers that can claim so many different accolades when it comes to sake. So, I mean, it feels right that, you know, Niigata should be kind of the trailblazer, you know, leading the charge for all these different kind of developments in sake. and it's really exciting. We're excited to see where you go and we'll be looking out for your sake, Snow Satoyama.
15:41Takeshi Itani:Yes.
15:42Chris Hughes:Snow is like in English snow, I can't remember. Yeah, snow as in like Yuki.
15:45Takeshi Itani:Yuki. Yuki to Satoyama.
15:47Chris Hughes:Yuki to Satoyama. Look out for that listeners. Thanks very much for lending us your time.
15:53Takeshi Itani:Thank you.
15:53Chris Hughes:Have a little chat with us, Tomomi. And we'll have you on another episode in the future to maybe go a little bit more detail about what you're up to. Thank you very much.
16:03Takeshi Itani:Thank you. Thank you.
16:08Chris Hughes:So, I'm at this part of the event. There's actually like, obviously you can't see it, but basically there are a number of sort of like street stalls in that kind of style. And these stalls are basically showcasing various foods, some of them local from Osaka, some of them from other parts of Japan and I've come across this stall here which is called the National Cooperative Association of Seasoning Foods Process. Interesting. And I've just met this lovely chap Mr. Kajihara who works for Osaka Tenmaya. What kind of food are you showcasing here?
16:54Tomomi Duquette:This one and this one.
16:56Chris Hughes:Okay. This is Tanzawa.
17:01Tomomi Duquette:Kuro. Kuro Mame. Ah, Kuro Mame.
17:04Chris Hughes:Okay.
17:05Tomomi Duquette:Soybeans.
17:06Chris Hughes:Soybeans. So it's kind of like, you call it like a sweet natto. Sweet natto. Yeah. And then this one is soramame. Soramame.
17:16Tomomi Duquette:Please try. Try some.
17:17Chris Hughes:Just try some. Thank you. Oh, it smells a bit. Chokoti? Yeah, chokoti. I would say that's like buttery chokoti. Oh, it's really good. It's kokoto sonomame. So it's black sugar. Brown sugar, black sugar. It's the same sugar that they use to make the kokoto shochu. Mmm, that's really good. It's sweet, but it has an umami to it as well so this gentleman has very kindly opened a packet of this beef burdock root which yeah basically it's like burdock root with with like little slices of beef oh it smells amazing oh yeah this is the perfect nihonshu otsumami the perfect little side dish for sake yes we have We have the beef burdock root, then we have firefly squid kombu.
18:26Chris Hughes:Then we have tarako, which is cod. Umani. It's like a savory kind of, in a savory kind of broth, brine. Yeah. Thank you very much for showing all this wonderful food to us. and it's great that they're showcasing all these different foods because a lot of people may not have come across these foods even if they visit Japan it's highly possible that they may never come across I've been living here 11 years and there's a lot of these foods I don't eat every day or even every week or in every month they're quite, not unusual but quite rare delicacies and really good little side dishes for sake Arigatozaimasu
19:15Chris Hughes:So I'm here with an old friend. We actually worked together when I worked for Saki Brewery Kojima Sonhonten in Yamagata. Can you introduce yourself?
19:29Shun Kosaka:Hello, my name is Takeshi Itani. I'm in the sake industry for more than 20 years. But half of 20 years was in the beer industry and the rest of them is in the sake industry. So now I'm happy to meet with Chris.
19:44Chris Hughes:It's been a while since I... Last time probably was when I was working for the brewery, I think. I haven't seen you since then. So what have you been up to since then?
19:53Shun Kosaka:Any new developments? I've worked with JSS for the last three years. And especially I'm thinking how to promote sake globally right now. especially now sake industry try to catch up the wine industry but at the same time wine industry has been struggled with so that's why we need to find something uniqueness in the sake industry as well to attract more consumers globally. So what do you think the key what is the key? Especially right now the koji is somehow very interesting ingredient because it is very unique and it gives a lot of the umami aspect. So that's why and especially the food industry shows strong interest in the koji.
20:41Shun Kosaka:So it's not easy ingredient for the normal consumers but it takes time to.
20:48Chris Hughes:But once you explain simply what it is, most people understand, most people it's not actually that complicated, it's not actually that confusing. It's just the way that you explain it, which is the challenge. So I myself have had to hone my skills in communicating what this, what Koji is. And that just takes time and experience.
21:12Shun Kosaka:That's why I should be very tolerant because normally if I cannot get better results I cannot be tolerant but I think it takes time to tell what Koji is and what attracting point of the koji is so it's really important aspect and you so you're here
21:34Chris Hughes:with your partner as well oh yeah and you work uh basically you run a company consulting company um supporting sake breweries how many sake breweries are you currently uh consulting for at the moment how many now two just two and also and um kind of what kind of needs do these that these breweries have?
21:57Shun Kosaka:It's very difficult because now they want to promote their products globally at the same time but they are struggling with to develop something new. But in the sake industry, for them it's not easy to develop something new. So that's why that is especially somehow, for example, the sake brewery can use barrio for aging but that doesn't replicate the... Their intention is not to replicate what wine industry does and they try to express something uniqueness. However, for example, if they developed Barrier Age Sake, that doesn't attract younger generation here in Japan. No. because of the definition of the good sake is totally different from...
22:56Shun Kosaka:Yeah, it's a drink now beverage. It was promoted by...
23:02Chris Hughes:Well, basically, sake is just a drink now beverage. That's the way that it evolved.
23:06Shun Kosaka:So that's why, for example, if we give some idea to develop the new sake, for example, but it doesn't mean it attracts consumers directly. So that is really difficult for me. And so we should learn more how, what consumers need, especially now the biggest, the ratio of the consumer is now Z, generation Z globally, not here. So that's why their perception for the sake might be changing dramatically compared to the older generation, not me. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
23:48Chris Hughes:But yeah, so that's why... You're definitely a marketing guy, because to talk about Generation Z, it's very... I work a little bit for a digital marketing company, and that's very much the sort of thing that a marketing company talks about. But it's so important to understand the generation difference. What's the generation difference in Japan? I often wonder because...
24:07Shun Kosaka:Yeah, especially for example, you know, we have the term like a FUKUZATSU SEI, that's a complexity. But for us, for our generation, the complexity is very positive word. But for the younger generation, it's not. Oh, they don't like complexity? No, no, no. So that's why they like lighter or fruitiness or easy to understand. So for us, like whiskey and shochu and the sake complexity is somehow very attractive for us. But for them, it's not. So that's why we should take it for granted that the perception for the taste preference should be different from generation to generation. Yeah, yeah.
24:51Chris Hughes:I've definitely seen that as well. I mean, it's important not to generalize. But of course, when you're working from a marketing perspective, you have to go with the majority. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, that's very true. So, do you attend this event every year? Yeah, every year. I'm surprised we haven't bumped into each other at a previous event when it's normally held in Tokyo. Oh, yeah. So, I mean, how do you feel about this event? Like, how would you describe this event to someone who's never been to this event before?
25:20Shun Kosaka:Ah, okay. I think official comment is they want to receive more consumers, but I think this atmosphere is very relaxing and we can talk to the breweries or distillers a lot more than before because in Tokyo it's very crowded and it's good, it's good, but the atmosphere is good but I can talk easily to the distillers and the breweries, that is a very positive point especially if normally as a consumer, if they think I'd like to know these specific things but I cannot ask someone, but if they come here, they can ask easily.
26:02Chris Hughes:So, to explain, this is a much bigger venue than the one in Tokyo. That's right, that's right. We're in a kind of convention hall, it's a trading hall, and the one in Tokyo is more like sort of, it's a space, but it's nowhere near, maybe like a quarter of the size of this one. There's just so much more space in between the booths. And what are your highlights so far for this particular event?
26:31Shun Kosaka:Especially this time, this venue is very fantastic because even for me, the shochu is now trying to attract the people who like bars and cocktails. And this is very fantastic venue to attract the new consumers, Especially, shochu is somehow a little bit like, not conservative, but kind of that gives a little bit older image than sake in a way. But here it's completely new. So I think this venue attracts more consumers. And also the sake, right now, a lot of products are not that different from the previous year. But I was really surprised that I attend here and they confess the difficulties in the sourcing sake rice.
27:27Shun Kosaka:And I talked to the rice suppliers. So I really understand what's going on right now. So it is a very good venue to get to know the newest. To get up to date.
27:43Chris Hughes:a very easy way to get up to date with what the state of the industry which you can't do you know if you normally you would have to do hours and hours of research and contacting people and whereas yeah you can just walk around and speak to the brewers directly and to elaborate on what you were talking about this venue the we're in we're actually in the shochu section of the event and it's like walking into another world yeah it couldn't be any more different from the sake like the sake area is like a typical kind of yeah that's right kind of layout yeah convention kind of aesthetic um it's a bit kind of bare bones a bit sort of like you know table with someone standing in front maybe there's kind of like a nice display behind some posters but but here we're like in this beautiful like wooden floor uh space and we're surrounded by all these cocktail display cabinets filled with shochu.
28:41Chris Hughes:And then they're also doing cocktails here as well. We've got a little cocktail menu on the table here. An IMO rose, bellini, Barley's Cafe, rice tea nail. Rice tea nail? Oh, like a... Right, okay. UQ Reviver. Yeah. That's my favorite so far, I think. Is that a meishu in it? That's not a meishu. Japone mojito. Mojito. Yeah, it's really cool. That's really, really, really cool. They've really, really done a good job with the shochu space. Any final words? Anything in the pipeline?
29:15Shun Kosaka:Yeah, especially if there's someone who's interested in sake and shochu, definitely you shouldn't miss this opportunity. Because this is the best venue to explore your interest and to catch up the latest information. and also the taste profile as well.
29:35Chris Hughes:But it'll probably be in Tokyo next to you. Yeah, probably. And probably in a smaller venue again. So there is that. But still, it's definitely worth coming along. Well, thank you very much for taking the time to catch up, a little catch up, and share with our listeners what you're up to. And thanks very much, Danny-san. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much.
29:58Chris Hughes:Okay, so I've waltzed over to the cocktail bar in this shochu section of the event. And I'm here with one of the mixologists who basically each mixologist in this cocktail bar gets to prepare their signature cocktail for like maybe an hour or two hours or something. And they rotate. So it's like two in the afternoon and two in the morning. And so we're here with the mixologist who designed this cocktail, Hanashigure.
30:30Tomomi Duquette:Yes.
30:31Chris Hughes:Hanashigure translation, let's not bother.
30:33Tomomi Duquette:It's flowers. Hanashigure is a spring keyword. Yes, it's a Hana is a Sakura. And it's a Sakura is a drop, it's a laindrop. You prepared? Do you know haiku? Yes. Yes, it's a haiku keyword. Haiku, she's not a keyword. For spring. Yeah, for spring.
30:55Chris Hughes:Thank you. That was great. Very eloquent. Can you introduce yourself, first of all? your name, where you work, the bar that you work, where in Japan, and how did you get into mixology? What was it that interested you in mixology?
31:12Tomomi Duquette:So I'm Shinkosuka from Kota Room in Tokyo. So two head bartenders. My father is a French chef in Hiroshima. So I'm from Hiroshima.
31:29Tomomi Duquette:From when you were a child. Yeah, yeah. Looking for, is it your father working? Trying to follow in your father's sense. Yeah, is it your cooking? Cooking? Well, what do you mean? I thought I was looking for a good job, but I didn't want to do the same job.
31:51Chris Hughes:So when you saw your father working, you thought it was really cool, but you kind of decided that you didn't want to do the same work as him.
32:06And like seeing bartenders at work, that was just so cool.
32:12Chris Hughes:And that became that moment you decided that you wanted to become a bartender.
32:18Tomomi Duquette:And so I like to customize the communication and making cocktails. It's a customer reaction. Oh, so very good. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. It's so happy.
32:31Chris Hughes:That's so true. It's all about the people who are enjoying the cocktails, their reactions, how it makes them feel.
32:38Tomomi Duquette:Yeah, it's so true. There are so many types.
32:41Chris Hughes:Yeah.
32:41Tomomi Duquette:Maybe it looks like it's a gin or whiskey. There are so many types. Yeah.
32:46Chris Hughes:So, hanashigure. Lovely. It's a lovely pink cocktail.
32:51Tomomi Duquette:Yes, pink, purple.
32:53Chris Hughes:And it's got this beautiful, like, sort of, almost like, there's like a universe swirling in the middle of the cocktail. And this is pearl... Pearl powder is a grita powder. Oh, I've never seen this used in cocktails before. It's beautiful. So, it's emoshochu, 30 milliliters.
33:12Tomomi Duquette:Yes.
33:12Chris Hughes:Aphrodite sakura.
33:14Tomomi Duquette:This is like a liqueur. Yes, Aphrodite Sakura is a flavor of the sakura. It is a glitter powder. It is a glitter, it looks like it. And so this cocktail name is Hanashigure. It is a sakura flowers. And it drops the rain. It looks like the same.
33:34Chris Hughes:Like raining sakura flowers. Something that you see a lot in the cherry blossom season in Japan. So maybe that's the inspiration, but we'll go there in a second. then it's also made with bowls parfait amour probably botching that pronunciation lemon syrup 1883 and hinoki bitters so i mean it's amazing it's it's sweet it's got a lovely balance of acidity um it keeps me coming back for another sip it's it's uh lovely and fruity of course the main characteristic is lychee because the shochu that it's made with, Daiyame, is actually made like they use this special technique to extract this natural lychee flavor from it's like a purple potato.
34:25Chris Hughes:Yes yeah it's a fermentation. It's like koji isn't it? The koji process. I have to say this is the best cocktail I've ever had made with Dai Amai. I think it really brings out the inherent lychee characteristics and there's a little bit of umami on the finish in there as well. I think it's amazing and yet it still tastes very unique like it's its own thing like it has its own personality. So tell me what was that's the story behind this cocktail? What's the inspiration? Why Hanashirugu? Hello talking to people.
35:00Tomomi Duquette:This cocktail champion was 3 years ago. I challenged 4 years ago. You went to the contest? Yes. Four years ago. Yes, cocktail concentration.
35:10Chris Hughes:And this was your cocktail.
35:13Tomomi Duquette:Yes. 4 years ago, I'm losing. Oh, you lost. Yes. Okay. But I think, how can I win?
35:24Chris Hughes:Yeah, how can I win? Yeah.
35:28Tomomi Duquette:Taste and looks and flavor and story. Story, right? So important. And so Hanashigure is so... Catching. Yeah. Catching it. It is very catchy. And so ingredients. Hanashigure is so Sakura. And a perfect meal is so Violet 2Q, maybe. Yeah. Yes, that is a flowery taste. And it's a sakura tree, it's a woody taste. And it's a hinoki. Lemon syrup is a balanced. And it's a daiyame, it's a light flavor. Last one is a drop, it's tonka flavors. It's kumarin, kumarin flavors. And it's a, this cocktail ingredients, it's a good combination. And it's a first drink, it's a flavor, it's a tonka beans flavors. It is so taste, it is so flowery and it is a woodiness.
36:23Tomomi Duquette:It is a good, it is so stolly and the cocktail looks and it is a cocktail ingredients. All perfect concept. So the story is kind of recreating the sakura tree? Yes. It is a haiku. So this cocktail competition concept, it is a Japanese culture.
36:46Chris Hughes:Ah, I see. And you chose haiku? Yes. Ah, okay, okay.
36:51Tomomi Duquette:And so women and tourists.
36:56Chris Hughes:Yeah.
36:57Tomomi Duquette:I'm before working at hotels. Yeah. And hotels are coming, and so women and a couple, and so many tourists. So this cocktail is so sakura flavor, and this low-alcoholic cocktails. So many people are drinking, and it looks like it's so pretty. But I think most important is the cocktail experience. So this cocktail, drinking, and it's a sink, Hanashigure, and it's a sakura, and it's a spring season. It's a good experience.
37:33Chris Hughes:It does conjure that. It's great. Really good, isn't it? What do you think the benefit of using shochu in a cocktail? You must use many other spirits from around the world, not just Japanese spirits. So what is the advantage of using Japanese spirits to make cocktails?
37:58Tomomi Duquette:Japanese market, it is Japanese customers. Japanese customers are not strong. It's an alcoholic that is low-alcoholic. They prefer... Yes, and it's all shochu cultures, and it's a highball cultures. It's a low-alcoholic, all low-alcoholics. Yeah, yeah. So, the boom of the world is that the low alcohol cocktails are for the new trend. Low alcohol cocktails are the new trend in Japan. Yes. And shochu helps with the Japanese beverages? Yes, shochu is 25 % percent.
38:36Chris Hughes:25 % yeah that's true I mean it's difficult to get hold of 25 % vodka isn't it?
38:43Tomomi Duquette:and so umami yeah umami and so many many tastes yeah and so cocktails so shochu cocktails I think so double sweets it's shochu and high alcoholic It's like shochu or shochu and other sweets. It tastes a little complex and it tastes a little middle taste. It's a many coming tourists in Japan. It's a lot of people who are looking for the products and the alcohol percentage is easy.
39:20Chris Hughes:So it's easy to kind of blend the alcohol strengths, the ABVs together for what people are expecting.
39:28Tomomi Duquette:It's easy to make Japanese and foreign people
39:33Chris Hughes:So you can basically take care of both audiences without making entirely new cocktails That's true There's that durability that shochu has over other beverages for sure And it's also cheap And quite affordable here in Japan Well, it's been great to meet you. Thank you so much for lending your time. You must be very tired after doing that long cocktail making session. But I really enjoyed that. And I think the future is incredibly bright for cocktails made with Japanese spirits. And there's the proof. Thank you so much. Thanks very much.
40:22Tomomi Duquette:Thanks for listening to this episode of Sake On Air. We'll be back with a new episode very soon, but in the meantime, please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. As always, send your questions and comments to questions at sakeonair.com, or reach out to us on Instagram or Facebook at at sakeonair. Don't forget that we have a YouTube and a sub stack as well. 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 downtown Tokyo It is produced by Export Japan And our team is Shuso Imada, Justin Potts, Arlene Lyons, Cindy Bissig, Chris Hughes, Chris Pellegrini, John Gottner, Marie Nagata, Miho Ota, Rebecca Wilson-Lye, Sebastian Kwan, and me, Frank Walter Until next time, Kanpai!
From the publisher
The biggest event of the sake calendar, JAPAN SAKE & SHOCHU FAIR 2025 was held in Osaka for the first time on June 14th and 15th of this year! Chris Hughes became our roving reporter on the fair floor and interviewed a variety of characters sipping a variety of beverages.
He spoke to Tomomi Duquette, founder of Niigata Sake Lovers; representatives from the Zenkoku Chori Shokuhin Kogyo Kyodo Kumiai; Takeshi Itani, founder of Sake Experience; and Shun Kosaka, bartender at Quarter Room. Join us next week for part 2!
We’d love to hear what you thought about the episode! Let us know at questions@sakeonair.com or send us a message on our Instagram, Facebook, or Substack!
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. Sake on Air was created by Potts K Productions and is produced by Export Japan. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.