Sake On Air

If you’ve listened to Sake on Air before, you know every single episode kicks off with Chris saying, “…all the culture and history and…” That line was actually born in our very first recording session, cut from an explanation about exactly what hooked him into sake. It’s a philosophy we live by on the show, but today, we’re exploring it in a remarkably unique way. We’re reporting on an event held earlier this year at the JSS Information Center that viewed sake culture through the vibrant, witty lens of Edo-period (1603~1868) comics and art. Joining us to guide this trip in a time machine is Yuki Hata, professor at Meijo University in Nagoya and an expert on 16th- to 19th-century Japanese culture and history. To give any more away would be to spoil this episode, so this time we are keeping the intro short. Enjoy! As always, if you have questions or comments, please do share them with us at [email protected] 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 produced by Export Japan. Our team is Cindy Bissig, John Gauntner, Chris Hughes, Sebastien Lemoine, Arline Lyons, Marie Nagata, Christopher Pellegrini, Rebekah Wilson-Lye, and Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow,” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Shuki, or sake vessels, are more than just cups for serving sake. They add another layer of enjoyment to the drinking experience, and come in a remarkable variety of sizes, shapes, and materials. As you use them they come to have their own meaning and special value as well. In this episode of Sake on Air, Miho explores the fascinating world of sake cups with Japanese pottery expert Robert Yellin, from everyday drinking vessels to those used in special rituals. From his pottery gallery in Kyoto, Robert shares his expertise and experiences, revealing how ceramic sake vessels can transform a simple tasting into a more holistic experience. For more discussion about sake cups with Robert, you can also listen to our previous talk with Robert in 2020.  As always, if you have questions or comments, please do share them with us at [email protected] 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.

In this episode Sebastien Lemoine, John Gauntner, and Chris Hughes (and Frank Walter) interview Jacky Royer about sake, food, and travel in Shizuoka. Jacky works at Shidaizumi and runs a land operator tour business for French-speaking visitors to Japan. We learn about his origins studying library science in Tokyo, how he came to brew sake, and much much more. As always, if you have questions or comments, please do share them with us at [email protected] 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.

Awamori is a traditional spirit from Okinawa with a history of over 500 years, yet it remains little known outside Japan. In this episode of Sake on Air, Miho interviews two Okinawa-based drinks professionals, Madoka Numata and Maurice Dudley. They talk about about places visitors can explore in Okinawa—particularly in the capital city of Naha—to taste, learn about, and experience awamori, along with its rich culture and history. As always, if you have questions or comments, please do share them with us at [email protected] 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.

Following up on our Izakaya 101 episode, Frank, Cindy, and Chris share some of their favorite sake focused restaurants and watering holes. Cindy took on Kyoto, Chris led the Tokyo discussion, and Frank filled in the gaps with off the wall picks from places in between. Our rollicking discussion bounces around all of the archipelago, and it’s hard to imagine someone who has visited every place on our list. Here are all the izakaya talked about on the show.https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=1TrHPiClGzgHw8-QzHfO_4DYFYGnSHkc&usp=sharing Also checkout the site Chris mentioned: bentojp.com As always, if you have questions or comments, please do share them with us at [email protected] 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.

Cindy leads a year-long discussion about sake events with fellow hosts Sebastien, Chris, and Frank. They talk about many of the main sake events that are happening or have happened this year. They talk about the large events like the Niigata Sake no Jin and small events like the various Kurabiraki that are held throughout the country. (Kurabiraki are when a sake brewery or group of breweries opens their doors to show people inside the brewery and sell the first sakes of the year.) Their conversation is sure to come in handy if you are planning to come to Japan, especially in the next 10 months or so. January~Feburary・Various Kurabiraki Events・Kanzake Station: https://www.kansake.jp/kansake_station/・Kakuuchi Fes: https://kakufes.com/March~April・Sake Park: https://www.makuake.com/project/sakepark6/・Niigata Sake no Jin: https://www.niigata-sake.or.jp/sakenojin/・Fushimi Sake Fes: https://www.fushimi.or.jp/sakefes/・Washu Fes: https://sakefes.com/・Craft Sake Week: https://craftsakeweek.com/en/・Sake One: https://sakeone.jp/・Ai Shu: https://www.nobori-sake.com/shouhin/sonota/isyu.htmlMay~September・Nihonshu Fair: https://sakefair.com/・Shochu Fair: Website TBA・Omachi Summit: https://omachi.marumaru-okayama.jp/・Sake Jump: https://sakejump.com/October~November・Various Sake Day Events・Saijo Sake Matsuri: https://gethiroshima.com/event/saijo-sake-matsuri/・Various Shochu Day Events・Fushimi Sake Festival in Otesuji Shopping Street: Website TBA As always, if you have questions or comments, please do share them with us at [email protected] 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.

This week, Cindy Bissig and Frank Walter sit down with Takashi Eguchi, better known in the sake world as Umio, to explore Shiga Prefecture’s vibrant sake scene and its potential as a sake tourism destination Together, they discuss breweries across the region that welcome visitors, from formal tours to shops and lively brewery festivals, along with practical tips on how to visit. Umio shares some of his favorite breweries to visit, including ​​Uehara Shuzo in Takashima City, along with two izakayas located in Otsu City: Nao and Hanabi. While Cindy adds Okamura Honke, makers of Shinkame (the golden turtle), and Happy Taro, in Nagahama, one of her favorite doburoku makers. The conversation also ventures into sake vessels as Shigaraki, Shiga’s renowned pottery town, is a must-visit for anyone trying to get their hands on some beautiful sake cups. As always, if you have questions or comments, please do share them with us at [email protected] 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.

Every February, the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association holds the Sake and Shochu Academy, a week-long course that teaches students everything they need to know about Japan’s national beverages. Think Hogwarts for sake. The teachers are not wizards in a literal sense, but are top representatives from various official sake industry and research bodies, the equivalent of wizards in the sake world perhaps. The students are an elite group of professionals from different corners of the alcoholic beverage industry. For the last four years, Chris and Miho have been working as interpreters at the academy. Set up to train future ambassadors of the beverages in Japan, the academy is now in its 10th year. It’s an extremely popular course, with this year seeing over 50 entries, and with such a high standard of entries it must have been a challenge to whittle that down to the 14 spaces available. This year’s lineup appeared to be mainly focused on people working in importers or suppliers, but there was a real mix of nationalities. Most of the course is held in the old HQ of the National Research and Institute of Brewing, the old red brick brewing building in Oji, Tokyo. But the last day consists mainly of brewery visits, a sake-focused one and a shochu-focused one. Join Chris on the bus on his way to the first brewery where he took the opportunity to find a bit more out about some of this year’s students and get some feedback about the course. Thanks to the interviewees: Maciej Skrzypkowski (@Mcj_skr), sole proprietor, sake events, courses, and tour leader; Froukje Betten (@Yoigokochi), Yoigokochi Sake Importers; Ana Cristina Abreu Camacho (@acacamacho), Beverage Director of LYD; Shu Yi Ho (@chewieho), Freelance marketing with Suiraku SG and Kurara SG. As always, if you have questions or comments, please do share them with us at [email protected] 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 byforSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

In the second of our new format “Bulletin” episodes, Chris reports back from the JSS’s annual press conference, sharing current export figures, and strategies to increase exports further. The press conference was held at the JSS headquarters in February 2026, and presented by our very own Shuso Imada and Hitoshi Utsunomiya. With domestic consumption flailing, all eyes are on the rest of the world. Is the future for sake exports bright and rosy? Were there any surprises? Which new export country holds the most exciting potential? And what new export trends did the conference reveal? As well as answering these questions, the conference also shed light on the JSS’s strategies to grow exports and leverage the current tourism boom.  Short, concise, detailed and to the point, that’s what these bulletins are all about.  As always, if you have questions or comments, please do share them with us at [email protected] 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 byforSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Frank visited the multi-instrumentalist Bobby Griffin at his home and studio to talk about how sake is treated in traditional Japanese music. In particular they talked about Sasa no Tsuyu, a piece for shamisen, koto, and voice. It was arranged in the 1800s and the lyrics are all about the power and pleasure of sake. We also filmed our visit, and you can check out the video here on youtube: https://youtu.be/8anultw4rFY If you are in Japan and want to learn how to play Sasa no Tsuyu, check out Bobby’s school! As always, if you have questions or comments, please do share them with us at [email protected] 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 byforSomethingNew for Sake On Air.