Sake On Air

23/06/2025

Recently, we hosted our first Sake On Air tasting and chat session at the 日本の酒情報館 Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center! 🍶

Thank you to everyone who came - we were excited to meet a few listeners, as well as people new to the beverage, who Sebastien and Big Chris promptly turned into sake fans!

15/06/2025

We had an amazing first day at the Japan Sake & Shochu Fair 2025 at ATC Hall in Osaka! Chatting with brewers, sipping exceptional sake, and attending some truly inspiring seminars.

And this year, the event is featuring an amazing array of shochu, awamori, and cocktails made from it, so if you're in the area, there's still time to check it out! The final session runs from 3:00 to 6:00 PM today, and tickets are available at the door 😉

If you’re coming by and spot one of us, don’t hesitate to say hello and join us for a small kanpai!

More info: https://japansake.or.jp/sake/en/topic/news/kokushu-fair-2025/

02/06/2025

We spent a day at Yamada Farm in Kyoto for their annual 田植え (taue) event — the traditional rice planting ceremony that marks the beginning of the rice growing season 🌾🌾🌾

This yearly gathering is held in collaboration with three local sake breweries: Tsuki no Katsura (月の桂), Eikun (英勲), and Joyo (城陽), all of whom use the locally grown Iwai rice (祝米) variety, though this year, only Tsuki no Katsura will be brewing with it.

More than just a chance to connect with the roots of our favorite beverage, the event is a celebration of community and craftsmanship, and honestly, it’s really hard to beat a day out in the Japanese countryside with good friends and some excellent sake!

Kampai!

29/05/2025

The Expo in Osaka has just become more interesting for sake lovers as it seems there are various sake and koji themed events happening in mid June!

Have you got your tickets to the Osaka Expo?
On June 14th and 15th, the "Kokushu Fair," a major event gathering sake and honkaku shochu from all over Japan, will be held at the Osaka ATC Hall.
During the same period, several sake events will be held at the Expo site.
One of these is the "Tohoku Sake and Traditional Sake Brewing" event, organized by the Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau. It will be held at the EXPO Arena from Friday the 13th to Sunday the 15th. There will be fascinating content such as tastings of Tohoku sake and amazake, and koji workshops, so be sure to stop by!

27/05/2025

One of THE sake events in Japan that is not to be missed and yes, this year it is happening in Osaka!!!

Make sure to get your tickets early as this is a busy one and we are looking forward to seeing you there 😉

24/05/2025

Exciting news! 🎊

This years “Japan Sake & Shochu Academy Advanced Shochu Course” held in Kagoshima in August was just announced!

It is a unique and immersive way to learn more about Shochu from industry experts right where it is made, we talked to some of the past participants - curious? Tune in here: https://sakeonair.com/?s=Shochu

Japan sake and shochu academy 日本酒造組合中央会

11/05/2025

We’re back with another episode of Sake On Air, and this week we’re headed to Spain - where sake is making some exciting moves! 🇪🇸

In this episode, our hosts Cindy Bissig and Sebastien Lemoine sit down with Mayuko Sasayama, sake educator, author, and the driving force behind Iberkanpai, the first sake and Japanese gastronomy fair on the Iberian Peninsula.

We talk about how Mayuko’s journey into the world of sake began, her passion for connecting Japanese food and beverage culture with new audiences in Spain, and what inspired her to create Iberkanpai. With the inaugural event just around the corner in Madrid (held on the 12th and 13th of May 2025), she shares with us what to expect and why this moment is so meaningful for the future of sake in Spain and beyond.

Whether you’re curious about sake’s presence in Europe, passionate about cultural exchange, or just love hearing from people doing bold things in the sake world, this one’s for you 😉

Tune in here: https://sakeonair.com/2025/05/11/introducing-iberkanpai-a-conversation-with-mayuko-sasayama/

We’ll be back very soon with plenty more Sake On Air.

Until then, kampai!

sakesommelier #日本酒祭り

10/05/2025

Today is Kokuto Shochu Day! 🥃

To celebrate, we’re resharing this post from our very own Cindy Bissig, who earlier this year journeyed to Amami Oshima to explore the world of Kokuto Shochu—the raw ingredients, the craft, and the passionate people behind it.

Celebrated annually on May 9th and 10th, Kokuto Shochu Day was established in 2007 by the Amami Oshima Shochu Brewers Association. The date was chosen because the Japanese reading of 5 (ko), 9 (ku), and 10 (tou) sounds like “Hokuto”—a play on kokuto, the brown sugar used to make this unique spirit found only in the Amami Islands. 🌴

As she put it herself: “The highlight of the trip was spending the day with John from Nishihira Distillery, who offered an unforgettable island tour, including a visit to a kokuto sugar producer, a tour of the distillery and a peak into their incredible sonic aging room (!) where different types of music are played to influence the aging process of the shochu. And yes, it is a real thing 💥”

If you haven’t tried Kokuto Shochu yet, there’s no better day. And if you have—why not raise a glass today in celebration of the distillers who keep this incredible tradition alive? Kanpai!

28/04/2025

This year’s Craft Sake week in Roppongi is almost coming to an end, and with only 2 more days left - but two great days indeed:

28th: Sake Loved by Artisans
29th: Team Juyondai

So if you are in Tokyo and have not been - this is your last chance! And as John himself said, “get there if you can! Tons o' sake fun!”

More information can be found here: https://craftsakeweek.com/en/

sakesommelier #日本酒祭り

24/04/2025

Japan’s most prominent sake event is back and if you find yourself in Tokyo (great timing) make sure to pop over to Roppongi for a chance to taste some of Japan’s best sake!

And for those of you who have not heard about Craft Sake Week yet, or if it is your first time, we previously talked to Rebekah Wilson Lye about how to make the most of it. So make sure to tune in: https://sakeonair.com/2024/04/13/craft-sake-week-with-rebekah-wilson-lye/

Of course, some of us will be around too - come and say “hi” and kanpai, we are looking forward ot seeing you there!

For more info, how to get a ticket or the sake and food line up, check out the official webpage: https://craftsakeweek.com/en/