Father of two. Certified sake sommelier. Food pairing enthusiast.
I am a sake sommelier and owner of the Sakura Sake Shop, an online-only sake specialty store out of Gifu (near Nagoya).
I was born in Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture in 1980. While a student at Kanazawa University, I went to the State University of New York at Buffalo to study abroad for a year. During that time I became truly inspired by my identity as a Japanese and decided to promote Japanese sake, one of Japan's greatest traditions.
In 2007, I joined Yamanaka Sake Shop (Osaka), where I eventually became the store manager. I returned in 2013 to my birthplace Ogaki and launched Sakura Sake Shop with my student friend Komazawa.
We are currently exporting sake to over 14 countries. Our sake line-up includes famous brands like Zaku, Mutsuhassen, or Hakurakusei. If you are interested in importing sake, please feel to get in touch.