Japan Eats

Our guest is Kazuhiro Sakurai, the 4th generation and CEO of Asahi Shuzo, the maker of Dassai sake. Dassai is the biggest export brand of Japanese sake. Kazuhiro joined us on Episode 233 in July 2021 and shared the unique sake-making philosophy of the company, as well as why Dassai became so popular globally.In September 2023, Asahi Shuzo opened its first overseas brewery Dassai Blue in upstate New York. But it is not another brewery producing the same sake as in Japan to save costs. Dassai Blue aims to exceed its parent brewery in Japan.On this episode, we will discuss why the company decided to open a brewery in New York, the goal of Dassai Blue, the special ingredients Dassai Blue uses to express the local terroir, its collaboration with the Culinary Institute of America, and much, much more!!!-----THE NOTO PENINSULA EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF As you may know, a major earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1st. The death toll keeps climbing and the damage to the beautifu