Sake, Japan’s national beverage, has been getting global popularity over the recent years. Brewed from rice and water with the help of Koji mold and yeast -- it seems so simple, and on surface, it is. But underneath this initial simplicity lies its deep world full of diversity, complexity, rich culture, and an ambiguity that’s both fascinating and frustrating. KAMPAI! FOR THE LOVE OF SAKE unravels the story of several individuals from completely different backgrounds about their path with sake and its mesmerizing world.
Born and raised in Ohio, United States, JOHN GAUNTNER didn’t have any ties to Japan whatsoever until a chance fell in his lap to come to Japan for the English teaching program in his late 20s. Through his colleague, John was introduced to the world of sake, which changed the course of his life forever. Now recognized as the world’s leading non-Japanese sake expert, John has educated hundreds of sake professionals through his Sake Professional Course, a weeklong intensive sake study taught in English, including the owners and operators of many sake-centric stores in the US, Germany and other locales.
The majority of sake breweries in Japan are small and family-owned. Ever since he was little, KOSUKE KUJI knew he was expected to follow his father’s footstep and succeed the family’s brewery Nanbu Bijin in Iwate, Japan. There was a time he thought about other careers. But he saw the possibility of taking sake to the next level by re-examining the brewing process and by expanding his brewery’s distribution beyond the sea. Despite his father’s skepticism and numerous rejections by overseas restaurants, Kosuke successfully developed new award-wining sake and gained steady international distribution. Kosuke has become the president of Nanbu Bijin, succeeding his father, but he’s not giving any pressure to his young son. Like any father, he only wishes for his child’s happiness and encourages his son to pursue his own dream as much as he wants to.