How the Miyasaka family evolved from samurai warriors into master brewers, protecting a 360-year-old legacy of craftsmanship.
I’d like to begin by talking about sake on a global level. Japanese cuisine has gained immense popularity worldwide, and naturally, sake as a beverage deeply connected to that cuisine is also earning international recognition. In fact, sake, which could be considered one of Japan’s most iconic niche drinks, is becoming increasingly appreciated not only domestically but also abroad, including in key markets like China, the U.S., and Europe. In your view, what is driving this global acceptance and growing popularity of sake?
That’s a great question and a complex one. I believe one of the main reasons sake is gaining popularity globally is due to the rise of Japanese cuisine overseas. Think about dishes like sushi and yakitori. These foods led the way into international markets, and sake followed along naturally. It wasn’t that sake ventured out into the world independently and found success on its own. Rather, it accompanied the global spread of Japanese food culture. Another factor to consider is Japan’s demographic trend. As our domestic population has been declining, it’s become increasingly clear that sake consumption within Japan is no longer growing. This has prompted many of the younger sake brewers to look beyond our borders to seek opportunities overseas. Their efforts are certainly contributing to the globalization of sake today.
You mentioned international fairs earlier events like Vinexpo in Paris and ProWein in Germany. What role do these kinds of events play in your overseas strategy? Do you see them as places to gain knowledge, or as practical venues
It’s definitely both, but for us the priority is making things happen connecting directly with buyers, importers, and people in the trade. Learning is part of it, yes, but the real value lies in showing our sake, explaining it in person, and building those relationships that lead to results.
Do you believe that certain features or brewing technologies are necessary for sake to succeed in the global market? What technical or strategic strengths do you think are required to compete internationally?
That brings back a very formative experience for me. In 1995, I had a close friend who was extremely knowledgeable about French wine, and he took me on a two-week trip through Bordeaux and Burgundy. It was my first time in France and my first direct exposure to wine producers there. What struck me at the time was that French wine wasn’t doing particularly well. In fact, many wineries were struggling. But instead of giving up, they were adapting. They were working hard to improve quality, they were experimenting with wine tourism, and they were seriously investing in export strategies.
That experience left a deep impression on me. I visited many wineries during those two weeks, and it became clear that these three areas enhancing product quality, creating tourism experiences around production, and pursuing exports seriously were key to surviving difficult market conditions. I came back thinking, “We in the sake industry must do the same.” And so, as the domestic market became more challenging, we adopted those same three pillars as our survival strategy.
You’ve mentioned your branch in Hong Kong, opened in 2005. What motivated that decision, and what was your impression of the market at the time?
At the time, Hong Kong was incredibly dynamic and exciting and the food was simply outstanding. Honestly, one of my first thoughts was, “If we have a company here, I’ll have more excuses to come and eat.” But joking aside, the culinary scene there was world-class, and I felt it would be a great place to introduce premium sake. Hong Kong also has strong influences from British culture, so there’s a deep appreciation for both fine dining and alcoholic beverages. That made it an ideal environment for a sake business. Beyond that, I saw it as a strategic hub for expanding into Southeast Asia and mainland China. Establishing a base there was part of a larger vision for regional growth.
Is your current strategic focus mainly on China, or are there other international markets you’re especially focused on right now?
Our current top priority is North America specifically the U.S. and Canada. The U.S. has some regulatory and logistical challenges that make it a difficult market to navigate right now, so it’s a bit unpredictable. Canada, in contrast, is smaller but growing very steadily, and that’s very encouraging. What’s promising about Canada is that culturally it’s not that different from the U.S., so if we’re able to grow sustainably there, I believe that once the U.S. settles down, we’ll be well positioned to reaccelerate growth there as well. We’re also seeing strong growth in France. Volumes are still modest, but the pace of growth is very high, and that’s exciting. I’ve always had a strong interest in French food and culture, so it’s personally very rewarding to see the French market responding to our sake.
When exporting to markets like Canada or France, do you develop new products tailored to those local tastes, or do you offer the same products as in Japan?
We don’t develop any special sake products for export. Everything we sell overseas is exactly what we sell in Japan. That’s something we feel strongly about. We take great pride in our core product lineup, and we believe it’s important to maintain the same standards and identity across all markets.
We’ve spoken to other sake producers such as Dassai, which opened a brewery in New York.Are you considering similar expansions abroad, such as opening your own physical location or forming strategic partnerships?
We’re a medium-sized company, and we don’t have ambitions to dramatically scale up. I believe our current size is appropriate, and we’re not aiming to sell sake in every country. Instead, our focus is on working with partners in developed markets who truly understand and appreciate our sake. We want to collaborate with importers who are aligned with our values and who can communicate the quality and story of our sake to the right audience. That’s much more important to us than simply increasing volume.
Do you have a specific export strategy in place to support that vision? Are you working with local companies or building a team in-house to support overseas markets?
Yes, absolutely. We currently have three full-time international staff members, and that’s a key part of our strategy. We call it “educational marketing.” These team members are not just salespeople they focus heavily on educating our partners and customers. They travel globally to train restaurant staff, give lectures at events, and conduct tastings to deepen understanding of both sake in general and Masumi in particular. One of our team members is from the U.S., and another is a British national from Hong Kong.
Are these trainings similar to sommelier education? What exactly do they include?
Yes, quite similar in concept. We teach everything from the brewing process, rice varieties used, and fermentation methods, to the proper way to serve and store sake. Even today, many people both in Japan and abroad still lack basic knowledge about sake. So, we consider it our responsibility to fill that gap. We educate restaurant staff not just on our brand, but on sake culture as a whole. We believe that informed servers and sommeliers are essential to sake’s success overseas.
That brings us to a broader issue: Japan’s demographic challenges. By 2060, the population is expected to fall to around 100 million, and the workforce will shrink considerably. How do you see this affecting the sake industry, especially in terms of passing down traditional skills like kimoto and yamahai brewing methods?
Japan’s demographic decline presents real risks for traditional industries. In the sake world, we’re seeing fewer young people entering the field, and there’s a danger that institutional knowledge could be lost. We do actively recruit young brewers, but more than anything, I believe brand power is the key. If the Masumi brand is strong and inspiring, then passionate young people will seek us out. In fact, we’ve had people leave their careers in other fields to come work with us simply because they were drawn to the brand. So brand building is more than just marketing it’s also essential for recruitment and succession.
Given your company’s 350-year history founded in 1662 that kind of longevity is rare, even in Western business contexts. Could you share more about how your family shaped the modern Masumi, and how you preserve and evolve that legacy today?
While we were founded in 1662, we weren’t particularly well-known or successful until relatively recently. My grandfather, born in 1900, inherited the brewery when he was just 21 or 22, and the business was in serious trouble. He took bold steps like appointing a young brewmaster his own age and the two of them traveled across Japan to study at leading breweries. They returned home and overhauled both equipment and methods. That spirit of innovation transformed the brewery.
Later, my father joined the company in the early 1950s. My grandfather focused on brewing excellence, while my more business-minded father developed our marketing and sales. That dual approach helped the company grow significantly. Despite our long history, we didn’t have much in the way of “tradition” to preserve. We were struggling for much of our history. So our family philosophy has always been about forward thinking and innovation.
Your brewery is also famous as the birthplace of Kyokai No. 7 yeast. Could you explain what makes it so significant in the sake world?
Yes Kyokai No. 7—known as Society No. 7 overseas—is a yeast strain discovered in our brewery in 1946 after we won a series of top honors in the National Sake Appraisal. The government-run National Research Institute of Brewing isolated it from our fermentation mash and then the Brewing Society of Japan distributed it nationwide. It’s known for fermenting well even at low temperatures and for producing stable, high-quality sake. It quickly became the standard across Japan and remains one of the most widely used strains.
We used Kyokai No. 7 as our primary yeast for many years. But over time, especially in the 2000s, we began using more aromatic strains like Kyokai No. 18 to match market trends. However, around 2015–2017, my son argued that as the original source of No. 7, we should return to using it exclusively. After much internal debate, we returned to using our own proprietary No. 7 exclusively in 2019. I was worried we were going against market preferences, and then COVID hit. But to my surprise, our sales held strong, and customers respected the decision. In hindsight, I’m glad we made the change.
Generational transitions are always challenging, even in family businesses around the world. Have you found that to be the case in Japan as well?
Absolutely. Generational change is complex everywhere, not just in Japan. But if handled thoughtfully, it can be a powerful catalyst for growth and renewal.
For more information, visit their website at: https://www.masumi.co.jp/en/
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