TWTT - (Taste with the Toji)

In this episode, the TWTT gang chat all things sake to sandwiches with Australian chef, Michael Ryan.

Michael Ryan is the owner/chef of two-hatted restaurant, Provenance, in the delightful town of Beechworth, Victoria.

Ryan opened his first restaurant, Range, in 2006, winning a succession of awards, including The Age Good Food Guide’s two-hats and Country Restaurant of the Year in 2008. Provenance opened in early 2009 and has gone on to receive two-hats every year since. In 2013, Provenance won Best Regional Restaurant and Ryan was named Chef of the Year.

Ryan has a long-term interest in Japanese sake, cuisine and culture. His influences are reflected in the techniques and flavours he uses in his dishes and sake is always a feature on the restaurant’s extensive beverage list.

Ryan also hosts small-group guided culinary tours to Japan and is the author and co-creator of the book ‘Only in Tokyo’.

We could easily have chatted twice as long as we did with Michael, who is always a joy to speak with and always has some great stories to share.

If this episode inspires you to seek out some great places to eat and drink in Tokyo, be sure to seek out Michael and Luke’s book, Only in Tokyo.

Also, if you ever find yourself in Beechworth, Victoria, be sure to pay a visit to The Provenance, and be sure to include sake in your experience!

We’ve put a few links in the episode notes and we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed chatting with Michael.

You can follow Michael on Instagram...

@theprovenance

@beechworthbittersco

and our podcast and hosts...

TWTT Podcast: @tastewiththetoji

Simone: @sakemistress

Maki: @sake.amata

Julian: @sakeadvocate

This episode was recorded on 16 Apr 2024

In this episode, Maki and Simone chat with good friends, and fellow TWTT community members, Arline Lyons and Cindy Bissig.

Both women are doing remarkable sake-related work - from tours to translations, and we could've easily done a complete episode with each of them, simply chatting about their involvement with the sake world. However, we wanted to focus on the theme of 'sake brewing experiences' for this particular episode.

Arline, (born in Ireland, residing in Switzerland), and Cindy (born in Switzerland, residing in Japan), are no strangers to many amongst the TWTT community and it was a delight to sit down and chat with them about two places that are currently offering these 'sake brewing experiences': GakkoGura (Niigata) and Kurabito Stay (Nagano).

Arline chats with us about her 2 separate experiences at Kurabito Stay, while Cindy takes us to Sado Island and shares her experience of attending GakkoGura.

GakkoGura and Kurabito Stay are possibly the 2 most well know of the venues offering these types of hands-on brewing experiences, although we know there are others currently offering short internships and some form of hands-on learning. We have also heard whispers of a few more places planning to run brewing experiences or 'courses' that may become accessible in the near future. We hope to come back to this topic in future episodes and chat with other people who have been involved in some of the other brewing experiences out there.

But for now, we hope you enjoy listening to Cindy and Arline chat about their sake brewing experiences as much as we did - and we hope their stories might inspire others to explore this 'behind the scenes' way of learning more about sake.

You can follow our guests on Instagram...

Arline: @tastetranslation

Cindy: @sakenomad

and our podcast and hosts...

TWTT Podcast: @tastewiththetoji

Simone: @sakemistress

Maki: @sake.amata

Julian: @sakeadvocate

This episode was recorded on 3 Apr 2024

The TWTT Podcast team is back for a new year after a 2 month break.

In this episode Julian, Maki and Simone are kicking-off the TWTT Podcast for 2024 with a casual chat about what each of them have been doing since they last caught up in December last year.

It's been a busy start to the year with sake events already in full swing for 2024, not only in Japan, (where Julian and Maki are based) but also in Australia, (where Simone is based and has recently been hosting some fun sake focused events to kick off the new year).

Julian talks a little about his visit to Shoryaku-ji Temple, known as the 'birth-place' of modern sake. Maki shares her experiences from some recent Tokyo-based sake events and Simone chats about her January visit to Sydney, where she was involved in a number of events with special guest from Tokyo, Marie Chiba.

It's a short and sweet episode from us this time round. We're a little rusty, after the 2 month hiatus, but it was great to get back together via our laptops and have an enjoyable chat about some fun sake events and hear what each of us has been up to. 

When we look back to when the whole TWTT Project & concept began - in the depth of COVID, lockdowns and border closures - it's wonderful to see sake events in Japan, and other parts of the globe, back in full swing.

We hope you enjoy listening to our sake banter, and wherever you are in the world, we hope there is a fun sake event headed your way soon!

This episode was recorded on 14 Feb 2024

In this episode, the final episode for 2023, Maki, Simone and Julian reflect a little on some of their sake moments from this year.

They also chat with Chris Hughes and Harald deRopp and hear a little about their sake year of 2023.

Chris and Harald are no strangers to those who have attended Zoom room sessions of the TWTT Project.

Both Chris and Harald, alongside Maki, have been the dedicated TWTT Translation Team of 2023.

Chris is known for his work with JSS and Sake on Air Podcast, he is also a WSET Sake educator and has worked with a number of sake breweries in various roles.

Harald has a day job that is unrelated to sake, but once he is off the work clock, he is well and truly on a mission to fly the flag high and hard for sake! He's a loved member amongst the TWTT community and greater sake community and if there's ever a sake festival or event happening in Japan, it's usually on Harald's calendar!

We really enjoyed our chat, reflecting on some enjoyable sake moments from 2023, and it was a lovely way for us to sign off on the TWTT Podcast for this year.

We hope you enjoy listening to our chat as much as we enjoyed having it.

A huge thank you to everyone who has listened to our little Podcast and to everyone who has supported TWTT.

To all our sake family and friends, and to everyone...

Take care 

This episode was recorded on 12 Dec 2023

In this episode Simone and Julian catch up with their good friends Etsuko Nakamura and Jason Adamson, from Sake Tours Japan.

Etsuko Nakamura - Sake Tours Founder / Tour Leader

Etsuko Nakamura is a Sake Samurai, Advanced Sake Professional certified by The Sake Education Council and a Government Certified Bilingual English Guide [Registration Number: EN02400]. Etsuko owns and operates sake tours under enakamura Inc, Registered Travel Agency No. 3 – 7490 approved by the Government of Tokyo.

Etsuko began Sake Tours in 2008 and believes in giving guests an experience rather than just a tour. She has toured more than 300 sake breweries around Japan and enjoys creating and leading customised tours for special interest groups.

Jason Adamson - Tour Leader /Marketing / Photographer

In this episode, Simone and Maki catch up with Hannah Kirshner and see what's been happening since they visited her in Yamanaka Onsen in September 2022.

Hannah Kirshner is author and illustrator of the beautiful book titled Water, Wood, and Wild Things: Learning Craft and Cultivation in a Japanese Mountain Town. Her reporting has appeared in publications including The New York Times and Food & Wine, and on the Proof podcast from America’s Test Kitchen. She’s a Solutions Journalism Network Climate Initiative fellow, and winner of an International Gourmand “Best In The World” award for writing on Japan. Kirshner grew up on a small farm outside Seattle, studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Hannah was introduced to the TWTT community during the second season of TWTT - The Project, for session #33. The feature brewery for that session was Matsuura Shuzo, where Hannah currently works as a part-time seasonal kurabito.

Hannah also featured on TWTT's sister project, Meet the Artisan, where she introduced the audience to local Yamanaka woodturner, Takehito Nakajima.

Hannah spends her time between Yamanaka Onsen, where she is currently renovating two houses, and New York, where her husband's business is situated.

Through her process of writing Water, Wood and Wild Things, (where she got to know many of the local artisans and craftspeople), working at the local sake brewery, and tackling the process of renovating not only one, but two houses in the town, Hannah has made Yamanaka more of a home, rather than a home away from home, and has become a member of the community in this small rural town.

We hope you enjoy listening to our chat with Hannah as much as we enjoyed having it.

You can follow Hannah on Instagram @sweetsnbitters or find her website in our links list below.

In this episode, the TWTT team catches up with good friend Justin Potts.Justin was our special guest for Episode 4, back in December, 2022, when he had just started a job that saw him pack up his Japan-based family and move back to his native US to begin an epic new adventure, playing a leading role in setting up a new American sake brewery, and Arkansas's first ever sake brewery, Origami Sake.We heard a little about the beginning of that journey in Episode 4, but having been in semi-regular contact with Justin since then, and also following the progress of Origami Sake, we wanted to touch base with him to chat about where things are at one year on from his first day with Origami Sake.When we last spoke, the brewery was basically a shell.... Now, they are an operational brewery and have released their first 2 sake to the people of Arkansas. We spoke a little about what has happened since we last caught up, Origami's first products and their process, the brewery's short term goals and vision for the future... and more.It's always an absolute joy to chat with Justin, and no doubt we will want to do so again in the future to hear more about this progressive journey of his, and to share some of that journey with you!We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed chatting with Justin!

In this episode the TWTT crew chat with Wolfgang Angyal, President of Riedel (The Wine Glass Company) in Japan.

Wolfgang Angyal was born in Kufstein, Austria, the village that is home to the headquarters of the wine glass company Riedel.

Angyal first came to Japan in 1985 while he was working in the hotel industry in Austria. He travelled to Osaka as a representative of his country in the 28th WorldSkills Competition, where he won the gold medal in the Restaurant Service category.

His first experience of Japan was enough to entice him to return, which he did 3 years later. In 1988, he worked as a guest lecturer at Tsuji Academy in Osaka and the following year, he began working for Riedel.

Angyal has played a huge role in the development of Riedel's 2 sake specific glasses, the Daiginjo glass and the Junmai glass.

In this episode, we talk a little about that journey, the glasses themselves, and more, in what was a most enjoyable conversation.

We hope you enjoy listening to our chat with Wolfgang as much as we enjoyed having it.

In this episode, Simone, Maki and Julian bust out their ceramic sake-ware and chat with TWTT's Yakimono Guru, Robert Yellin.

No Stranger to the TWTT audience, and well known to many pottery collectors, and 'Sake Today' readers around the world, Robert has been residing in Japan since 1984.

Robert has been a valued core member of the TWTT community since its founding year, 2020. In that same year, Robert helped to launch TWTT's sister project, MTA (Meet the Artisan). Fewer and far between compared to TWTT session, the MTA sessions introduces potters and artisans from Japan, all whom create sake vessels amongst other beautifully crafted vessels and creations.

Pottery was not what initially brought Robert to Japan, but somehow, slowly but surely, his path led him to become one of the world's leading experts on Japanese pottery.

What started with curiosity, appreciation and a humble personal collection, turned into a deeper curiosity, tireless and continuous research, endless appreciation, a deep connection and respect, a bigger personal collection, an online store, lectures, articles and book publications, all which led to him opening the most beautiful gallery space in Kyoto - showcasing a rotating and stunning collection of ancient treasures and modern masterpieces.

Robert's knowledge is extensive and his passion is infectious. It's always a joy chatting all things pottery - AND sake, (and drinking sake), with him. We hope you enjoy our chat!

If you're travelling to Kyoto, be sure to pay a visit to Robert Yellin Yakimono Gallery, right on the Philosopher's Path, not far from Ginkakuji, (the Silver Temple).

In this episode, Simone, Maki and Julian pick up where they left off in Episode 12 and continue their conversation with Tamagawa Toji, Philip Harper.

In this second half of the conversation with Philip, we chat a little about the impacts of COVID, the brewery's use of Yeast #1, Junmai vs Aruten and more.

More info on Philip can be found in our show notes from Episode 12.

In this episode, Maki and Simone are once again joined by Julian Houseman, and they chat with Philip Harper, from Kinoshita Shuzo in Kyoto Prefecture.

No stranger to fans of sake, Philip is the only non-Japanese Toji (head sake brewer) in Japan. Originally from the UK, Harper was born in 1966 and came to Japan to teach English when he was 22.

Currently in his third decade of brewing, having begun working at a sake brewery back in 1991. He joined, Kinoshita, (producers of Tamagawa sake), where he works as the Toji, in 2007.

Last month, (July 2023) Philip Harper visited Melbourne, Australia for the Australian Sake Festival, held at Queen Victoria Market, where Simone got to meet him in person for the first time.

This was Philip's second time in Australia but first visit to Melbourne and this is just one of the many things we chat to him about in this episode.

Harper was a guest in the Zoom room for the TWTT Project for session #19, back in October 2020.

(correction: in Episode 11 of TWTT The Podcast, I mentioned that the TWTT session with Philip was in 2021).

That session back in 2020 went for a whopping 5 and a half hours... and maybe then some, so it came as no surprise that this podcast chat with Philip saw us deep in conversation for over 2 hours. Rather than cutting a whole lot of content and leaving it on the editing room floor, we have decided to split this conversation into 2 episodes.

We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation with Philip as much as we enjoyed having it.

In this episode, Maki and Simone are once again joined by Julian Houseman, and they chat with the lovely Eiko Kodama, from Kodama Jozo in Akita Prefecture.

Kodama Jozo was founded in 1879 in picturesque Katagami City, Akita Prefecture, northwest of Japan. 

Originally, the Kodama family started their business by making soy sauce and miso for local consumers.  Production of these quality “fermented” food products represented by “Yamakyu” brands still remains an important part of Kodama Jozo’s business.

It was the second generation of the business that began brewing sake at Kodama Jozo. In 1913, Tomokichi Kodama began making sake by the name 'TAIHEIZAN' (太平山). This brand name comes from towering mountain in Akita City, Mt. Taihei (“Great Peaceful Mountain”) which for centuries has been the area’s spiritual symbol.

Eiko Kodama is married to the 5th generation, and current, president of Kodama Jozo, Shinichiro Kodama.

Both Eiko and Shin have been guests on the TWTT Project twice: for session #12 in August 2020, and again for session #61 in October 2021.

Earlier this year, Simone had the fortunate pleasure of visiting the Kodamas at their brewery in Akita Prefecture.

Earlier this month, Eiko made her first trip to Australia, visiting Melbourne, (Simone's hometown), for the Australian Sake Festival, held at Queen Victoria Market.

We chat to Eiko about her first time in Australia, the Australian Sake Festival, her family's sake and brewery, and learn a little about what she was doing before marrying into a sake brewery family.

It's always a delight to chat with Eiko, and we hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as we enjoyed having it.

In this episode, Maki and Simone catch up with good friend and TWTT faithful, Mr. David Cheek.

Those who frequent the TWTT Project Zoom sessions will know Dave for his enthusiasm, his 3 part questions and his dedication to keeping the Nijikai going after each session, but most importantly, for his undeniable love of sake.

There is no denying that sake has played a huge role in Dave's life for a long, long time - it was even how he met his wife, Miwa, who was managing True Sake in San Fransisco at that time.

Dave was born in the USA, in Tacoma, Washington. He then moved to Washington DC, then on to San Fransisco and now lives in Japan, in Hachioji, Tokyo.

Dave spent a couple of years working alongside Brian Hutto at Brian's sake bar in Yokohama, and later, opened Dozo Sake Bar with his wife, Miwa, in Hachioji.

Sadly, despite its success, Dozo Sake had to close their doors... and not long after that, the pandemic hit. When they were able to do so, they started doing Dozo Pop-up at Chef's, the restaurant where Miwa works as a cook, in Shinjuku.

More recently, Dave has started hosting a series of sake tasting workshops that look strongly sake vocabulary, moving away from lexicons and generic descriptions and making it personal - because it IS personal. He encourages those who attend his workshops to allow themselves to go on a journey with the sake, to have a conversation with the sake... so, we decided to have a conversation with Dave about the language of Nihonshu: 'Nihonshu-go'.

We're back after a brief hiatus and trying something a little different and more laid back for this episode.

It's been a busy month for Maki and Simone with travel and family commitments - some of that included visiting a few breweries in Japan together... so some good research travel... and drinking!

In this episode, we welcome our friend, sake advocate and fellow Aussie (residing in Japan), Mr. Julian Houseman.

Julian is no stranger to those who have followed TWTT The Project, as he was co-host and interpreter for a few TWTT Zoom sessions in 2020 and 2021. Many in the broader sake community will most likely be familiar with him or his work in publications like Sake Today, and online subscription publication, Sake Industry News.

He's a man who wears many hats and we're delighted to welcome him to the TWTT Podcast family.

We're stepping away from the interview style session in this episode, and basically 'just talking sake'!

This episode is just a bit of fun and another excuse to talk about sake.

As we mention at the start of this episode - we can't promise anything educational, or even necessarily entertaining... but if you are happy to listen to 3 sake lovers randomly talk about sake, then pour yourself a cup or a glass of sake and drink along with us as we ramble our way through episode 9 of TWTT The Podcast.

If you have any sake related topics you'd like to hear us ramble on about in any future episodes, feel free to email us at tastewiththetoji@gmail.com

In this episode, we audibly cross the seas to Australia and spend time chatting with Matt Kingsley Shaw, one half of the team that is Melbourne Sake.

It seemed only fitting to chat with an Australian guest whilst Simone, (who is based in Melbourne), was traveling in Japan. This is the first episode where we, (Maki and Simone), have been in the same country, let alone the same room, during a recording. We had so much fun chatting with Matt whilst tasting the most recent releases from Melbourne Sake.

'After working together at a Melbourne wine bar in 2014, it didn’t take long for Matt Kingsley Shaw and Quentin Hanley to take their first baby steps into the world of Sake.

Although a little confused and overwhelmed at first, they were spurred on by a next level meal at the (sadly now closed) Kappo on Flinders Lane.  If they were only scratching at the surface of the sake rabbit hole before, this experience sent the boys tumbling down.  Amazed by the range, complexity and depth of flavour possible in sake, they were hooked.

The next few years were spent exploring new styles and producers, learning as much as they could about both, followed by a tilt at home brewing.

Inspired by that experience at Kappo and emboldened by many long nights of sake “research”, they decided they would have to do it themselves and Melbourne Sake was born.'

2001 saw Melbourne Sake celebrate their first commercial release of their brew and in this episode, we get a little further insight into how their story began, what's happening for them right now, and what lies ahead for boys at Melbourne Sake.

Sadly, Quentin was in transit during the time of this recording, but we hope to catch up with both Matt and Quentin in a future podcast episode and hear how things are progressing for Melbourne Sake.

Ganbatte guys!

In this episode we catch up with Jim Rion, aka: The Yamaguchi Sake Guy and speak to him about his soon to be released book: Discovering Yamaguchi Sake.

Jim made his debut on TWTT [The Project] back in September 2020, interpreting for the session with Yamada Shoten from Gifu Prefecture. He then went on to co-host and interpret for a number of TWTT sessions showcasing Yamaguchi breweries. He also interpreted for the Meet the Artisan session featuring Hagi potter, Hideo Hadano, in 2021.

Jim, originally from Kansas, USA, is a translator, writer, and sake lover who has lived in Yamaguchi Prefecture since 2004. He is also the co-host of the super informative and sake-geek Podcast: Sake Deep Dive, (which he hosts alongside former guest on TWTT Podcast [episode 2], Andrew Russell.

He's an SSI certified international kikizakeshi, a Certified Sake Professional, and a Shochu Navigator as well. He writes about sake regularly for SakeTimes International, and has been published in Sake Today and on Nippon.com.

Jim also publishes the bi-weekly newsletter Ochoko Times, and runs the unofficial online guide to Yamaguchi sake at YamaguchiSake.com

He now has a sake book to be added to his published works and we are both super excited to see Jim's vision come full circle in the form of 'Discovering Yamaguchi Sake'.

It really is a wonderful book and one we highly recommend for any sake enthusiast!

Discovering Yamaguchi Sake is available through most online booksellers including Amazon, Book Depository and Booktopia.

In this episode we catch up with Jorge Navarrete from Matsui Shuzo in Kyoto.

Jorge was a guest in the Zoom room on the Taste with the Toji Project for session #24 back in November 2020. He also featured as part of a panel of guests for the 1 year anniversary session of the Taste with the Toji Project in April 2021, alongside Andrew Russell (our Podcast guest for episode #2), Cody Brailsford (our Podcast guest for episode #5), and the much adored 'Godmother of Sake', Rumiko Moriki.

Originally from New York, we hear how Jorge came to be brewing sake in the heart of Kyoto and what has been happening since we last caught up with him in the Zoom room, including some major developments at Matsui Shuzo.

One of those developments was the complete overhaul and renovation of their tasting room/shop area, which was completed only recently - just in time to see people flocking back to Kyoto from all over the world, with many adding Matsui Shuzo to their list of places to visit.

We also hear about some exciting new products on the horizon for Matsui Shuzo.

We hope you enjoy this TWTT episode as much as we enjoyed chatting to Jorge.

More information about Taste with the Toji - The Project can be found on our website: https://tastewiththetoji.com/

In this episode, we catch up with Darryl Cody Brailsford.

Originally from Utah in the USA, 'Cody', as he is affectionately known by friends, family and people in the sake world, has been brewing sake in Japan for over 15 years.

Pretty much all of that time has seen Cody brewing sake at Watanabe Shuzoten, (producers of Hourai and Irootoko brands), in Hida, Gifu Prefecture.  However, just on a year ago, Cody left Watanabe Shuzoten and started working at Funasaka Shuzo, located in the picturesque town of Takayama, Gifu Prefecture.

Cody was an early guest of The TWTT Project (the Zoom sessions), back in June 2020, he also joined as a guest in the Zoom room for the 1st anniversary of the TWTT Project, alongside 3 other brewers, in April 2021. 

Now, he represents Funasaka Shuzo and we catch up with him to see how his new role is going and chat about some of the things happening at, and in relation to, the brewery... including the addition of a whisky distillery!

Pour yourself a cup/glass of sake and enjoy Episode 5 of TWTT The Podcast.