Talking to Students of JSS Sake and Shochu Academy 2026

Every February, the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association holds the Sake and Shochu Academy, a week-long course that teaches students everything they need to know about Japan’s national beverages. Think Hogwarts for sake. The teachers are not wizards in a literal sense, but are top representatives from various official sake industry and research bodies, the equivalent of wizards in the sake world perhaps. The students are an elite group of professionals from different corners of the alcoholic beverage industry. For the last four years, Chris and Miho have been working as interpreters at the academy. Set up to train future ambassadors of the beverages in Japan, the academy is now in its 10th year. It’s an extremely popular course, with this year seeing over 50 entries, and with such a high standard of entries it must have been a challenge to whittle that down to the 14 spaces available. This year’s lineup appeared to be mainly focused on people working in importers or suppliers, but there was a real mix of nationalities. Most of the course is held in the old HQ of the National Research and Institute of Brewing, the old red brick brewing building in Oji, Tokyo. But the last day consists mainly of brewery visits, a sake-focused one and a shochu-focused one. Join Chris on the bus on his way to the first brewery where he took the opportunity to find a bit more out about some of this year’s students and get some feedback about the course. Thanks to the interviewees: Maciej Skrzypkowski (@Mcj_skr), sole proprietor, sake events, courses, and tour leader; Froukje Betten (@Yoigokochi), Yoigokochi Sake Importers; Ana Cristina Abreu Camacho (@acacamacho), Beverage Director of LYD; Shu Yi Ho (@chewieho), Freelance marketing with Suiraku SG and Kurara SG. As always, if you have questions or comments, please do share them with us at questions@sakeonair.com or send us a message on our Instagram , Facebook, or Substack ! We’ll be back very soon with plenty more Sake On Air. Until then, kampai !Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo . Sake on Air was created by Potts K Productions and is produced by Export Japan. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow,” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

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Talking to Students of JSS Sake and Shochu Academy 2026 is an episode from Sake On Air by Sake On Air.

This episode is 42:52 long.

This episode was published on Mar 11, 2026.

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