Company

 Yuichi Kondo
Representative Director

Born in Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture in 1980. While a student at Kanazawa University, he studied abroad at State University of New York at Buffalo for one year. This experience gave him a strong sense of identity as a Japanese, and he decided to become involved with sake, which he loves the most in Japanese culture. After graduating from college, he worked for three years at a commodity futures broker in order to develop his sales skills above all else. In 2007, he joined Yamanaka Sake Shop, a sake specialty store in Osaka. He started out as a hall staff at owned restaurant. After working in delivery and sales, he became the store manager eventually. In 2013, he returned to his birthplace Ogaki and launched Sakura Sake Shop together with Komazawa. Out of the Nagoya office he mainly conducts sales to restaurants and hosts sake meetings. He is a father of two who loves to enjoy his food & sake pairings. You can also find him on YouTube as the “Sake Prince” educating about sake.

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Takeshi Komazawa
Representative Director

 WSET level 3 Sake

Born in 1980 in Nagano, Japan. While a student at Kanazawa University, he spent a year as an exchange student at the Australian National University. With the drive to be able to explain Japan to other international students, he decided to work to promote Japanese culture to the world and chose the path of promoting his loving sake. After graduation he went out to study other alcoholic beverages and he joined a bar in Hong Kong, where he learned cocktails and other drinks. In 2007, he returned to Japan and joined Hasegawa Sake Shop, a sake specialty store in Tokyo. With roles at different stores he transferred to an affilated company where he was involved in sake wholesaling and exporting, product development, as well as setting up new stores and planning sake events in Japan and abroad. In 2013, he launched “Sakura Sake Shop” with together with his old friend Kondo. While working mainly on the export business from the Tokyo office, he also organizes various sake events. A father of two, who enjoys sake and housework.

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Masahiro Osumi
WEB Division Manager

 WSET level 3 Sake

Upon returning from studying abroad in Ohio, USA during his university years, Masahiro rediscovered the beauty of Japanese culture. He was amazed by the deliciousness of sake for the first time while working part-time at a Japanese restaurant. After graduating, he gained experience in call center operations before joining Sakura Sake Store. Transitioning to the export department, he later moved into web-related roles. He has been involved in various tasks such as launching and growing online shops, planning and creating web content, and leading LP production. Apart from sake, he loves beer, wine, and manga.

Ayumi Furusawa
WEB Division

After graduating from a foreign language college, Ayumi joined a major corporation. She then experienced working holidays in two countries, serving in resorts and travel agencies overseas. Upon returning to Japan, she enjoyed managing guesthouses, exploring tourist spots, and working as an inbound tour guide for sake-related tours. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, she sought to engage with both Japanese culture and the international community, leading her to join Sakura Sake Store’s WEB Division. Apart from sake, she enjoys overseas travel, wine, and reading.

Akagi Kazuya
Export Division

 WSET level 3 Sake

After graduating from high school, Kazuya gained experience in customer service in the hotel and bridal industries, dealing with international clients. To improve his English, he studied in New York, graduating from a community college. During his time in the US, he was surprised by the popularity of Japanese sake among those who specialize in it or have a preference for Japanese cuisine, sparking his interest in sake-related work. After returning to Japan, he worked in sales and marketing before joining Sakura Sake Store’s export division. In his free time, he enjoys outdoor activities and traveling.

Shoichi Saito
Marketer

Having worked extensively in marketing in the IT industry, Shoichi accumulated experience in major corporations. He developed a strong desire to contribute to business growth in a lean and efficient environment. Fascinated by the ability of marketing to promote Japanese traditions and craftsmanship, he joined Sakura Sake Store. His hobbies include mountain climbing, weight training, manga, and parenting.

Tomomichi Sasaki
Export Division

During his university days, Tomomichi studied abroad in British Columbia, Canada. Conversations about each other’s cultures with fellow international students made him realize the greatness of Japanese culture once again. After returning home, he started part-time work at a local Japanese restaurant in Akita, where he learned about the deliciousness of sake regardless of whether it was brewed locally or elsewhere in Japan. After graduating from university, he worked as an English teacher at a junior high school before joining Sakura Sake Store’s export division. His hobbies include acapella singing, photography (both taking and being the subject), and eating dumplings.

Fumiko Suzuki
Export Division

During high school, inspired by admiration, I decided to study abroad in North America. After studying in the United States, I enrolled in a university in Canada. During my time abroad, my interest in sake was sparked by manga, and as I deepened my mutual cultural understanding with friends, I began to vaguely think about wanting to spread the charm of Japan more widely overseas. After graduating from university, I worked in web development and then joined the export department of Sakura Sake Shop to fulfill my desire to do what I wanted. Besides sake, I enjoy games, traveling, camping, cooking, and reading.