Moved by President Asano’s Determination for Fukushima’s Recovery

Hello, everyone! This is Kondo, CEO of Sakura Sake Shop.

Recently, I had the opportunity to listen to Mr. Masami Asano, the president of ASANO NENSHI Co., LTD., and I was deeply inspired by his story. ASANO NENSHI was founded in 1967, and Mr. Asano is now the second-generation president.

One of Mr. Asano’s incredible challenges is to help revitalize the town of Futaba, located in Fukushima Prefecture, which currently has no residents after the Fukushima disaster. To do so, he established a facility called Futaba Super Zero Mill, which includes a factory, shop, and café. Futaba Super Zero Mill opened last year, in 2023.

Before the disaster, Futaba Town was home to around 7,000 people. Mr. Asano’s vision is to create new jobs and breathe life back into the town, and I was truly moved by his determination. He even offered me words of encouragement: “You’re doing great work; let’s energize Japan together.”

At Sakura Sake Shop, our vision also includes creating a future full of dreams and hope for the children of the next 100 years. Mr. Asano’s words reignited my passion, and reminded me to continue carrying out our mission with care and determination.