Vol. 14: Toshun Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture)

Brewery Interviews

Interviewee: Toji (杜氏) Tatsuya Ando (hereafter "Ando")

Interviewer: bien (美宴) Ayako Yoshida (hereafter "bien")

bien: What was it that made you want to take up sake brewing?

Ando: I love making things.

I was especially fond of microorganisms, and studied them.

That led me to want to work in brewing,

and that is how I came to have this connection with Toshun.

bien: What is the most enjoyable part of brewing?

Ando: Because you are dealing with living things,

sometimes things go the way you want,

and sometimes they don't —

that's what I find the most enjoyable.

bien: And the hardest part?

Ando: Again, because it's work dealing with living things,

the brewing doesn't take a break just because I do.

During the brewing season it's hard to ever truly relax.

bien: What kind of flavor does Toshun's sake have?

Ando: In a word, its defining trait is that it retains the flavor of the rice itself.

Among these, the ginjo (吟醸) brings out a more flamboyant, aromatic character,

while the junmai (純米) is finished as a sake with real body and depth.

bien: What would you like to convey to consumers?

Ando: Because our sake expresses a wide range of flavors depending on how each batch is brewed,

I hope people will enjoy tasting and comparing a variety of our sakes.

The interview with president Yukihiko Sato can be found here