Ichinokura names new president for first time in 12 years as Shuhei Asami is promoted

Ichinokura, a sake brewing company in Osaki, Miyagi Prefecture, has decided to overhaul its management. Miyagi lies in the Tohoku region of north-eastern Honshu, Japan’s main island, and Osaki is in the northern part of the prefecture. According to the local newspaper Kahoku Shimpo, at a shareholders’ meeting and board meeting held on 30 September, Ichinokura approved an executive appointment promoting vice-president Shuhei Asami (51) to president.

First change at the top in 12 years

Satoshi Suzuki (57), who has served as president until now, will become vice-chairman with representation rights. Representation rights are the authority to represent a company legally and to sign contracts and the like on its behalf. In other words, Mr Suzuki will remain involved in management even after handing over the presidency. This is the first change of president at Ichinokura since 2014, a gap of 12 years.

A handover that values continuity

At Japanese sake breweries, a change of leadership can prompt a review of a brand’s direction and sales strategy. However, only the outline of the appointments has been reported so far, and it is not yet clear what policies the new management will set out. The arrangement, in which the outgoing president steps across to vice-chairman while keeping representation rights and the vice-president is promoted, can also be read as a gradual handover that prioritises continuity over an abrupt change of course. Attention will be on what sake and initiatives emerge under the new president.

What to note for European readers

If you come across Ichinokura sake in Europe, look for the “Ichinokura” name on the label. It is also worth checking the special designation and the rice polishing ratio. The special designation refers to the grade of sake, such as “Junmai” or “Ginjo”, which is determined by the ingredients and how far the rice has been polished. The rice polishing ratio is a figure showing how much of the rice remains after its outer layers have been milled away; the lower the number, the lighter and more aromatic the sake tends to be. This change of personnel will not affect the flavour straight away, but a generational change at a brewery often becomes visible over several years in new products and label changes. If you taste today’s bottles now, you will have the pleasure of comparing them when sake from the new management arrives, following one brewery’s “next chapter”.