Passport to Japan: Sake Tasting w. Miho Imada, Rui Izumi + Takahiro Nagayama

We're bringing Japan straight to Oakland by welcoming three sake brewers from Japan for a Sake Tasting at Umami Mart! We are beyond honored that these brewers are making Umami Mart their first and only stop in the Bay Area on their country-wide tour. 

Don't miss your chance to meet all three brewers (listed below), try their brews, and talk to them about sake, brewing, and more. So grab your passport*, cause we're taking a sake tour around Japan right here in Oakland. 

*Just kidding, you don't have to bring your passport

WHAT: Passport to Japan: Sake Tasting w. Miho Imada, Rui Izumi + Takahiro Nagayama

WHEN: Tuesday, June 11, 2024, 5pm-7pm

WHERE: Umami Mart Bar
4027 Broadway, Oakland CA 94611

ADMISSION: $40 general / $35 members
Ticket price includes sake taste pours by three brewers. 21+

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About the Makers

Miho Imada of Imada Shuzo (Hiroshima)
Imada's sakes have been on our shelves for a decade now and continue to be the among the top 10 sellers. In addition to being one of the few female toji in the sake industry, she pushes boundaries by working with ancients strains of rice like Hattanso. "The fact that there are so many different expressions of sake is part of the enjoyment of this beverage," says Imada, "The coast of Japan is so long from North to South, and the climate changes considerably from North to South, that I hope that the breweries located in these very different regions find ways of expressing their individuality through their sake."

Takahiro Nagayama of Nagayama Honke (Yamaguchi)
Fourth generation President/Toji Takahiro Nagayama is passionate about his estate grower-producer style sake, allowing him to brew sake that represents his personality and to reach all the people who drink it. "Taka" is the first character of Takahiro-san's name and means "noble." His unwavering discipline and commitment to technical precision results in elegant but restrained sake. 

Rui Izumi of Manatsuru Shuzo (Fukui)
Manatsuru was established in 1751 and became legendary in 1998 when the current toji took over and won every gold medal in sight. Toji Izumi-san is on a quest to push the envelope of sake's flavor, structure, and appeal as we know it today. He has been quoted as saying "It is more important to be the only one than to be number one." This is a true microbrewery; with three total employees making 200 koku annually (4,000 x 9L cases).