Meet the crew!
Etsuko Nakamura - Tour Leader / Founder
Etsuko Nakamura is a Sake Samurai, Advanced Sake Professional certified by The Sake Education Council and a Government Certified Bilingual English Guide [Registration Number: EN02400]. Etsuko owns and operates sake tours under enakamura Inc, Registered Travel Agency No. 3 – 7490 approved by the Government of Tokyo.
Etsuko began Sake Tours in 2008 and believes in giving guests an experience rather than just a tour. She has toured more than 300 sake breweries around Japan and enjoys creating and leading customised tours for special interest groups.
Jason Adamson - Tour Leader /Marketing / Photographer
Jason has been living in Osaka, Japan since 2011. He has a Masters in Gastronomic Tourism from Le Cordon Bleu and is an Advanced Sake Professional having studied under John Gauntner and the Sake Education Council. Jason takes care of all the website, photos and marketing at saketours.com and when not travelling around Japan drinking sake and eating food - he is curating new tours, taking photos, making videos and feeding the internet. He also is part of the team at Sake Industry News.
Rie Komoto - Admin Support Team
Rie Komoto was born and raised in Yamagata prefecture where you can find great sake breweries. She loves working for people and seeing their smiles; she has experience in the travel industry working as a tour leader, a hotel receptionist and a government certified English guide. Her interests are exploring and finding wonders in daily life, nature & its creatures, her baby daughter, and of course sake!
Mikiko Iuchi - Admin Support Team
Mikiko's career with sake started 15 years ago when she worked for Sake Service Institute in Tokyo and handled sake export. In addition to good food and sake, she loves travel, onsen, and scuba diving. Her passion for travel started when she spent a year in Perth, Australia and took a road trip to Cairns making many stops along the way. She is originally from Himeji and currently lives in Aichi with her husband and daughter.
She also holds a black belt in Naginata Marshal Arts so don’t make her angry.
Naoko Mitchell - Admin Support Team
Naoko Mitchell was born and raised in Fukuoka but lived in the UK for several years.
Naoko’s roots trace back to sake breweries in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, as both of her parents have ties to this rich tradition. Her father’s lineage proudly connects to the ongoing legacy of the sake manufacturer "Wakatakeya."
She’s passionate about koji-making and the art of cooking with the fermentation starter. Thanks to my British husband's influence, she’s developed a strong affinity for pub culture. One of her standout skills is the ability to discern the intricate fragrances of Japanese sake.
She currently lives in Toyama, full of amazing sake brewers, including her husband’s!