午夜剧场

The most delicious beer in the world is the freshly made beer with live yeast, known as "dobu," which is drunk directly from the factory tank. While major beer manufacturers remove yeast during the production process to withstand room-temperature transport, August Beer has achieved a consistent refrigeration system from the tank to the consumer's mouth, commercializing beer that tastes as if it were poured directly from the tank into a glass.

After graduation, I joined Kirin Brewery, obtained an MBA through an internal study abroad program, and then worked on expanding sales channels at Kirin USA. In America, where it is common to gulp down light beer, Kirin was said to be "bitter," and sales were stagnant. To create situations where people would want to drink a full-bodied beer, I supported young people aiming to open sushi restaurants in the U.S. Over 10 years, we established many sushi restaurants, which led to increased sales. After returning to Japan, I was put in charge of expanding sales for the light-tasting Budweiser at Budweiser Japan. At the time, Budweiser was perceived as a beer for students and was not consumed by working professionals.

Therefore, I launched a nationwide promotion featuring "Bud Girls" dressed in body-con outfits, which gained explosive popularity among working adults. However, neither Kirin in the U.S. nor Budweiser in Japan sold because they were evaluated for their taste; the sales were the result of a "soft-lead, hard-follow" marketing model.

At the 25-year milestone of my career, I decided to become independent and established August Beer, naming the company "AUGUST" to mean "authentic" or "essential." Today, it is served at many Michelin-starred restaurants.

Believing that my raison d'être is to continue being the "First One"—the person who takes the initiative to do what no one else has touched—I began supporting the introduction of microbreweries seven years ago. This business model, where fresh beer with live yeast is produced in an adjacent factory with zero logistics costs and can be provided cheaply to customers, has gained support, and I have assisted 40 factories nationwide.

My next "First One" is a micro-distillery & brewery that produces beer and whiskey simultaneously. Both beer and whiskey use malt as a raw material, and two-thirds of the manufacturing process can be shared. I have applied for a business patent for this fusion model. I want to continue giving the world an intellectual shock.

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.