Today, I would like to take this opportunity to report to everyone.
I would like to speak straight without embellishing words.

In March 2018, I acquired Tenryohai Sake Brewery.
I was only 24 at the time. Probably the youngest brewer in the industry. I decided to devote my life to a sake brewery here on Sado.

Kato Senichi
Born June 21, 1993 Born in Narita City, Chiba Graduated from Hosei University Faculty of International Culture Hobbies: Breakdance/Tennis

I was a naughty kid from an early age, and I think I caused a lot of trouble for my parents when I was in elementary school and junior high school.
Until the second year of high school, I was just playing around every day, but through studying for entrance exams, I became interested in English and overseas. I think my mother, who works for an airline, was also a big influence.
"I want to work in the world someday." I was just vaguely thinking.

～College days～
When I was in my second year of university, I studied abroad at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland on an exchange program.
Through my hobby of breakdancing, I made many friends both inside and outside the university, and after class, I would go straight out to the city and dance with my friends on the street every day. was
About three months into my life as an international student, an ordinary drinking party held at an international student dormitory became a turning point in my life.

~ Turning point ~
When the drinking party became lively, students from each country were excited about their country.
"French wine is the best in the world." "No, it's Spanish wine." "What are you talking about, tequila is the best in the world?"
I was laughing and watching from the side when a friend asked me.
“Senichi, what is there in Japan? I know sake! I have never tried it, but what does it taste like?
I couldn't answer anything. I couldn't talk about the culture of the country I was born and raised in.
While everyone is arguing that their own country is number one, I can't say anything about Japan's good points.
Feeling frustrated, I realized that I had never paid attention to the culture and traditions of my own country.
This event changed me a lot.

~ What is a “true international person”? ~
Can you speak English? to work abroad?
Wrong. A truly cosmopolitan person is someone who understands their own country and can speak for themselves as if they were second to none.
This incident prompted me to turn my attention to Japanese culture, and the thing that piqued my interest the most was sake.

~ I want to work related to Japanese sake. ~
However, the current situation is that the Japanese sake industry is a declining industry. Consumption is decreasing year by year. I want to know the outside world before immersing myself in the industry. I want to introduce new winds to the sake industry from the outside world.
That's why I joined a securities company. I was able to hear various stories from presidents who are active in each industry. Fortunately, the results were smooth sailing. I enjoyed working every day.
In such a way, I woke up with a word said by a customer. "What do you really want to do? Make what you want to do your job. Worrying and suffering every day will make you stronger."
It was a moment when I was reminded of my feelings for Japanese sake.
From there it was very fast. After quitting the company, I was able to buy the stock of a sake brewery that had no successor, partly because of a customer I had in the securities business. To be honest, M&A may not give a good impression. However, I've been chasing only what I like until now, so I want to work with what I like.
With the cooperation of the Hokuetsu Bank and the Japan Finance Corporation, the 24-year-old's reckless dream started. An amount too large to imagine for a 24-year-old. Still, I wanted to make my own sake. I wanted to take this job.

~ I want you to drink more and more sake. ~
I wrote that "the consumption of sake is decreasing year by year", but I think positively.
Looking only at the consumption data, it is true that it is decreasing year by year, but if you look at the contents, the impression is reversed.
Currently, the majority of consumption is still ordinary sake. The proportion of sake with special names such as junmaishu and daiginjo is still low.
However, while the consumption of futsushu is decreasing year by year, the consumption of special name sake is increasing year by year.
It's not just that consumption is declining, but that consumer needs are changing. In other words, sake today is just at a turning point.
From ordinary sake to special name sake.
From liquor to get drunk to luxury goods.
We see this as proof that the number of people enjoying sake is increasing.

"Sake = Uncle's sake"
I want to get rid of that image.
No matter which sake brewery makes sake, all of them are delicious now.
This is thanks to our predecessors who continued to make truly delicious sake, even when sake was in a slump.

Everyone has different tastes, but I only want to make sake that I can confidently say, “This is delicious, so try it!”
There is more than one answer for delicious. There are as many answers as there are people. However, if the answer is Tenryo's Sake, nothing would make me happier.

As I wrote in the president's greeting, we want you to be the main character at any time, and we want to be by your side in both happy and sad times.
I think Tenryohai Sake Brewery is a start-up company. No money, no knowledge, no experience. There is only resolution and momentum.

This starting line that I was finally able to stand.
One belief.
“We just want to make sake that we can be proud of, and proudly deliver it to everyone.”
I have no intention of sparing any effort to do so.
Even if the equipment is old, even if you have no experience, even if you don't have money, you can try everything you can.

We hope that the sake that we will be making will play an active role as a spokesperson for conveying our thoughts to everyone, and that everyone will love Tenryohai Sake Brewery and sake more and more.
I want to be the kind of person who gives courage to young people like me who are trying their best.
I want to move forward step by step.