Yodobloom SAKE Umeda store, which opened in April 2025 in Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, is located in a corner of the liquor section on the second floor of Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Umeda.

Billed as a "Sake Theme Park," the store always has 50 types of sake carefully selected from 100 breweries across the country. Qualified sake sommeliers are always on hand, and during the 30-minute "sake tasting session," they will use their extensive knowledge to carefully explain the culture, history, and brewing methods of sake. They then carefully select and serve a brand that is suited to each customer.

In this article, we interviewed store manager Kizuna Kuramoto about the background to the opening of Yodobloom SAKE Umeda store, its current situation, and her thoughts on the sake industry.

I spoke to this person

　

Kizuna Kuramoto, Manager of "Yodobloom SAKE Umeda Store"

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Born in 2001, she studied business at a university in Malaysia and after graduating she joined store operator Trend Casquette Co., Ltd. After working at "Tearland," a RaaS (Retail as a Service) store specializing in cosmetics and beauty products, she was appointed store manager at the opening of "Yodobloom SAKE Umeda Store."

New entrant from the cosmetics industry

-What is the concept of Yodobloom SAKE Umeda store?

Manager Kuramoto (omitted): "At Trend Casquette, our mission is to make retail more interesting. Although online shopping has become more commonplace, we place importance on customer service in our brick-and-mortar stores.

The reason why customer service is necessary is because we believe that there is a value that can only be experienced there. For this reason, we place importance on the "experience-based" aspect.
"Yodobloom SAKE" is characterized by the fact that, through a 30-minute sake tasting session conducted by staff with sake sommelier qualifications, you can not only sample about five different brands of sake, but also learn about the story behind each sake and the brewery's passion."

-Please tell us how you came to open this store.

"Our company originally operated a store in Tokyo that handled beauty products. This is a 'cosmetics experience' store targeting women of Gen Z, but after considering various products for the second phase, we decided on 'sake'. The reason we opened the store in Osaka (Umeda) instead of Tokyo is the result of discussions with Yodobashi Camera."

-What are your thoughts about moving from the beauty industry to the sake industry?

"I was surprised to find that there are many young people who like sake. I also hear a lot of people say things like, 'I just started studying sake recently,' and I feel that there is potential in the industry as a whole.

When it comes to cosmetics, most customers and staff are people who say, "I love cute things!" But sake is a little different.
First, he focuses on the existence of sake, and then he visits sake breweries all over the country and strives to obtain specialist qualifications. I felt that he has a different passion for sake than cosmetics. I was very impressed by this.

Sake = An important piece for passing on Japanese culture to future generations

-When did you become interested in sake, Manager Kuramoto?

"At an izakaya, you can choose between plum wine and sake, and it's always been a drink I've liked. However, I simply enjoy drinking it and it's not something I've studied in terms of the drink itself."

-Did you start studying sake in preparation for opening your store?

"That's right. When I started studying to start my business, I got completely hooked (laughs).

I went to university in Malaysia, so I was surrounded by foreign cultures during my student days. Because of this, I was originally interested in Japanese culture, such as kimonos and the tea ceremony.

In Japan, there is an aspect of beauty in 'ending' and 'change.' I think that sake is one of the cultures that really shows the characteristics of the Japanese people, such as the desire to pursue the flavor to the fullest, and the changes that come with changing brewers."

--The cultural aspects of sake are also attracting attention, with "traditional sake brewing" being registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

"If the sake industry declines, one aspect of Japanese culture will disappear. We want the services we provide to be known by a wider range of people, especially young people and people from overseas, and we believe that this will be an important piece in passing on Japanese culture to future generations.

However, not many people see sake as a part of Japanese culture.
A meal with wine on the table feels a little special, but not so much with sake. This may be because sake is relatively affordable and has become so familiar in our daily lives. With Yodobloom SAKE, we want to create an experience that considers sake not just as a product, but as a culture, and to create value for those who buy it.

× "Pushing sales" 〇 "Pushing sales"

-Are all of the serving staff sake sommeliers?

"That's right. In an 'experience-based store' like ours, the most important thing is the expertise of our staff. At Yodobloom SAKE, we have staff who want to convey the appeal of sake and want to be involved with sake as a job. Qualifications are of course important, but we feel that what's even more important than anything else is a passion for sake."

-Are many of your staff from the alcohol industry?

"Some of our staff come from sake breweries or sake shops, but they have a variety of backgrounds. They haven't only worked in the alcohol industry, but they have continued to study and obtained qualifications as an extension of their love of sake. All of our staff love sake so much that the word 'pushing sake' is more appropriate than 'pushing sales.'"

-What did you feel while serving customers?

"Many customers find out for the first time what ingredients sake is made from through this experience. When it comes to brands that have a distinctive fruity aroma, it's not uncommon for them to ask, 'Does it contain any fruit juice?' Although the ingredients of sake are simple, many people are surprised at the wide range of flavors it has.

"In addition, young people who are not very used to drinking alcohol may choose a strong type like kimoto sake, and conversely, people who have been drinking sake for many years may purchase an extremely sweet type. I think these cases are good examples that remind us of the wide range of flavors that sake has."

--With the "EXPO 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo" coming up, what is the proportion of overseas customers?

"We do offer services in English, but because we have a limited number of specialized staff, the ratio is not that high. We would like to appeal to people overseas in terms of spreading Japanese sake culture, but more than anything, we would like to first spread awareness among Japanese people."

-What age group are your customers?

"People of a wide range of ages come to visit, with many in their 20s and 30s. As a 'sake theme park', we offer an element of game-like enjoyment of sake tasting, which we think is one of the reasons. Looking at social media, many people say that they didn't 'come to drink sake', but 'come because it looks like fun'. Even those who came with the intention of 'drinking' say after the 30-minute session that it was 'fun!' rather than 'it was delicious', which I think is because the theme park element has been conveyed.

Gen Z lives in an age where products are infinite, so they tend to place importance on the stories behind them, and memories and momentary value are important to them. In that sense, I think the services we provide will resonate even more deeply with future generations. In today's age, where there are so many options and so much information, professional opinions are in demand."

-What's appealing about this is that it's not just a simple tasting.

"Before the store opened, we had the opportunity to hear directly from all the breweries we handle about the stories behind their sake and their thoughts as breweries. Based on that, we now communicate with customers in a neutral manner. We place importance on finding the preferences of each individual customer, without being biased towards a particular brand. We also explain behind-the-scenes stories that you can only hear by visiting the breweries, and serve customers in a way that speaks for the thoughts of the brewers."

"The joy of learning" and "the joy of communicating"

-What does sake mean to you, Manager Kuramoto?

"I think it's a part of me. Of course, it has an aspect of work, but it also means spreading Japanese culture as a Japanese person, and it also means that sake permeates your body as a drink. It's a big part of my personal life, and I want people to know about the sake I love as a form of self-expression."

-What are your future prospects?

"I would like to expand this business and have Yodobloom SAKE not only in Osaka but also in Tokyo and other areas. I would be delighted if this initiative can help sake breweries all over the country."

Not only can you enjoy the taste, but learning about the history and thoughts behind it makes sake a richer cultural experience.

Yodobloom SAKE is a place that connects people through the "joy of learning" and "joy of communicating" about sake. Not only does it have an appealing taste, but its attitude of carefully conveying the history of the sake brewery and the passion of the brewers resonates deeply with the hearts of its visitors.

Manager Kuramoto, who agreed to be interviewed this time, is also a member of Generation Z, born in 2001. His thoughts on "valuing stories" and "memories and momentary value are important" may be based on what he himself feels on a daily basis as a person involved.

Trend Casquette's initiative to "make retail interesting" is breathing fresh air into the entire sake industry, and its presence is likely to grow even more in the future.

Writer: Yuki Arai
Japanese Sake Studies Lecturer, Sake Master, SAKE DIPLOMA, Wine Expert
Due to his love of alcohol, after graduating from university he got a job at a liquor store in Kyoto. After that he worked in sales for a food manufacturer before becoming a freelance writer. His specialties are traditional cuisine and alcohol. He will continue to work hard to spread the appeal of Japanese sake through his articles.