-Life as a Sake Professional-
Introducing
Rebekah Wilson-Lye is a SEC certified Advanced Sake Professional, WSET Level 3 Educator, and has been an International Wine Challenge sake division judge since 2016.
Professional Duties
Further she is the head of international PR, marketing and sake exports for Japan Craft Sake Company. A company headed by Hideotoshi Nakata, an iconic Japanese ex-footballer and public figure within Japan.
Industry Acclaim
Life as a sake professional has been good for Rebekah. She regularly appears in Japanese TV shows, magazines and other media. She is also one of the three main subjects of the documentary movie “Kampai: Sake Sisters”, which was released internationally in 2019.
To add, Rebekah is also one of the key drivers and organizers for Japan’s largest sake culture event, CRAFT SAKE WEEK.
Trusted Voice
Accordingly, Rebekah has established herself as a trusted source of consultancy knowledge for sake breweries, corporations and the world’s leading restaurants; brand and product development; sake education; and developing a traceable, -5ºC sake export system, for the global market.
A lot has changed for Rebekah since 2005 when she first made her way to Japan from New Zealand. Her first encounter with sake has clearly inspired a life changing journey which has evolved into a career as one of Japan’s leading non-Japanese sake professionals.
Reasons to Listen
This will be a talk worth listening to for:
- those interested in knowing more about the world of sake and emerging opportunities within that space
- those curious about the rewards and challenges associated with the life as a sake professional
- those who are looking for tips, insights and inspiration as far as turning a passion into a career
Listeners will come away with insights on:
- the finer points of what sake is and represents
- how Rebekah made her way into the sake world
- how passion, thought and initiative aligned to set up such an utterly unique career
- how she parlayed her intense interest in sake towards landing a position at Japan Craft Sake
- the power of leveraging one’s skill, knowledge and industry connections to create professional opportunities
- how the sake market is redefining itself from production, logistical and market growth perspectives
- what it’s like running the world’s largest sake cultural event
- the virtues of allowing one’s natural curiosity and desire to learn to take shape and organically create opportunities for oneself
- how the Covid pandemic impacted the sake industry in surprisingly positive ways
- a look at the future of sake
- her overall take on her life and career as a sake professional
- what the sake industry needs moving forward in order to flourish
- much more!
A Memorable Quote from the Episode:
“More than anything, I wanted to be the change that I needed in the sake industry.”
-Rebekah Wilson-Lye
Check out the Video Conversation:
For those who desire to view video highlights of the conversation, you can do so via Youtube.
Discover More
For those interested in learning more about Rebekah and her work, be sure to check her out at Japan Craft Sake Company, CRAFT SAKE WEEK or on the following platforms:
Keep Listening!
I hope you enjoyed the episode. For more, check out additional episodes here!
