Hometown Stories

tv show

poster for Hometown Stories

275 total episodes

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14 seasons

First Aired February 06, 2011

Overview

Stories about people, stories about life. Intimate portraits of people from around Japan, each leading diverse lives while enriching lives of others.

The Maturing Sake Expert poster unavailable

The Maturing Sake Expert

Season 7 - Episode 35 - 0h 0m

Air Date

December 02, 2018

Overview

Despite being only 24 years old, Jun Koike is one of just 400 people in Japan who hold the "sakasho" advanced qualification for sake tasters. This sake expert works as an editor for a website specializing in all things related to the drink. He fell in love with sake's subtle flavors while he was a university student, and just one sip is enough for him to come up with at least 10 descriptive expressions. His flair for describing a sake's taste and his precise reviews of various brands have resulted in him being chosen to become the website's next chief editor. This new position would require Koike to handle face-to-face interviews with industry bigwigs, but he actually gets uncomfortable when speaking one-on-one, a weakness that could cost him his promotion. His boss has given him the chance to interview a legendary sake brewer to gauge his readiness to be chief editor – can he rise to the challenge?