*Information related to faculty members/students and graduate schools at Gifu University here are all that of the time of interviewing.

Mr. YAMADA Kazuhiko, the sixth-generation proprietor of a traditional Japanese sake brewery, is promoting the charm of sake brewing both domestically and internationally. We spoke with him about his study at the Faculty of Regional Studies, Gifu University and his day-to-day work as Executive Managing Director, Yamada Shoten Corporation.

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Q1　Please let us know about your current work.

As a small-scale sake brewery, I perform all tasks from brewing to sales of sake and public relations. In addition, I work with local farmers to utilize fallow fields for sake rice cultivation. In 2020, I was commissioned by the Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University to produce Gifu University Sake to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the university's founding. I am happy to be involved with my alma mater even after graduation.

Q2　Please let us know why you have decided to work for Kuramoto Yamada (Yamada Shoten Corporation).

Following graduation, I worked in a different industry, but I decided to change jobs because I wanted to challenge myself with something new. Then, I thought about my family's long history in the sake brewing business and decided to return home to make it my lifelong work. Since I had little knowledge about sake brewing, I received training from a brewer at a sake brewery in Mie Prefecture for two years before joining Kuramoto Yamada.

Q3　What kind of study or research activities did you engage in while you were a student?

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do when I was in high school, but, because I wanted to participate in community activities and study a broad range of subjects, I decided to enroll in the Faculty of Regional Studies, which offers an interdisciplinary course in integrated arts and sciences. I believe I have gained a multifaceted perspective there. My major was labor sociology, and I belonged to Associate Professor IHARA Ryoji's laboratory. I have a lot of fond memories of studying at the laboratory and late nights socializing with my friends.

Q4　Please leave a message for your juniors.

Spending time with friends and expanding knowledge by attending lectures are all invaluable experiences that university students can enjoy, so I hope you have a meaningful, fulfilling time while at university. It is also a university student's privilege to challenge themselves freely and be allowed to fail. Try doing something on your own, interacting with people outside of school, and challenging yourself in various ways.