Narihiro Suzuki,
President, Ise Kadoya
Chika Suzuki
CFO, Ise Kadoya
I started brewing beer first and foremost, because I love beer. I love the tastes, the smells, how it’s made and the sense of community it creates. To me, beer is more than a drink, it’s one of the spices of life and as the American statesman Benjamin Franklin once said, “beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Amen to that.
When I was a university student, my friends and I drank a lot of beer—surely not atypical behavior I understand—yet as much as I loved drinking beer, I loved studying microbiology. I loved working with microbes and yeasts and the processes needed to produce beer and still very much do. Ise Kadoya was a great marriage of doing what I love and continuing my family’s business—I truly love my job.
Chika is not only my wife and business partner but my best friend. She’s the glue in our organization. When I told her 13 years ago about my intention to start brewing beer, she told me that she would support any endeavor that I wanted to tackle except one. She said she never wanted to be married to a politician. Smart woman! There was one exception however and that was if I ever became president of the US. So if the beer business doesn’t work out, I know she’ll be at my side.
Chika grew up in Ise City and has lived here her whole life. If you visit one of our restaurants, I’m sure you will see her keeping things in order.
Masakazu Nakanishi,
Brew Master
With almost 12 years of brewing experience, I have been Ise Kadoya's brewery manager since 1999. There are two greatly important tasks given to me as a brewer. The first is to create a mash that captures the essence of the malt—not too rough or unclear but rather well-defined and the second is the handling the yeast, the amount, timing, and to know when to leave well enough alone. This is easy to WRITE, but much more difficult to DO since beers are living, growing entities. But I know that if I can create the best environment for this to happen, my ultimate job is to simply step aside and let the natural process of fermentation take over and do the work by itself.
Whether or not Ise Kadoya Beers collect awards or certificates that recognize our achievements is important but not most important—no—the most important thing to me is hearing what our customers feel about our beers. Awards are happily accepted and appreciated of course! however, I am more humbled and thankful when I hear someone say that our beers not only taste great but are unique—that other beers simply can't compete. My dream is not contention but a daily search for new tastes and originality.
Yoshihiro Matsuoka.
Biyagura Restaurant Manager, Microbrew Planning Manager and Label Designer
From time to time, my co-workers poke fun at me and call me a “walking beer dictionary” since I love beer and love to learn about new beers, flavors and brewing methods. And as serious as I am about beer, I also never stop having fun at my job. I also take the same approach with label design. Although I’m not a graphic designer by trade, I give each label design my time and my passion, matching labels with the same characteristics as the beer.
Although most of my training and experience is in the restaurant industry, I am a ANSA (All Nippon Sommelier Association) certified beer quality examiner and a JCBA (Japan Craft Beer Association) beer quality advisor.
I feel pretty luck to be surrounded by good food and great beer every day.
President, Ise Kadoya
Chika Suzuki
CFO, Ise Kadoya
When I was a university student, my friends and I drank a lot of beer—surely not atypical behavior I understand—yet as much as I loved drinking beer, I loved studying microbiology. I loved working with microbes and yeasts and the processes needed to produce beer and still very much do. Ise Kadoya was a great marriage of doing what I love and continuing my family’s business—I truly love my job.
Chika is not only my wife and business partner but my best friend. She’s the glue in our organization. When I told her 13 years ago about my intention to start brewing beer, she told me that she would support any endeavor that I wanted to tackle except one. She said she never wanted to be married to a politician. Smart woman! There was one exception however and that was if I ever became president of the US. So if the beer business doesn’t work out, I know she’ll be at my side.
Chika grew up in Ise City and has lived here her whole life. If you visit one of our restaurants, I’m sure you will see her keeping things in order.
Masakazu Nakanishi,
Brew Master
Whether or not Ise Kadoya Beers collect awards or certificates that recognize our achievements is important but not most important—no—the most important thing to me is hearing what our customers feel about our beers. Awards are happily accepted and appreciated of course! however, I am more humbled and thankful when I hear someone say that our beers not only taste great but are unique—that other beers simply can't compete. My dream is not contention but a daily search for new tastes and originality.
Yoshihiro Matsuoka.
Biyagura Restaurant Manager, Microbrew Planning Manager and Label Designer
Although most of my training and experience is in the restaurant industry, I am a ANSA (All Nippon Sommelier Association) certified beer quality examiner and a JCBA (Japan Craft Beer Association) beer quality advisor.
I feel pretty luck to be surrounded by good food and great beer every day.