SPEAKERS

Rie Kumada

"Meishu no Yutaka" CEO

Born in Sapporo in 1978, the eldest of four siblings, raised by a dedicated and principled father, the fourth-generation proprietor of “Meishu no Yutaka,” and a hardworking,business-savvy mother. After learning the spirit of Japanese martial arts through judo, Kumada studied abroad atage 19, an experience that led them to realize how little she knew about Japan. This sparked a deep interest in Japanese traditional culture.
Before taking over the family business, Kumada launched a “Sake Shop & Bar” to create spaces where people in their 20s, especially women, could more easily discover Japanese sake. During this time, she met Karin, her future partner from California. After gaining this experience, they joined Yutaka Shopping Co., Ltd. (Meishu no Yutaka) in 2008 and assumed the role of presidentin 2022.
Currently,they are involved in sake and snack production, event planning and management, public speaking, television and radio appearances, all with a commitmentto passing on Japanese culture to future generations.