Sake a beyond-the-basics guide to understanding, tasting, selection & enjoyment ⋅ Nippan IPS

A bilingual Japanese-English book dedicated to sake, introducing the basics of this iconic spirit and exploring its cultural richness. Each double-page spread features the original Japanese text on the left and its English translation on the right, with key terms highlighted in both languages. The Japanese texts are without furigana. The book is written by John Gauntner, renowned as one of the world's leading non-Japanese sake experts. A long-time resident of Japan, he has a perfect command of Japanese and close links with brewers. For eight years, he wrote the Nihonshu Column for the Japan Times, then a weekly column in Japanese for the Yomiuri Shimbun. Nicknamed "The Sake Guy", he is regularly quoted in the international press and has lectured at leading universities, from Harvard to the Wharton School. He has three times won the title of "Kikizake Meijin" for the accuracy of his tastings. A renowned trainer, he runs the Sake Professional Course in Japan and the United States, where he passes on his knowledge to professionals and enthusiasts from all over the world.