Episode 25

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Published on:

27th Feb 2023

Future trends for wine and sake in Japan with top sommelier Wayne Shennen

Wayne Shennen is not only a top class sommelier but also incredibly knowledgeable about sake. Jayne and Catherine pepper him with questions about food matches and how to best order sake when you are starting out. Wayne has started to build bridges between New Zealand and Japan in his area of the hospitality industry, which we think is fantastic and an inspiration for other New Zealanders in Japan. 

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In this episode you’ll hear:

  • How Wayne came to be in Japan running his own restaurant in Yushima, Tokyo
  • Sake and wine pairings with Japanese food
  • Will we see Rosé become a new fad in Japan?
  • How Wayne is building a bridge between Japan and New Zealand through hospitality
  • Beautiful premium wine choices that Wayne is exporting into Japan and why he chose those brands to work with

About Wayne

Hailing from Tauranga, Wayne Shennen is the owner operator of a NZ wine bar and restaurant in Yushima in Tokyo called Rangitoto Tokyo. He came to Japan to study martial arts and like many of our Jandals, has stayed and moved from the original reason for coming to Japan to his now successful business. He is a certified sommelier with over 20 years of hospitality experience and has also studied sake and promoted sake. 

Wayne has specialized in Japanese beverages, and he also has extensive cocktail, wine and spirit knowledge, having put together and managed beverage menus in quality restaurants. He also has import experience with wine into Japan and has been featured in publications such as “Demystifying Sake” and “The Sake Alchemist” and is a member of the Wine Scholar Guild as a French and Spanish Wine Scholar. As well as being proficient in Japanese language he also speaks Portuguese! 

Connect with Wayne

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-shennen-6396a58/ 

Website: https://ja.rangitototokyo.com/ 

Jandals in Japan is brought to you by Catherine O’Connell Law and PodLaunch with Jayne


Connect with Jayne and Catherine

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jandals-in-japan-podcast/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jandalsinjapan/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jandalsinjapan 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jandalsinjapan 

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About the Podcast

Jandals in Japan
Bringing The Land of the Long White Cloud to The Land of the Rising Sun
The best show about New Zealanders doing business in Japan, bringing The Land of the Long White Cloud to The Land of the Rising Sun
How do you build a brand in Japan and nurture a loyal customer base?
What do you need to have in your tool belt if you are thinking of coming to Japan to launch a business here?
Japan is often considered to be in the "too hard" basket but we are here to open up the black box of doing business in Japan.
We will share stories from successful Kiwis selling their products and services here in Japan.
They'll tell you their tips for success and pitfalls to avoid.
They'll share their challenges and what they did to overcome them.
They will tell you things you can't find in textbooks or on the internet.
We will also be sharing the latest intel and insights on Japan from our on-the-ground presence
And you'll hear some super business culture and other tips from us sprinkled throughout.
Grab a glass of sake and let's get into it.
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About your hosts

Jayne Nakata

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Jayne Nakata is a Southland girl who arrived in Japan in 2002, planning to stay just two years. 20 years later she is still living in Fukushima Prefecture with her Japanese husband and two children. When the triple disaster hit in 2011, Jayne made the commitment to stay in Fukushima and contribute to rebuilding the area. She is the host of the award winning podcast Transformations with Jayne, which is a favourite with international women living in Japan. She is also the double award winning podcast producer and manager for PodLaunch with Jayne.

Catherine O’Connell

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Born and bred in Christchurch, Catherine O'Connell landed in Japan in 2002, on a one year contract, and 20 years later she's planted her feet firmly in Japan. She built a wealth of business and cultural experience working at the coal face of brand-name Japanese corporates as in house legal counsel. Catherine took a leap of faith down the entrepreneurial route launching her own multi award-winning boutique law firm in Tokyo in 2018, being the first Kiwi and first foreign female to do so. She is Vice Chair of the Australian & New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Japan and helps businesses thrive in the Japan market delivering business insights meshed with legal instincts. Catherine is also host of the award-winning Lawyer on Air Podcast.