[Japanese Interviews: Life in LA] Atsushi Nakagawa, Spreading the Wonder of “Amazake” to the World

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■ Delicious and Healthy: Spreading the Wonder of “Amazake” to the World

“It all started with coming here to chase my dream of forming a band with Americans, touring the world, and becoming a rock star.” Atsushi Nakagawa founded AMAZAKE CO. in Los Angeles in April 2019. He is the creator of the “Amazake Latte,” which has gained popularity at Farmers Markets in Torrance and Hollywood. How did his dream evolve? We took a closer look at his life.

■ From Rock Star Dreams to Los Angeles

Born in 1978 in Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture, Nakagawa grew up in a serious household with a city hall employee father and a banker mother. He was a leader type, serving as student council president in elementary school and captain of the tennis club in junior high. On the other hand, he had a strong interest in music and loved playing the guitar. A live concert he experienced in high school changed his life. Watching Vince Neil (vocals of Mötley Crüe), he was moved: “It’s amazing to create such a fun space.” He felt driven to move to the U.S. to do music. However, following his parents’ strong advice to graduate from university first, he majored in Electrical Engineering at Aoyama Gakuin University. During his summer breaks, he visited LA to scout the scene. A Japanese staff member at a music shop in Hollywood advised him, “You should graduate. Whether you have a degree or not changes your visa status.” Taking this advice to heart, he moved to the U.S. in 2001 after graduation.

■ A Health Crisis Leads to a New Path

Luck was on his side; he found band members within a week of arriving. He pursued his rock star dream for four years but eventually put an end to his music career. In 2005, he started working for a Japanese automotive company. Seeing colleagues laid off during the financial crisis, he began to feel he should acquire the skills to do business on his own. Around 2009, he started suffering from severe atopic dermatitis spreading all over his body. Doctors prescribed ointments, but it only got worse. He learned that improving gut health is good for skin conditions and started actively eating fermented foods like Miso and Kasuzuke. One day, he rediscovered “Amazake” in a newspaper ad. It was a non-alcoholic type, different from the one he had at shrines as a child. When he mixed this Amazake with almond milk and added flavors like Matcha or Hojicha, it was delicious. “It’s tasty and good for the body.” The desire to spread this to the U.S. was the origin of his entrepreneurship.

■ Expanding the Fermentation Culture

Currently, he is expanding awareness through sales at Farmers Markets. In addition to Amazake Latte, he offers a rich lineup including handmade Miso, Salt Koji, Tamari Koji, and Yuzu Koji dressing. He feels that fermented foods will be the next Japanese item to be proud of on the global stage.