[Japanese Interviews: Life in LA] Masahiro Kitano: From Cancer Researcher to Brewery Founder

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■ From the Lab to the Brewery: A Life-Changing Pivot

“I was originally a cancer researcher, spending my days observing fish for months at a time. But when the pandemic hit, we were told not to come to the lab. I had to stop all the experiments I had been working on. That was the moment I asked myself: ‘What am I doing? Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life?’”

Masahiro Kitano founded Ikasu Brewing LLC in Los Angeles in January 2025. How did a highly educated scientist transform into a brewery founder? We explored the fascinating turning points of his life.

■ An Academic Elite Seeking a Challenge

Born in 1980 in Biei, Hokkaido, Kitano grew up in a hardworking family with a postal worker father and a school lunch cook mother. Academically gifted from a young age, he knew his strength lay in science. Not particularly interested in medical or engineering schools at the time, he entered the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kyoto University.

After completing his Master’s degree, he noticed a structural difference: medical schools had abundant research funding, while pharmaceutical departments often had less. Pragmatic and driven, he shifted his focus for his Ph.D., entering the Graduate School of Medicine at Osaka University. There, satisfied with ample funding and the ability to research to his heart’s content, he went on to work as a researcher at RIKEN, Japan’s largest comprehensive research institution. He was on a steady, successful path as a scientist.

■ A Fateful Encounter with Barley in LA

In 2012, Kitano moved to the United States. He chose to change his environment to grow further as a researcher. Everything changed—his research topic, the language, and the location. He joined a cancer research lab at USC, writing proposals, securing funding, and dedicating himself to his work.

It was in this lab that a fateful encounter occurred. A British lab mate, whose hobby was making beer, asked Kitano, “I want to make beer at your house.” Kitano vividly remembers the day they went to a homebrew shop in Eagle Rock to buy ingredients. “I was moved by the scent of barley.”

■ Betting on Beer: A New Beginning

That moment became the starting point. While working as a researcher, he became immersed in craft brewing. He spent his days in trial and error, brewing beer and serving it to friends. However, looking back at his early creations, he admits, “I didn’t think they were delicious, and I wasn’t satisfied.” His ideal beer was still far out of reach.

His researcher’s mindset—meticulous and persistent—paid off. He eventually won awards in over 60 beer competitions and achieved the difficult qualifications of BJCP National Judge and Advanced Cicerone.

When the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to go to the lab, he began to question his path as a researcher. Having finally created a beer that satisfied his own critical palate, it was a natural progression to bet his future on brewing. Now, as the founder of Ikasu Brewing, he says with confidence: “I use Japanese ingredients and finish them with delicate Japanese craftsmanship. I hope everyone enjoys it.”