We’re excited to announce the first buds of success from our targeted Oregon-Japan economic development program, known by its acronym DVM – Delegation Visitation Management.
Meguru Sake, produced by Tokyo-based company Super Normal, founded by Koji Okutani, working in collaboration with the Kobe Shimbun (Kobe Newspaper), has recently released two special sakes that are certified by their new partner, Oregon-based Salmon Safe.
Salmon Safe is a Portland non-profit that works all over the Western USA and is a leading ecolabel; implementing farming practices to protect water quality, maintain watershed health and restore habitat.
These are the first sakes in Japan to be designated as Salmon Safe, heightening awareness of sustainability efforts in the sake industry in Japan.
Shortly after DVM opened for business in the summer of 2024, a delegation of several businesses from Japan arrived with a diverse wish list of industries and learning experiences to cover. The DVM program, managed by JASO through partnership with Prosper Portland, the State of Oregon, the Port of Portland and Travel Portland, took those requests and created and led itineraries to fit those needs.
One among many meetings was held at Hopworks Brewery on SE Powell Boulevard, where brewery founder Christian Ettinger is also a Salmon Safe Board Member. The group toured the facilities to learn about the range of sustainable practices employed. Also on hand were Salmon Safe co-founder Dan Kent and Board Member Lee Jimerson, and soon the interest in official Salmon Safe certification arose.
Once beyond DVM, a formal business relationship was established, and Salmon Safe toured facilities in Japan as a part of the certification process. For more information on Salmon Safe, click HERE. To read about this project development in Japanese, click HERE. If you are, or know of, a Japanese business or government agency that would like to do business with Oregon, click HERE.
For more information on DVM, how JASO supports business between Japan and Oregon, or any of JASO’s programs, contact Graham at gmorris@jaso.org.
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