{"id":90502,"date":"2026-02-10T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=90502"},"modified":"2026-03-05T04:50:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T17:50:35","slug":"japan-female-sake-brewer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Kumiko Kaba, Japan\u2019s trailblazing female sake brewer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A new experience on Intrepid\u2019s Japan: Land of the Rising Sun trip lets travellers visit a centuries-old brewery in Hagi to learn from one of the country\u2019s rice-wine masters.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first sake I ever tried came in a tiny vase, from which I attempted to drink, much to the amusement of my Japanese friend. \u2018You need to wait for the cups first!\u2019 she said, giggling. Two tiny cups followed, as the staff member apologised for forgetting them. Aside from the diminutive drinkware, my first impression of sake was that it was light, slightly sweet and dangerously easy to drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was nearly a decade ago. Since then, as a writer living in Japan<\/a>, I\u2019ve tasted countless sakes, developing preferences and even an ability to distinguish between a few brands. Some have a drier taste. Others are known for their sweeter flavours. An example of this type is Yamaguchi Prefecture\u2019s Yachiyo Shuzo, headed by Kumiko Kaba, one of the country\u2019s few female sake brewers. Powered by centuries of family pedigree, she is taking the ancient drink firmly into the modern era, as visitors on Intrepid’s Japan: Land of the Rising Sun <\/a>trip can now uncover when they visit Kaba\u2019s brewery as part of a new experience for 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more: How Japan’s dogs are helping in disaster zones<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Preparing<\/figure><\/div>
\"Sake<\/figure>
\"Master<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The trailblazer in the family<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sake is Japanese rice wine, made from polished rice that is fermented over several weeks. It began as much alcohol does: a drink for the gods, made as an offering in the Japanese animistic Shinto religion. The first reference to sake dates back thousands of years, appearing in a 3rd-century Chinese document describing Japanese mourning practices. It\u2019s a drink that Kaba has grown up with, raised close to Yachiyo Shuzo, the brewery that her family founded in 1887.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I speak to Kaba, she\u2019s in the brewery, based in Hagi, a castle town in Yamaguchi Prefecture. She tells me she’s the eldest of three sisters, although it was actually her middle sister who initially had her sights set on taking over the brewery from their father. Kaba instead trained to be a nutritionist, moving to Tokyo when she was 18 to study, working at schools and hospitals. But when the middle sister dropped out due to a change of heart, Kaba stepped in to helm the family business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even while she was away, she\u2019d never forgotten her roots: ‘When I was in Tokyo, I\u2019d go to sake tastings and always had a bottle of nigori (sake) in my fridge.\u2019 In her late 20s, she began to notice the amount of breweries closing because there was no one to take over. \u2018I couldn\u2019t let the family brewery end with our generation. Since sake is Japan\u2019s national drink, I felt a responsibility. I wanted to do something about it.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She moved back to Hagi in 2017, taking over Yachiyo Shuzo in 2019, at the age of 35. But instead of training as a toji (master sake brewers) at her family brewery, Kaba took an unprecedented step. \u2018If I studied the technique at Yachiyo Shuzo, nothing would change,\u2019 she recalls, \u2018I wanted to bring something new to the company.\u2019 Instead, she trained at a different brewery close by, Sumikawa Shuzo, that acts as an informal incubator for aspiring sake brewers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018It\u2019s rare for a brewery to train those who\u2019ll essentially become its rivals,\u2019 Kaba reflects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more: Trips and experiences that celebrate women<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Room,<\/figure><\/div>
\"Dear,<\/figure>
\"Female<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

From prohibited to progressive<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even though historically women were integral to the sake-making process, by the Edo period (1603\u20131868), they were banned from stepping foot in sake breweries. This came down to a theory which regarded the brewery god as a female who\u2019d become jealous if other women stepped foot in her domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the 1990s, spurred on by a lack of male brewers, the number of women toji increased. Yet, it\u2019s only in the past couple of decades that sake brewing \u2013 and the toji title \u2013 has become accepted for women. To date, out of over 1000 breweries in Japan, only 33 women are registered as toji. With such a small percentage, peer support is a necessity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kurajosei Summit is a group for female sake brewers that meets annually. Kaba is a member and the organisation discusses industry challenges, the latest trends, skill swaps and arranges tours of each others\u2019 breweries. \u2018It\u2019s useful to see how others are doing it,\u2019 Kaba says, \u2018I might see something at another brewery that I can use at mine.\u2019 She\u2019s made lots of contacts. \u2018It\u2019s good to have people to confide in.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using her rare position as a female toji, Kaba has brought a new way of thinking about sake to her kura (brewery), starting by putting her heart into creating her first sake line, Room. It\u2019s since become a cult favourite, with leading sake-review sites such as Sakenomy and Saketime praising its rounded sweetness and aroma. The secret to her success? Kaba is involved from conception to completion, carefully considering design aspects in relation to where and when she wants people to drink her sake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Rather than stopping at taste and process, I also considered the philosophy of \u2018who would drink this and where?\u2019 Kaba recalls. She set off to share a new type of thinking, where the sake she created was curated to accompany very specific moments of everyday relaxation, such as at a meal with friends, or a Friday night after work. She relayed this through a minimal label design, a departure from typical elaborate sake labels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2023, she expanded on this with Dear, designed to be given as a gift. The devil is in the details: its packaging is a circular gift box, just like whiskey (rarely, if ever, seen in the sake world), and the red tissue paper at the top of the bottle can be arranged into a rose. Dear stemmed from her consideration of \u2018Saying cheers with someone special on a special occasion, with a special sake.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more: Unmissable food and drink experiences<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Kumiko
Kumiko enjoys hosting travellers at her brewery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Sake enjoyment from start to finish<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kaba recommends enjoying Room and Dear on the rocks, with someone you\u2019re close to, or heated slightly. \u2018I\u2019m also quite fond of it with blue cheese,\u2019 she laughs. Blue cheese shares something with sake: they\u2019re both fermented. \u2018I think they really complement each other.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaba enjoys hosting tours of the brewery. When she\u2019s away, her elderly mother takes the lead \u2013 a mother-daughter affair. Travellers are often surprised at the living, bubbling liquid in the vats, a sign of healthy fermentation. \u2018Another unexpected aspect is the kura itself. Its old, wooden structure makes a real impression,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brewery is located in the countryside of Yamaguchi, among rolling rice fields, and the tours offer the opportunity to get the feel of the entire sake-making process. \u2018Visitors can cycle around the rice paddies, where the rice for the sake is grown, then come to the brewery for the insiders\u2019 tour. This means that you can experience the sake process from the very start, right through to the end.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no better time to drink sake than after a brewery tour, to really appreciate the work that\u2019s gone into making the drink, evolved over thousands of years. And what\u2019s the best sake to drink in Japan? Well, despite sake\u2019s growing popularity abroad, Kaba reveals that there\u2019s one type that\u2019s rarely exported: nama sake. Nama sake is a fresh, unpasteurised sake. \u2018It\u2019s not really available overseas,\u2019 she says, \u2018so I\u2019d love for travellers to drink nama sake while in Japan.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sample sake at Yachiyo Shuzo brewery as part of a new experience to Intrepid’s Japan: Land of the Rising Sun<\/a> trip.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

Japan: Land of the Rising Sun<\/a><\/div>
12 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Japan Family Holiday<\/a><\/div>
12 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Northern Japan & Hokkaido Adventure<\/a><\/div>
12 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A new Intrepid experience lets travellers visit a centuries-old brewery in Hagi to learn from a rice-wine master.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16386,"featured_media":90503,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1408,3108],"tags":[180,21,2761,1480],"class_list":["post-90502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-good-stories","tag-asia","tag-japan","tag-promoted","tag-women-in-travel","ipf_region-japan"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMeet Kumiko Kaba, Japan\u2019s trailblazing female sake brewer | The Good Times by Intrepid<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A new Intrepid experience lets travellers visit a centuries-old brewery in Hagi to learn from a rice-wine master.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Meet Kumiko Kaba, Japan\u2019s trailblazing female sake brewer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A new Intrepid experience lets travellers visit a centuries-old brewery in Hagi to learn from a rice-wine master.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Good Times by Intrepid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intrepidtravel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-09T22:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-04T17:50:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2F9A0063-1-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kim Kahan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Meet Kumiko Kaba, Japan\u2019s trailblazing female sake brewer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"A new Intrepid experience lets travellers visit a centuries-old brewery in Hagi to learn from a rice-wine master.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2F9A0063-1-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Intrepid_Travel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Intrepid_Travel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kim Kahan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/\",\"name\":\"Meet Kumiko Kaba, Japan\u2019s trailblazing female sake brewer | The Good Times by Intrepid\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2F9A0063.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-09T22:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-04T17:50:35+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/7290745bc840fcfdedb850ccbca65483\"},\"description\":\"A new Intrepid experience lets travellers visit a centuries-old brewery in Hagi to learn from a rice-wine master.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2F9A0063.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2F9A0063.jpeg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"Kumiko Kaba, a female sake brewer in Japan.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Meet Kumiko Kaba, Japan\u2019s trailblazing female sake brewer\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/\",\"name\":\"The Good Times by Intrepid\",\"description\":\"adventure news\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/7290745bc840fcfdedb850ccbca65483\",\"name\":\"Kim Kahan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e95b0473e80af85b6849e8fd52783dbda1f34f6f968f0a7579e83be8b5ce8d41?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e95b0473e80af85b6849e8fd52783dbda1f34f6f968f0a7579e83be8b5ce8d41?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kim Kahan\"},\"description\":\"Kim Kahan has lived in Japan for nearly a decade working as a translator and writer, covering everything from fancy ryokan to Japanese music. She pens words and takes photos for Lonely Planet, Huck Magazine and Japan Times and also works for brands including Honda and Live Japan.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.kimjakahan.xyz\",\"kimkaan\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kimkahan\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/author\/kim-kahan\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Meet Kumiko Kaba, Japan\u2019s trailblazing female sake brewer | The Good Times by Intrepid","description":"A new Intrepid experience lets travellers visit a centuries-old brewery in Hagi to learn from a rice-wine master.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Meet Kumiko Kaba, Japan\u2019s trailblazing female sake brewer","og_description":"A new Intrepid experience lets travellers visit a centuries-old brewery in Hagi to learn from a rice-wine master.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/","og_site_name":"The Good Times by Intrepid","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intrepidtravel\/","article_published_time":"2026-02-09T22:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-04T17:50:35+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1280,"url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2F9A0063-1-scaled.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kim Kahan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Meet Kumiko Kaba, Japan\u2019s trailblazing female sake brewer","twitter_description":"A new Intrepid experience lets travellers visit a centuries-old brewery in Hagi to learn from a rice-wine master.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2F9A0063-1-scaled.jpeg","twitter_creator":"@Intrepid_Travel","twitter_site":"@Intrepid_Travel","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kim Kahan","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/","name":"Meet Kumiko Kaba, Japan\u2019s trailblazing female sake brewer | The Good Times by Intrepid","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2F9A0063.jpeg","datePublished":"2026-02-09T22:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-04T17:50:35+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/7290745bc840fcfdedb850ccbca65483"},"description":"A new Intrepid experience lets travellers visit a centuries-old brewery in Hagi to learn from a rice-wine master.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2F9A0063.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2F9A0063.jpeg","width":1920,"height":1080,"caption":"Kumiko Kaba, a female sake brewer in Japan."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-female-sake-brewer\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Meet Kumiko Kaba, Japan\u2019s trailblazing female sake brewer"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/","name":"The Good Times by Intrepid","description":"adventure news","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/7290745bc840fcfdedb850ccbca65483","name":"Kim Kahan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e95b0473e80af85b6849e8fd52783dbda1f34f6f968f0a7579e83be8b5ce8d41?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e95b0473e80af85b6849e8fd52783dbda1f34f6f968f0a7579e83be8b5ce8d41?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kim Kahan"},"description":"Kim Kahan has lived in Japan for nearly a decade working as a translator and writer, covering everything from fancy ryokan to Japanese music. She pens words and takes photos for Lonely Planet, Huck Magazine and Japan Times and also works for brands including Honda and Live Japan.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.kimjakahan.xyz","kimkaan","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kimkahan\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/author\/kim-kahan\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2F9A0063.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4OQMK-nxI","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16386"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90502"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90502\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90659,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90502\/revisions\/90659"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}