Ayaka Ito

Ayaka Ito is a certified Kikizakeshi (sake sommelier, essentially) and co-owner of Beshock Ramen & Sake Bar in East Village and Carlsbad. Ayaka is the organizer of the largest Sake event of the year, the San Diego Sake Festival. She was born in Nagoya, Japan and at 15 years old, she began living abroad in Canada. From there, she lived in Hawaii and South Korea, experiencing diverse cultures and lifestyles along the way. The world of saké was introduced to her when she was working as a long-term volunteer in the Miyagi prefecture after the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake. Eastern Japan carries a variety of local saké and it was an eye-opening experience for her to come upon this time-honored gem in her own homeland. It was there that she discovered her life passion - to proudly introduce the national beverage of her country by becoming a certified Kikizakeshi. In 2014, she achieved this goal but felt this was just the beginning of her journey. To expand her knowledge and to fulfill her curiosity, she continues to visit sake breweries throughout Japan. Since 2016, Ayaka has been one of the leading authorities on sake in San Diego and enjoys bringing the story of sake to San Diego. It is her pleasure to share her knowledge and passion with at the Japanese Friendship Garden by hosting classes and workshops.