{"id":208712,"date":"2025-01-03T10:45:06","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T20:45:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=208712"},"modified":"2025-01-03T10:46:08","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T20:46:08","slug":"uh-alumni-moana-abe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/01\/03\/uh-alumni-moana-abe\/","title":{"rendered":"<abbr>东精影业<\/abbr> Alumni: Moana Abe sends spirits soaring at Japan whiskey company"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><div class=\"responsive-video-wrap-post\"><figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe  id=\"_ytid_17009\"  width=\"620\" height=\"349\"  data-origwidth=\"620\" data-origheight=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ihEVK2zPeWY?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu&rel=0&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"Alumni Hali&#039;a Aloha: Moana Abe (BS \u201818, UH M\u0101noa)\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>Enhancing the qualities of whiskeys such as Jim Beam is the job of Moana Abe, a 2018 University of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> at M&#257;noa graduate, who works as a researcher in the Monozukuri (manufacturing)-based Brand and Culture Laboratory at Suntory Holdings Limited in Japan. Suntory founded the country\u2019s first whisky distillery in 1923.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_208716\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-208716\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/uh-foundation-alumni-abe-m-2-horizontal.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/uh-foundation-alumni-abe-m-2-horizontal-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Abe in front of James B. Beam distillery\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-208716\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/uh-foundation-alumni-abe-m-2-horizontal-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/uh-foundation-alumni-abe-m-2-horizontal-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/uh-foundation-alumni-abe-m-2-horizontal.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-208716\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Moana Abe at James B. Beam distillery.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;Our mission as a department is to establish the culture in Suntory Group of crafting the world\u2019s most admired spirits and providing the story to consumers about the dedication and our desires to the sensory quality,&rdquo; said Abe. &ldquo;Japanese whisky is known for its dedicated craftsmanship and balance, blending traditional Scotch techniques with Japanese innovation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Abe earned a bachelor of science in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soest.hawaii.edu\/atmo\/\">atmospheric sciences<\/a> from <abbr title=\"东精影业\">东精影业<\/abbr> M&#257;noa\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soest.hawaii.edu\/soestwp\/\">School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology<\/a>. She said a small cohort of classmates and professors helped her expand career pathway opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I actually started as a production engineer in the beginning,&rdquo; said Abe. &ldquo;Your major may not be the only career option, it may connect to many other aspects that could open up for what you truly want.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>Keeping aloha alive<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_208715\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-208715\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/uh-foundation-alumni-abe-m-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/uh-foundation-alumni-abe-m-1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Abe wearing graduation gown, lei, holding flowers\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-208715\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/uh-foundation-alumni-abe-m-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/uh-foundation-alumni-abe-m-1-130x130.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/uh-foundation-alumni-abe-m-1.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-208715\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Moana Abe at <abbr>东精影业<\/abbr> M\u0101noa commencement in 2018<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After returning to Japan, Abe was inspired to reach out to fellow <abbr>东精影业<\/abbr> alumni.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I realized how much I miss sharing the moments and memories I had in <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span>,&rdquo; said Abe. &ldquo;So, I started reconnecting with a few friends from <abbr>东精影业<\/abbr> now living in Japan to continue the sparks to keep my aloha living in myself, and started attending alumni events as well.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Abe also fondly recalled her involvement with <abbr>东精影业<\/abbr> M&#257;noa\u2019s International Student Association (<abbr>ISA<\/abbr>).<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;<abbr>ISA<\/abbr> was the place that blended diverse cultures to create something bigger,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;College is about academics of course, but social experiences like <abbr>ISA<\/abbr> kind of brightens up the memory even more with lifetime friendship.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/uhalumni.org\/\">Learn more about other outstanding <abbr>东精影业<\/abbr> Alumni.<\/a><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_208718\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-208718\" style=\"width: 676px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/uh-foundation-alumni-abe-m-3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/uh-foundation-alumni-abe-m-3.jpg\" alt=\"4 people waving Shaka\" width=\"676\" height=\"381\" class=\"size-full wp-image-208718\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/uh-foundation-alumni-abe-m-3.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/uh-foundation-alumni-abe-m-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/uh-foundation-alumni-abe-m-3-130x73.jpg 130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-208718\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Moana Abe, left, at 2024 UH Alumni Tokyo event.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Suntory whiskey researcher keeps aloha alive with fellow Japan alumni.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[90,745,92,271,319,9,56],"class_list":["post-208712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-alumni","tag-atmospheric-sciences","tag-school-of-ocean-and-earth-science-and-technology","tag-uh-alumni-association","tag-uh-foundation","tag-uh-manoa","tag-video-2","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208712"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208712\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":208714,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208712\/revisions\/208714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}