Enhancing the qualities of whiskeys such as Jim Beam is the job of Moana Abe, a 2018 University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 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’s first whisky distillery in 1923.

“Our mission as a department is to establish the culture in Suntory Group of crafting the world’s most admired spirits and providing the story to consumers about the dedication and our desires to the sensory quality,” said Abe. “Japanese whisky is known for its dedicated craftsmanship and balance, blending traditional Scotch techniques with Japanese innovation.”
Abe earned a bachelor of science in atmospheric sciences from UH Mānoa’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. She said a small cohort of classmates and professors helped her expand career pathway opportunities.
“I actually started as a production engineer in the beginning,” said Abe. “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.”
Keeping aloha alive

After returning to Japan, Abe was inspired to reach out to fellow UH alumni.
“I realized how much I miss sharing the moments and memories I had in Hawaiʻi,” said Abe. “So, I started reconnecting with a few friends from UH now living in Japan to continue the sparks to keep my aloha living in myself, and started attending alumni events as well.”
Abe also fondly recalled her involvement with UH Mānoa’s International Student Association (ISA).
“ISA was the place that blended diverse cultures to create something bigger,” she said. “College is about academics of course, but social experiences like ISA kind of brightens up the memory even more with lifetime friendship.”
Learn more about other outstanding UH Alumni.
