For a Kentucky native who first landed in Japan on a business trip, Brian Hutto has carved out an impressive niche in Yokohama's sake scene.

At Craft Sake Shoten, or "Brian's Bar," as regulars affectionately call the watering hole located steps from Yokohama Station, the cozy, second-floor space brims with tipsy bonhomie. Customers move between standing tables against the wall and two large coolers flanking a wide picture window. Hutto stands behind the small bar at the rear, dispensing sake wisdom and warm conversation in equal measure.

The path that led him here began in 2010, when Hutto was working at a banking institution in San Francisco.