Derrek Buston is originally from Seattle Washington, where he attended the University of Washington first majoring in music, then Japanese linguistics. His sophomore year in 2000 was also when he studied abroad at Keio University Tokyo. After graduating college and then working for a Japanese company in Seattle he soon found himself drawn back to Japan and settled in the Shizuoka area. Around this time, Derrek began to focus on design and architecture. This eventually led him to become a licensed architect and in 2013 established his own company: West Coast Design. After finding success with West Coast Design, including a commission in 2014 to make the Shizuoka Whiskey distillery, Derrek soon got the idea to get into the beverage industry himself. His entryway was first in 2017 with his bar, Twelve and then in 2019 with his brewery, West Coast Brewing. WCB has gained popularity over the past few years and now finds itself as one of the top craft beer brands in the country with Derrek at the helm.
In this episode, Derrek offers advice for those looking to get into the design and architecture world in Japan. He speaks on what drew him into the world of craft beer and how he now balances his two companies. He talks about his roles as a CEO and how to stay relevant and forward-thinking in an increasingly competitive industry.
Connect with Derrek on Instagram @dbuston and the West Coast Brewing team @wcbshizuoka !
Brewery Website: https://www.westcoastbrewing.jp/
Design Website: https://www.westcoastdesign.co.jp/
Design team IG @westcoastdesign_team328
This episode was recorded in 2021 when COVID-19 affected drastic lifestyle changes and work. The hotel project Derrek talks about in this episode is now open! Check out The Villa & Barrel Lounge in Shizuoka.