The man who gave tequila a shot in Japan

When Ikuma Hayashi had his first shot of tequila at a Hollywood wrap party, he was a teetotaler. Now, he's one of Japan's foremost experts on the spirit. | WEIWEN LIN

Oct 4, 2026

Ikuma Hayashi’s life changed when he met Sean Connery.

Now 58, he was 18 when he left Tokyo for Los Angeles to attend film school. After graduating, he joined the art production team at 20th Century Fox and, in 1992, was assigned to handle the Japanese props for “Rising Sun,” a 1993 thriller starring Connery and Wesley Snipes. At the wrap party, Connery offered Hayashi a shot of Chinaco, a premium tequila.

Hayashi was a teetotaler; alcohol gave him terrible hangovers. But he couldn’t say no to James Bond. He drank a few shots, expecting the worst.

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