By Kosuke KujiThe last issue introduced sake brewery “Tenbi” (Yamaguchi prefecture). New sake brewery “Kamikawa Taisetsu Sake Brewery” recently emerged in Hokkaido as well. This brewery was originally based out of Mie prefecture, where they acquired a license from an inactive brewery, transferred to...

By Yuji MaatsumotoI was blessed with an opportunity to attend a lecture targeting salesmen for a wholesaler of Japanese food products in the U.S. The attendees handle various Japanese food products including sake. The theme of the lecture was not so much about the consumer’s question of “Which sake ...

By Yuji MatsumotoTo be able to taste sake, the most importing to do is to identify and set your own tasting criteria. The criteria are not based on one’s preferences, so one must find the foundation that become the basis for judging various sake. One must have that foundation in place to be able to ...

By Yuji MatsumotoI often see breweries and wholesale dealers recommending their sake to local American diners at sampling events, saying, “This sake goes with any food,” “We use 100% Yamadanishiki rice,” “This is Junmai Daiginjo,” and “This is a traditional kimoto sake,” etc. However, most people (i...

By Kosuke KujiJapan during the “Golden Week” (April 29 ~ May 5) declared their third state of emergency. The justification was to stop crowds from gathering as much as possible, which is understandable. Healthcare facilities face staff shortages in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, while the number of pe...

By Kosuke KujiThis report is a continuation from the last report, the last report on NON GMO certification.Currently, many non-Japanese consumers worldwide enjoy Japanese sake and cuisine because they like Japan, know friends and family associated with Japan, have a working relationship with Japan, ...

By Kosuke KujiThis report is a continuation of the previous report that described the reason for acquiring the international vegan certification “NON GMO” for Japanese sake. Especially in the U.S. market, many products labeled “NON GMO” expectedly line the shelves in the food section at Whole Foods ...

By Kosuke KujiAs the impact from the novel COVID-19 coronavirus spreads worldwide, the world continues to face major challenges in the aftermath of the pandemic. As the vaccination starts, a ray of hope is finally visible. In the midst of this coronavirus era, Japanese sake was certified as “NON GMO...

By Kosuke KujiA video of Japanese breweries pouring sake and toasting each other throughout Japan was uploaded and widely covered by the media across 47 prefectures. *Iwate Nippo Daily Newspaper (https://www.iwate-np.co.jp/article/2020/6/15/79765) Of course, Japanese sake breweries were praised for ...

By Kosuke KujiSince Japan’s nationwide state of emergency declaration ended, gradual efforts started to recover the economy while stopping the spread of the coronavirus. Along with Japan as the Japanese continue to fight the novel coronavirus; the world is also experiencing shutdown fatigue. In Japa...