Do you like sake? Of course you do.

Do you like learning as much about sake as you can? Of course you do, that’s why you read this newsletter!

But guess what? Not everyone feels the same.

Some people just want to drink sake and enjoy it with the minimal amount of product knowledge. They might know a few sake-related terms, maybe have a couple of favorite brands and they may enjoy a few glasses with dinner or with their friends - nary giving a thought to production methods, regionality or yeast strains.

And you know what? Not only is that okay, it’s actually necessary for the growth of the industry.

The sake industry needs consumers. Just plain old consumers. The kind of people that have far more pressing matters going on in their life and other interests that leave them with little time to read books, take courses, or listen to podcasts about sake - but do in fact enjoy the odd glass or bottle here and there.

Not everyone needs to be an expert to enjoy sake. Not everyone needs to be converted, baptised and made to kneel at the sake altar. Just getting them to include sake in their drinking repertoire every now and then can be enough.

Think about the average person who doesn’t work in the liquor or hospitality industry and how little they actually know about beer, wine or spirits, yet they enjoy those beverages all the same because at some point they were made aware of them, discovered that they’re delicious and kept on drinking. Sake needs more of this. Just simple awareness.

Not everyone needs to do a course or read a book. They just need to try it and enjoy it - and be left to enjoy it without being made to feel they have to take that “next step”. So as hard as it might be for some of us to reign in our enthusiasm by spreading as much deep-level knowledge as we’d like, if you see someone enjoying sake, maybe we should ask ourselves if we really need to recommend a “better” sake than the one they’re drinking. Do we really need to lean over and offer to explain in minute detail the process behind what’s in their glass? Not always. Let them be a consumer.
Sometimes a friendly nod and a courteous “kampai” to your fellow drinker might be enough to welcome them to the club.

Sake needn’t always be a lecture. Sometimes it can be a conversation.

And now for the news…

**Note SIN Chief Editor Julian Houseman is stepping in for John Gauntner with comments and recording for this issue.

Trouble In The Middle East Could Spell Trouble For Sake

Japan- Rising instability in the Middle East and the continued disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are beginning to impact Japan’s sake industry, as shortages of petroleum-derived naphtha drive up costs and threaten supplies of key brewing materials.

“Naphtha” (ナフサ in Japanese) is a petroleum-derived chemical raw material produced during crude oil refining. It’s not usually used directly as fuel, but is used to make plastics, synthetic rubber, solvents, packaging materials, and many petrochemical products.

In the sake industry, naphtha is indirectly important as it is used in the production of items such as bottle caps and liners, plastic seals, shrink wrap, labels, adhesives, disposable gloves and packaging materials and crates.

Kinji Hashimoto of Hatsukame Shuzō in Shizuoka Prefecture has warned that shortages and rising prices for petroleum-based products could significantly affect sake production, noting concerns over increasing costs for bottle caps and labels.

The brewery is also experiencing shortages of disposable rubber gloves used during kōji production. Combined with already elevated rice prices, the additional pressure from packaging and supply-chain costs is creating growing uncertainty for producers ahead of future brewing seasons.

初亀酒造

JH- I honestly hadn’t heard of naphtha until these news reports started appearing, but it seems this will be an issue for a number of industries. An unfortunate example of the butterfly effect of such conflicts.

7-Eleven Putting The Convenience In “Convenience Store”

Chiba- Visitors to Japan often marvel at the quality of the convenience stores here compared to their home country, however one particular 7-Eleven has definitely taken things up a few notches to become possibly the ultimate convenience store for folks like us.

Read more

The weather is definitely leaning to the slightly warmer spring side (blink and you’ll miss it), and the number of events happening around Japan indicate that brewers finally have some time on their hands to get out, have some fun and take their sake to the masses.
It’s the time of year to monitor one’s calendar carefully so as to not miss out on any of the shenanigans around town. So grab a pen and start circling dates because it’s time to get out there and find some new sake, revisit old friends and ENJOY sake!

And now for the news…

Something New In Saga

Saga- Saga Prefecture has officially launched its “newly” developed sake rice variety, Saga Sake No. 73. The new rice has been nine years in the making as a response to demand for high-quality local brewing rice with an improved resilience to heat and solubility issues.

The variety made its debut via a trial brew release at a local tourism event, “Kashima Sake Brewery Tourism 2026”.

The first bottling, has been produced by Baba Shuzojō (maker of Nogomi), and uses 100% Saga Sake No. 73 alongside locally developed StyG (Saga Hagakure) yeast and prefectural water, positioning it as a fully “All-Saga” sake aligned with the region’s “The SAGA” certification framework. The initiative also reflects continued growth in premium categories, with junmai and other tokutei meishō-shu now accounting for over 70% of shipments.

Early tastings describe a profile of fresh, fruit-driven aromatics, soft sweetness, and underlying umami depth. According to Koichiro Baba, the rice may produce a distinct sweetness compared to existing varieties.

The new rice is expected to support both quality improvements and farm-level profitability, with further trial releases planned as brewers assess its commercial potential.

Source - SagaTV | Pref.Saga

JG: I think the most significant point here is the clear statement that the rice was developed to have an “improved resilience to heat and solubility.” There are lots of great rice strains out there, and while the “made in Saga” point was surely one priority, clearly addressing modern challenges was obviously up there too. Often, it takes several years for a new rice to work its way into the prefectural mainstream; let us hope Saga Sake No. 73 pans out well.

馬場酒造場（能古見）

Successful Successions

Fukuoka- Best Amenity Co., Ltd., based in Kurume, Fukuoka, has announced it will acquire the facilities, real estate, and sake brewing operations of Hanano Tsuyu, a brewery with roots dating back to the Edo period. The move follows Hanano Tsuyu’s business closure in December 2024 and subsequent bankruptcy filing.

Read more

We open this issue with some particularly sad news.

By now many of our readers may have heard the news of a brewery worker in Akita Prefecture perishing after falling into a tank of moromi, where there is an intense concentration of carbon dioxide which can quickly prove fatal with seemingly minimal exposure. It was soon announced that the “brewery worker” was in fact Bungo Tanaka, the CEO of BOON and the man behind the revival of a number of breweries across Japan.

The accident occurred at Dainagawa, one of the breweries he was responsible for resurrecting. While the exact details of how Bungo’s death occurred have not been released, nor are they necessarily pertinent, the tragedy further highlights the dangers involved in brewing sake. Many breweries are still functioning in the simplest of structures with health and safety often relegated behind “tradition”, “function” and “cost”. If anything good may come from this accident one might hope it might be more stringent safety implementations in breweries.

Bungo Tanaka, at the relatively tender age of 49, was a trailblazing mover and shaker who “walked the walk” while “talking the talk”. His efforts in turning around Dainagawa, Shiwa Shuzoten (Sisora) and Uozu Shuzo (Honami) were exemplary in demonstrating the potential for reviving struggling businesses in a slowly sinking industry. The very fact that he died while tending a moromi tank in the early hours of the morning was testament to his hands-on approach as a passionate man of sake and not just a financer.

We’ve long followed Tanaka’s efforts and even reached out to him back in 2021 to gain insight into what he was doing and his philosophies behind his business activities.

Allow us to reprint that interview here in case you either missed it or would like a revisit of just what kind of man the sake industry has lost.

SIN offers our sincerest condolences to Bungo’s family, staff, co-workers and all those who will surely miss him.

Rest in Peace Bungo Tanaka.

Read more

It’s official! Spring is here.

Nothing says spring in Japan more than the sight of cherry blossoms - and they are finally here for 2026. But as is the deal and appeal with cherry blossoms, blink and you’ll miss them.

Fortunately, the spring sake will be around for a little while longer.

And now for the news…

When The Arts Meet Artisanal

Ibaraki- One brewery has taken a unique left-turn in its executive staffing with the appointment of actor Yuka Kokoma as Executive Officer and Chief Creative Officer (CCO), of Nemoto Shuzō.

Kokoma, a Keio University literature graduate and former paralegal, brings a non-traditional background to the role. Originally from Ibaraki Prefecture, she is expected to leverage her experience in performance and communication, alongside a detail-oriented perspective developed through her legal work, to address a key challenge identified by the brewery: the gap between product quality and market visibility.

Read more

We say it every year, but can you believe it’s almost time for the brewing season to start winding down? Indeed, some brewers have already laid down their brewing tools and begun the cleanup as they now play the waiting game before moving toward bottling, labeling and shipping.

Soon enough the weather will start to warm and the festival season will be upon us. Some may have been lucky enough to attend the massive Sake No Jin event in Niigata Prefecture earlier this month. If you missed it, no problem there’s plenty more events coming down the pike, so get ready for another year of sake shenanigans!

But for now, here’s the news…

Get With The Program, South Africa!

South Africa- Japanese officials are working to persuade South Africa to permit sake sales in Japanese standard 1.8 liter and 720ml bottles sizes.

South Africa currently bans the standard 1.8-liter isshōbin and 720-milliliter bottles, citing potential consumer confusion over Japanese units. At a JETRO seminar in Cape Town attended by officials and business leaders and brewers from nine prefectures, speakers highlighted rising local interest in sake alongside the global popularity of washoku cuisine as supporting factors for keeping the long-used sizes.

JETRO argued these sizes help brewers maintain quality and control costs. South African representatives welcomed the cultural insights, noting sake’s ceremonial role in Japan however a decision has yet to be made regarding the future of the bottle sizes in South Africa.

Source -NHK

JG: Naturally, there are two sides to everything. But I am finding it challenging to see why South Africa cannot be more flexible on this. It is simply unrealistic to ask the sake industry to - at this point in time - start to bottle in different bottle sizes. Hopefully they will see the light and then South Africans can start to enjoy sake.

Tottori Joins The GI Club

Tottori- SIN must’ve been asleep at the wheel, because it seems we missed the announcement in October last year that Tottori Prefecture has joined the ever -growing list of regions approved for GI (geographical indication) status.

The Tottori Brewer’s Association is holding a launch event on March 19, linking venues in Tottori and Tokyo online. Attendees can sample certified GI Tottori sake for free and hear lectures and panel discussions by experts and brewers on the region’s brewing traditions and future.

Read more

What’s your favorite sake? Ever been asked that before? Of course you have.
How do you answer? The one you drink all the time, the rare one that’ll make people say, “ohh, never heard of it”, something non-committal like, “depends on the weather/food/occasion/location etc.” or do you give a more philosophical answer like, “whatever’s in my hand at the time” or “the next one”?

Or, quite likely, you don’t have one. And that’s okay.

For some sake fans (or rather, maniacs) it would be almost impossible to have a favorite because they rarely seem to drink the same sake twice. Sake sometimes suffers from a certain issue of snobbery, often also seen in the craft beer world, where many drinkers are always looking for that next new or rare thing.

These drinkers rarely stop to smell the ginjō-ka and seem to be constantly scouring the internet, hole-in-the-wall sake bars and underground sake stores for those elusive phantom sake (maboroshi perhaps?) that few have heard of, or are discussed in hushed reverent tones; often more easily described as a sake with low distribution due to small production volume leading to scarcity of said brand.

We can all agree it is fun to discover new sake - or at least, new to us. One person’s “white whale” might be the local supermarket sake for someone else. It often depends on where you are. When traveling through Japan it’s highly advisable to check out the local offerings where you may discover new brands, however we should try not to fall into the trap of snubbing our noses at a given bar or restaurant’s sake menu because of over familiarity with the offerings.

There’s few things more disappointing than seeing a sake drinker opt for beer or a highball because the sake offerings aren’t interesting or niche enough. Although it would be nice if every restaurant stocked sake, not every restaurant needs to be a full-blown sake nerd fest.

So revisit those old faithful brands, even the ones you may think you’ve outgrown. If nothing else it’s important to send the message to restaurateurs that sake sells. And if you’re lucky, you might find that some of those sake you haven’t had for a while are well-worth revisiting.

And now for the news…

Note: Due to logistics, editor Julian Houseman is stepping in with comments and recording for John Gauntner for this issue.

Gin Is In

Hyogo- One of the industry’s biggest hitters, Kiku-Masamune, has entered the craft spirits market with the launch of its original gin, BESIDE. The project reflects a growing, yet still niche, trend in Japan of breweries creating regionally inspired craft gins using distinctive botanicals.

Kiku-Masamune marketing manager Tsubasa Tagami says the company saw gin as a potential gateway for younger drinkers who are increasingly distanced from sake culture. “Cocktails like gin and tonic have become popular entry points to alcohol. We hope people who discover BESIDE will eventually explore sake - and Kiku-Masamune itself,” he said.

Read more

We’re on the downward slope now of the brewing season. Some smaller breweries will already have their eye on the finish line. Still plenty left to do for most of the others though.

Snow may still be piling up in parts of Japan, but the calendar insists that spring is just around the corner. The first wave of seasonal releases is beginning to trickle out, and before long the frost will be nothing more than a memory.

For the brewers, though, the job is far from over - the season still has plenty left to give. And for those of us on the drinking side? Well, the work never really ends, does it?

And now for the news…

New Brewery Brings All The Kōji

Niigata- Iyasaka Jōzō, led by brewer Kazuhiro Sakamoto, is in the final leg of a crowdfunding drive to help construct its in-house production facility, which was scheduled to begin last month.

Located in the Miyanosita district of Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, the new brewery will focus on Juwari Koji-shu, a distinctive style made using 100% rice kōji (as opposed to the traditional ratio of around 20%), with aims to create sake in close connection with the local community. The brewery’s products will be sold under its license for “miscellaneous alcoholic beverages.”

The name “Iyasaka,” translates to “ever-increasing prosperity,” reflecting the brewery’s vision of shared growth among brewers, farmers, retailers, and drinkers. As well as producing sake-adjacent products the new facility will serve as a community hub linking agriculture, food, tourism, and regional life.

Founder Kazuhiro Sakamoto previously worked in sake retail in Tokyo before training at Abe Shuzō in Niigata from 2021. He first began producing his own sake under the brand ITTEKI using facilities at Abe Shuzō.

Source - Mainichi

JG: It looks like the market can look forward to another sake-adjacent product. This one is interesting, though, as rather than fruit or hops or lack of filtration, it is using one hundred percent koji. Hmm.

Sake made in that way is rich and intense; they started using only about 20 percent koji upwards of a millennium ago for a reason. I am not sure undoing what has worked for so long counts as innovation. But what do I know; sometimes that is in fact the right direction.

It is hard to quaff sake like that, or to drink more than a sip or two. That could pose a revenue problem. Also sake made with all koji ages really quickly; I think that managing stock and storage will be a formidable challenge as well.

Of course, I wish them the best of luck and all success; and of course, I look forward to tasting it.

弥栄醸造 , ITTEKI（一擲）, 阿部酒造

Korea Comeback

South Korea- Imports of sake into South Korea continue to rise, with last year’s import value reaching a new record high. According to trade statistics from the Korea International Trade Association, imports totalled USD27.84 million last year, an increase of 21.2% compared to the previous year. Import volume also grew by 11.8%, reaching 5417 tons.

Read more

At the end of this issue we take a look at which breweries have been the largest producers in modern history, and there is something of an elephant in the room with the stats. The number of breweries that have disappeared over time - even in the big leagues is quite jarring.

We’ve all likely heard the sobering figures of how brewery numbers have dropped from a peak of around 30,000 to today’s figure, which tends to hover close to 1000-1200 depending on who you ask. Even with that number it seems we never know for sure because there are a number of breweries which are inactive yet retain their brewing license because….well, you never know when you might be able to start brewing again - or maybe you may be thinking of selling the license off to an enterprising upstart. Whatever the reason is, the numbers are a little murky.

Every year we hear that breweries are closing for various reasons, but usually financial or succession related, however we don’t often hear specifics about which breweries. Sake breweries rarely go out with much fanfare. They don’t have scavenger sales, sell off their equipment and clear out stock at half price. Nor do they take out big notices letting everyone know of their closure. There’s no farewell festival or big send-off. Occasionally you might see a social media post, maybe an article in a local newspaper, akin to an obituary, but that’s about it

For sake fans, the closure of a brewery - whether it’s a well-known brewery or not - is something of a big deal. We all hate to hear that another one has fallen by the way. But the reality is it happens more than we realize and quite often no one ever tells us. Why is that?

A couple of obvious reasons which could be considered are pride and privacy. As a culture and people, the Japanese are notoriously proud people who are historically mortified at the prospect of having failed or let down their family, company or community. Most breweries would prefer to go quietly into the night rather than highlight something which they would likely simply see as a form of failure - regardless of the circumstances.

Another possibility is the earlier mentioned license. Some kuramoto may wish to lay low holding on to a thread of optimism that there will come a day when someone will fire up the koshiki once again and bring the family brewery back to its former glory. Perhaps they may consider their closure a “temporary speed bump” - albeit usually a pretty big one.

However, as domestic sake sales continue to struggle, perhaps it’s time for the wider industry and the media to shine a brighter light on this issue. Consumers, and the general public should be made aware that producers of their national drink are closing every year. Japan, as a nation, should be livid that a huge part of their culture is slowly disappearing and that something needs to be done to help turn it around. And while we don’t like to get political here at SIN, the political landscape here has been leaning more and more toward nationalistic pride and the desire to retain Japanese culture.

Well, if the Japanese populace is serious about wanting to retain its traditions and culture, one area where the people, media and government could help out, is in supporting the breweries which have been producing “Japanese culture-in-a-bottle” for hundreds of years.

Tell your Japanese friends: Drink more sake - choose it over foreign-made beverages if they’re serious about preserving Japanese culture. Visit more breweries, attend more festivals and events. Buy local. Demand the local restaurants and bars stock sake (you’d be surprised how many don’t!)
It’s actually not hard to do on a grass-roots level. Hopefully that Japanese pride will kick in and we’ll see more breweries manage to hang on for a few more years.

And now for the news…

If We Could Put A Man On The Moon, Why Not….?

Moon- We’ve seen sake made with yeast launched into space, and now Dassai is in the process of making sake in space, but one brewery is looking to take things up a few notches.

Tsunan Jōzō is floating plans to construct a brewery on the surface of the Moon by 2040. The brewery claims it will use the facility as a base for researching fermentation technologies in space. In the meantime Tsunan Jōzō has launched a metaverse facility called Moon Surface Sake Brewery: Lunar (Getsumen Sakagura Lunar), which can be visited “virtually”.

Located in Niigata Prefecture, Tsunan Jōzō is known for its use of traditional brewing methods combined with smart brewing practices that utilize cutting-edge technologies such as generative AI. CEO, Kengo Suzuki, is a co-founder of Euglena (a nutrition, biotech and sustainability enterprise) and a fermentation technology specialist who also serves as a team leader at RIKEN’s Microalgae Production Control Technology Research Group. After investing in Tsunan Brewing in 2019, he became fully involved in sake production.

Suzuki later met Remi Enomoto, a freelance announcer and “space caster” (people who connect the marvels of space with us mere mortals) who serves as a navigator for JAXA’s Space Innovation Partnership. Through this encounter, his research evolved toward cultivating a sustainable food culture capable of supporting human life in space.

Plans to build a brewery on the Moon are targeted toward around 2040, when it is estimated that around 1000 people will be inhabiting the Moon’s surface. To help people better understand the concept behind this project, Tsunan Brewing developed the metaverse sake brewery Lunar Brewery as a promotional initiative for audiences in Japan and overseas.

The facility is designed to provide insights into lunar architecture and the potential for microbial production on the Moon, with the aim of becoming a space where people around the world can discuss fermentation technology together.

At present, visitors can explore the facility by controlling penguin-like avatars. Plans are in place to hold international conferences on the platform to grow a community of like-minded fermentation enthusiasts.

Source - Forbes Japan

JG: They may be on to something here, but I doubt it. And in any event, it will take a lot longer than 14 years to make something like this a reality. Many if not most of our biggest developments were initially considered ridiculous ideas. But it might happen; who knows. In the meantime, I will work on improving sake consumption here on earth.

月面酒蔵　Lunar Brewery , 津南醸造（つなん）

Sake To Put A Spring In Your Step

Japan- On February 4, a total of 42 breweries (down one from last year?) from across the country will release their Risshun Asa Shibori sake.

Risshun marks the first day of spring under Japan’s traditional lunisolar calendar and was once regarded as the start of the New Year. Although the modern calendar places the beginning of spring in March, risshun remains a meaningful seasonal milestone for many breweries.

Since 1998, sake bearing the official Risshun Asa Shibori label has been pressed at dawn on risshun itself and released as nama genshu later that same day. The practice has become a distinctive annual event in the sake world.

For brewers, the release demands meticulous scheduling to ensure the sake reaches peak condition at precisely the right moment. For brewery staff, it can mean a frantic day of bottling, labeling, and shipping - all completed within hours of pressing.

It is expected that around 260,000 bottles of Risshun Asa Shibori will be shipped this year.

Source - Sakuranbo

JG: My local sake shop here in Kamakura works with a distributor (Nihon Meimon Shukai, or Japan Prestige Sake Association) to pre-sell and arrange delivery of this asa shibori sake. Since it is always still very cold on risshun, that traditional first day of spring, looking forward to a sake delivery of stuff pressed that morning does indeed enliven an sake fan. Pretty slick.

立春朝搾り

Dried Rice Helps Alleviate Costs

Tochigi- Kojima Shuzō has found an unusual way around the rising price of sake rice with the introduction of Alpha rice into its brewing process.

Alpha rice is rice that has been cooked and then quickly dehydrated. It can be eaten with the addition of water to rehydrate. The rice is often used as emergency rations in the event of disasters such as earthquakes. The use of Alpha rice means the initial steps of washing, steaming and cooling are not necessary.

Kuramoto/toji Taku Kojima, cites achieving the desired water content as one of the major obstacles in using Alpha rice. However the use of Alpha rice also had its upsides with Kojima noting that brewing steps which normally took close to three hours were completed in around 20 minutes.

Read more

Hopefully you’ve started trying on 2026, seeing how it fits so far. We’re all hoping for a good year, however all the news in - and out - of the sake industry points to a rather tumultuous year ahead. But let’s try to keep things positive.

The brewing season is in full swing as more and more new sake begins reaching the market. The increase in price for many brands is kind of hard to ignore at this point, however there’s little point in waving an angry fist in any particular direction.

This is the new normal for sake.

We enjoyed the glory days of sake being a ridiculously rewarding product at such a low price point for many years, so perhaps we should think of this as the time for sake to really grow up and get taken seriously alongside other higher priced alcoholic beverages. We all know sake is great (that’s why we’re here) so we should be prepared to pay for it - and so should new consumers. And that means for all sake - not just sake that has been made with absurd milling rates or sake that comes in a fancy box with diamond encrusted, gold embossed labels. If a sake is good, it’s not unreasonable to affix a price that represents the quality, material cost - and workmanship that went into making it.

We’d all like sake to be cheaper. It would be nice if smartphones, steak, cheese and dental work were cheaper too. But they’re not. And we accept it.

So let’s start accepting that the days of cheap sake are for the most part behind us and acknowledge, and encourage others to appreciate, that sake is something worth paying for.

And now for the news…

New Aroma Is a Bit On The Nose

Japan- SIN has touched on the relatively newly identified aroma component known as 4MMP in previous issues as the compound has become more widely noticed.
Recently NRIB has conducted research into the compound with the results being made available to the public.

Read more

First and foremost, we would like to wish all our readers the best of fortune for 2026!

According to the Chinese calendar, 2026 marks the year of the horse, so get ready for every brewery with the character for 馬 in its name to jump on 2026 as the “year of marketing”. Wakakoma, Bajō Shuzō, Nanakanba, Hidariuma and a bunch of others are no doubt getting ready for their day (year?) in the sun.

For everyone else 2026 is shaping up to be a challenging year. Rice prices, inflation, tariffs and consumption slumps are just some of the - quite high - hurdles facing the industry. Behind closed doors (and some open ones too!) a number of industry figures are predicting doom and gloom in the form of brewery closures so we’re doing our best to maintain hopes that things can improve.

In the meantime, here’s the news…

Get Out Of My Dreams Get Into This Car

Hyogo- Visiting sake mecca Nada is about to get a whole lot more fun and convenient with the announcement from Nissan Motor Co. and Kobe City that they will begin a pilot autonomous mobility service in the Nada Gogo sake district from January 19 to 23. The initiative aims to balance rising tourist demand with local transport challenges while supporting regional revitalization.

Read more

As this is our last issue for 2025, we’d like to take the opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to all our readers and subscribers for supporting SIN and the sake world over the past year.

It’s been another year filled with hurdles and obstacles thrown at the industry, however the upside is the quality of sake has never been better and overall it’s been a thoroughly rewarding year for fans of sake.

Regardless of where you are or what you do at this time of year, we hope you will enjoy a safe and happy holiday season and that you will find time to make sake a part of your celebrations.

We look forward to seeing you all in 2026 - the year of the horse!

And now for the news…

ED Note - sorry for the audio quality on this issue - JG is getting a new Microphone for Xmas :-)

Meiri Crosses Borders

Ibaraki- Producer of sake and other alcohol beverage products, Meiri Shurui Co., Ltd. has released an interesting new collaboration product which may help strengthen sake’s presence in Taiwan.

Isoran Junmai Daiginjō was developed through a collaboration with Zhenlan Temple in and marketing firm We’s Star Strategy - both based in Taiwan. The sake is said to have brought together Japanese brewing techniques and Taiwanese cultural elements.

Read more

The cold is creeping in and despite it being the season of fresh shinshu and shiboritate, it’s also the season for kanzake!

Yes, allow us to get on our soapbox (or maybe a komodaru?) and make another public service announcement - this time in the name of warm/hot sake.

It seems we are finally, for the most part, past the days of decrying warm sake as a method for covering flaws in bad sake, and it’s possibly safe now to say we have a far more educated public out there when it comes to the virtues of warm sake. (This may vary depending on where you are!)

But let’s take it to another level. Can we make kanzake the Christmas drink? Try it out!

Take a nice, dense nigori (maybe even a doburoku?) to that Christmas party, warm it up however you can, and pass it around. Then sit back and watch the expressions of revelation as your friends realize that eggnog’s days are numbered.

You can be extra festive and toss in a cinnamon stick and some nutmeg!

Go ahead! We dare you!

The most important thing is getting more people into sake and every little bit counts, so like we said last issue - stop waiting for the “right” moment to introduce sake - they’re all right moments!

And now for the news…

Kanpai To Japan’s Favorite Kaiju!

Mie- It’s actually kind of difficult to overstate just how popular the famed reptilian mutant, Godzilla is in Japan. As a consistent mainstay in Japanese cinema for 70 years with a solid fanbase in the over-50 demographic, and recognized internationally as a symbol of Japanese pop culture, it is little surprise that there is significant overlap in the fanbase of Godzilla and Japanese sake.

While it may not be a particularly new idea to use Japan’s favorite kaiju to help promote sake, it’s always fun to see the juxtaposition of Japanese tradition and pop culture.

Now, a new official Godzilla sake has been released to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic “King of the Monsters”.

Maruhiko Shuzō in Mie Prefecture is behind Godzilla: Traces of the Fierce Battle Junmai Daiginjō, a sake described as being just as “soul-shaking” as the power of Godzilla!

Read more

We’re on the downward slide to Christmas and the end of the year. This, of course, means precious little to the brewers out there who will be soldiering on through the holiday season with barely a break for a celebratory drink, but for the rest of us it means end of year parties, office gatherings, family catch-ups and general over-indulgence.

Usually such times call for moderation and advisory warnings on taking it easy over the “silly season”. Well, let us take the opportunity to say it’s the time of year to seize our moment and introduce more people to sake. Slide that sneaky bottle into the fridge at the house party, order a bottle for the table at the restaurant, urge the office party planner to budget for a couple of bottles of sake for that Friday soiree!

There’s no such thing as the “appropriate time” to introduce sake. Anytime is the right time so get out there and convert the great unwashed to the power of our beloved rice elixir! The industry needs you!

And now for the news…

Kamikawa Taisetsu Ready To Lay Some Bricks

Hokkaido- As SIN first reported in August last year, Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzō has had plans in the works to open its fourth brewery in Hokkaido in 2026. After much preparation construction is finally set to begin on the new facility. Completion is expected around the summer of 2026, and if all goes well, we may see the brewery’s freshly pressed sake as early as next autumn.

In August 2024, Kamikawa Taisetsu Shuzō signed a cooperation agreement with Abashiri City and Ōzora Town to introduce the sake brewing to the region. The brewery plans to use local Abashiri water and sake rice grown in Ōzora Town. Abashiri City’s soft tap water is sourced from the spring water of Mt. Mokoto, which keeps a cool and consistent 8°C year-round. The construction site is also close to the Okhotsk Ryūhyō Museum, a well-known sightseeing spot at the summit of Mt. Tentozan, with views of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Shiretoko mountain range.

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We warned you in our last issue, and right on schedule those fresh, zippy shiboritate new releases for the year have already started popping up in sake stores, bars and restaurants around town.

Similar to the summer sake/hiyaoroshi overlap, the new sake seems to be hitting the market before drinkers and suppliers have finished getting through the previous seasonal release - in this case hiyaoroshi.

Does this even matter? Well, maybe not, but given that the fresh new sake comes at a time when drinkers are leaning toward earthier, umami-rich styles suited to warming, it always seems an odd juxtaposition.

Another thing to take into consideration with the “seasonal” style of sake releases is that with the growing popularity of sake outside of Japan, these seasonal releases aren’t making it to foreign markets when they’re “supposed to” or in some cases not at all.

Is the seasonality of sake becoming irrelevant? Is it making things more complicated and encouraging a feeling of being rushed to move on from one thing to the next?

Just navel gazing for now, but feel free to let us know your thoughts in the comments.

And now for the news…

Matsuo Shuzo Changes Hands

Kochi- Matsuo Shuzō, maker of Matsuokina, announced this month that the brewery is being succeeded by an outside entity in the form of a businessman, Hiroaki Hirano.

This marks the first time since its founding in 1873 that someone outside the Matsuo family will manage the brewery.

Hirano holds an MBA from the London Business School, and has previously served as the head of a management consulting firm. In 2015, he moved to his wife’s hometown of Kami City in Kochi Prefecture where he soon became enamoured by the local Tosa sake. This new-found love led to him opening a sake bar at Kochi Airport, through which he encountered the 7th-generation president of Matsuo Shuzō, Sadayuki Matsuo. After a while Hirano began helping out at the brewery around three years ago as Matsuo was, at the time, brewing almost entirely by himself.

Initially, the brewery will operate under a joint management structure with Hirano being appointed Vice President with representative authority, alongside President Matsuo from November.

Hirano is already making changes in the brewery with the introduction of new labels featuring a casual caricature of President Matsuo (previously, the label depicted a Shōjō, a mythical sake-loving creature). Hirano pointed out that while the brewery’s quality is high, its reputation hasn’t caught up, and to address this, he redesigned the labels for five sake products, and launched a new website to strengthen brand identity. Adding to the new look, the brewery office has been converted into a tasting room and community space.

Hirano said of the new venture, “I’m grateful to be able to work with something I love. Matsuo and I sometimes clash, but he’s been open and accepting.” Matsuo added, “With so many small breweries disappearing these days, closures affect the whole community. I hope now we can continue to participate in events and continue to make sake that will be loved by the locals.”

Source - Yomiuri

JG: Sake breweries being taken over by people or business entities outside the original owning family used to be unheard of, but lately it is not at all uncommon. I heard one (admittedly unsubstantiated) whisper that now about one-fourth of all sake breweries are no longer in the hands of the original owning family. That is not a bad thing, at all! And it may be increasingly inevitable. But it is a huge change from historical patterns.

And this one is to me the most warm-and-fuzzy story of a change in ownership that I have heard. It’s positively heart-warming. Kochi only has 17 or 18 sake breweries, so keeping them all active is a good thing too.

松尾酒造 , 松翁

All Together Now!

Fukushima- On October 11, in an effort to promote regional cooperation and support disaster recovery, brewing commenced for the seventh edition of Kizunamai, a unique sake made using rice from all 47 prefectures of Japan.

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It’s on again for another year!

Things have gone noticeably quiet on the promotion front as breweries knuckle down and get back to the business of making sake. To be honest it still feels a little warm to be describing this period as the “cooler months”, but in Japan the calendar wields more power than the actual climate, so here we are!

It’s only a matter of weeks before those shiboritate begin hitting the market so guzzle those hiyaoroshi as quickly as you can and make room in your fridge for the class of BY7!

And now for the news…

Closer Bonds Creating More Stability

Iwate- The sharp rise in sake rice prices has dealt heavy blows across the country including breweries in Iwate Prefecture such as Azumamine Shuzōten in Shiwa, the birthplace of the Nanbu Toji guild and Iwate’s oldest brewery, founded in 1684. Its thirteenth-generation owner, Hajime Sato, has called the situation “a national crisis for the industry.”

The price of the local Ginginga sake rice has surged to JPY31K (USD203) per 60 kilograms—more than double the cost compared to two years ago. Kosuke Kuji, chairman of the Prefectural Sake Brewers Association, warns that the shortage is deepening as more farmers make the shift from sake rice to table rice plantings

In response, more breweries like Azumamine Shuzōten have begun forging direct relationships with local farmers to ensure a stable supply. The brewery recently signed a deal with farmer Kazunori Sato in Shiwa to buy Hitomebore rice directly, bypassing the agricultural cooperative (JA) and cutting costs by roughly 20%.

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For plenty of us, every day feels like Sake Day. Still, October 1st stands apart—it’s the symbolic start of the new brewing season for so many kura across Japan.

It’s also a chance to pause and show gratitude to the countless hands, skills, and traditions that bring sake into our lives. From rice fields to breweries to the glasses we raise, it’s the people who make it all possible.

Around the globe, October 1st has also become a day of gatherings, tastings, and festivals—a reminder of how wide and welcoming the sake community has grown.

So today, as we toast the brewers, let’s not forget to toast ourselves too! Being part of this world of sake—full of craft, connection, and joy—is something worth celebrating.

And now for the news…

Tactical Budgeting Helping Fukushima & Saga

Fukushima- On September 2, Fukushima Prefecture announced a general account supplementary budget proposal totaling JPY4.284 billion. The main pillars of the budget are economic revitalization and response to natural disasters, including support measures for sake breweries affected by the soaring price of rice, The budget has since been submitted to the regular prefectural assembly.

According to the prefecture, the price of this year’s rice is expected to rise by about JPY8000 per 60 kg unit compared to last year’s harvest. To mitigate the impact on sake breweries, the prefecture will invest about JPY217 million in support measures to subsidize part of the cost of purchasing rice as raw materials.

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A couple of issues back we commented on the somewhat premature appearance of hiyaoroshi/akiagari autumn releases amidst a still very hot and dragging summer. It seems this could actually be an issue moving forward.

Although a long hot summer was possibly expected by some, it seemed it caught sake suppliers and breweries off-guard a little. Basically they sold out of summer sake at a time when many bars, restaurants and consumers weren’t quite done with the refreshing styles for the year. Distributors began pushing autumn releases onto retailers who quite simply didn’t want them just yet.

Upon speaking with some brewers at a recent tasting event a number of them commented that they may re-think their strategy for next year and dedicate a little more of their resources into summer releases to correct course to meet consumer demands next year.

Could climate change make natsuzake a bigger player in the seasonal scheme of things? Let’s see what happens next year.

And now for the news…

Kanzake Contest Results

Tokyo- The winners from the National Kanzake Awards, held in July, have been revealed. The competition, designed to highlight the merits of warmed sake, is now in its 17th year.

This year saw 939 sake from 230 breweries submitted for blind tasting by professionals from the sake industry. In each division the top 30% of sake tasted are awarded a gold medal. The top 5% of those Gold medal winners are then awarded the Saikō (Supreme) Gold medal.

Awards flew thick and fast with 50 entries receiving the Supreme Gold Medal and 237 receiving Gold medals.

The categories are divided by price and serving temperature:

-Budget Warm Sake Division- sake valued under JPY1250 for 720ml or under JPY2500 for 1.8L. Tasted at 45°C.

-Budget Hot Sake Division- sake valued under JPY1250 for 720ml or under JPY2500 for 1.8L. Tasted at 55°C.

-Premium Warm Sake Division- sake valued at over JPY1251 for 720ml or over JPY2501 for 1.8L. Tasted at 45°C.

-Premium Hot Sake Division- sake valued at over JPY1251 for 720ml or over JPY2501 for 1.8L. Tasted at 55°C.

-Warm Sake Special Division- sake that falls into the following categories: Aged sake (over 3 years), Taruzake (barrel), sweet sake (with a SMV/ Nihonshudo of minus 10 or lower). Tasted at 45°C.

Full results are available here in Japanese.

Meanwhile the results for the fourth Oriental Sake Awards (OSA) were also announced on September 5.

The competition is growing to become one of the largest on the international sake calendar with this year’s event having 531 entries and 227 medals (in total) awarded.

OSA brought together 39 judges from Hong Kong, Japan, China, Taiwan, Macau, Korea, Singapore, and Australia.

Winners from the eleven categories include:

Ginjō (Light & Clean): MIYASAKA Yamada Nishiki, Nagano (Miyasaka Jozo)

Ginjō (Light & Aromatic): Sanran Junmai Daiginjō, Yumesasara Tonoike Shuzōten Tochigi

Ginjō (Rich & Aromatic): Yoakemae Junmai Daiginjō Ono Shuzōten, Nagano

Junmai (Light & Clean): Kinoene Junmai Yawaraka Chinomegumi, Iinuma Honke, Chiba

Junmai (Rich & Umami): Bou Kimoto Junmai Akita Sake Komachi, Tonoike Shuzōten, Tochigi

Honjōzō: Atagonomatsu Senretsu Karakuchi, Niizawa Jozoten, Miyagi

Sparkling: Urakasumi12 Sparkling Silver Label Urakasumi, Miyagi

Namazake: Kid Shibata's Junmai Daiginjō be fresh!, Heiwa Shuzō, Wakayama

Aged Sake (Elegant type): SAKE HUNDRED RAIHI, Clear Inc, Tokyo

Aged Sake (Rich type): Yumenokanbai Ko-shu 2000 Tsurumi Shuzō, Aichi

Special Type: Maboroshinotaki Funky Mabotaki, Mikunihare Shuzō, Toyama

Full list of winners is available here in English.

JG: Warm sake and hot sake are still a bit under the radar overseas, although enjoying sake in that way is kind of returning to its erstwhile former semi-glory in Japan. I think that there are a couple/few reasons for that. One, overseas sake promoters are still trying to get people to approach sake, and simplifying it with “one temp suits all” is surely infinitely easier. Also, there is no real history to pairing food with warm beverages, at least in the west. And lastly, the toys, the tools, the accoutrements for warming sake and serving o-kan (warmed sake) call for space, care and training. So I get it. But I am still hopeful that warm sake will become increasingly popular the world ‘round.

Kochi Gets An Early Start

Kochi- The brewing season has begun in Kochi Prefecture, using fresh “early-harvest” rice.

As we all know, sake brewing is generally carried out over the winter months, however some breweries in the prefecture begin early each year using rice harvested over the summer.

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As we slide into September and autumn (officially starting on the 9th) it would be nice if we could say the weather has cooled, but alas, that would be a lie.

The change of seasons also means we are just one month away from the beginning of the new brewing season - for most, but not all breweries.

The sake cycle continues!

And now for the news…

Breweries Continue To Ask For Help

Saga- On August 4, the Saga Prefectural Sake Brewers Association formally petitioned Governor Yamaguchi for urgent support amid soaring sake rice prices. Sake rice is traditionally more expensive than table rice due to lower yields and cultivation challenges, but with staple rice prices climbing, next year’s sake rice could rise a further 30-45%.

The association is requesting subsidies to help breweries purchase sake rice for the 2025 harvest and also assistance for producers cultivating sake rice.

Governor Yamaguchi indicated that the prefecture will present “clear policies by the appropriate time for next year’s harvest.”

Chairman Baba Daiichiro added, “We may be forced to raise sake prices in the future, but we will continue striving to make sake worthy of that increase. We ask for your continued support.”

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We are still in the middle of sweltering heat, yet would you believe there have already been sightings of hiyaoroshi sake around town? It seems the seasonal lines are continually blurring. But let’s be honest, does it really matter?

For sure, light and floral releases in spring are great, and the low-alcohol summer spritzy styles are a welcome relief from the heat. However, a number of events around town promoting the enjoyment of kanzake (warm sake) in these stifling summer months suggest there are a few trend contrarians out there.

And to be fair, it’s a good idea to mix things up. After all, you never know what kind of new discovery you might stumble across if you step outside the boundaries of seasonal trends and challenge your taste preferences.

For now, there’s still plenty of summer sake out there we need to get through, so let’s get to it - and maybe even try some warmed up!

And now here’s the news…

Summary Of Summits

Toyama- The Nanto Sake Rice Summit 2025 once again united sake rice producers with brewers and retailers from within and beyond Toyama Prefecture. The event, held on July 17 in the Johana-Iguchi area and at the Johana-za Traditional Performing Arts Center in Nanto City, marked its 29th year, drawing 160 participants, including 40 sake breweries and retail businesses.

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It’s starting to feel like it’s been a while since there was some really good news in the sake world. Lately it seems to be all doom and gloom; rice prices up, volume down, the sky is falling! Blah, blah, blah…

We need to turn those frowns upside down!

A recent evening in a local sake bar listening to drinkers discuss a whole bunch of worst case scenarios seemed to highlight how far some have fallen from the “joy of sake” - no intended reference to the annual event of the same name.

While we all might be feeling some anxiety and unrest regarding the future of sake in light of rice prices and volume shortages, it is still far too early to be preparing a eulogy for the sake industry.

Yes, let’s watch and follow with vested interest, but never lose sight of the big picture that is “enjoying sake”. Have that second glass, share some with a friend and above all else, enjoy!

And now for the news…

Prefectures Continue To Band Together To Gain Support

Kanagawa- The soaring price of rice continues to raise much concern among breweries across Japan and it seems just everyday the press is filled with different takes on how to manage the issue.

In Kanagawa Prefecture breweries have voiced their uncertainty regarding how much and at what price they will be able to obtain this autumn’s harvest, with more breweries considering using table rice or venturing into or increasing their own sake rice production.

"We have no choice but to rely on Nagano and Niigata for our raw materials. Prices have increased by as much as 50%, with the more expensive materials having doubled," said Yusuke Shiino, president of Kaneii Shuzō.

With the recent rise in table rice prices, the price of sake rice is also rising to prevent sake rice farmers from switching. Shiino drew the common conclusion that if the number of sake rice farmers decreases, sake production will be more problematic and the number of sake breweries may decrease. The impact is also being felt on glutinous rice.

However the issue goes beyond the price. Even for breweries that are able to pony up the cash to pay the inflated prices for rice, in many cases there’s no guarantee that they’ll receive the kind of volume they’re looking for.

Koganei Yasumi, president of Koganei Sake Brewery and chairman of the prefecture's sake brewers' association, lamented, "We are still only receiving vague information from the agricultural cooperative. We don't know what kind of rice we can purchase, how much, or at what price."

President Koganei explained that most sake breweries purchase rice from agricultural cooperatives through the prefectural sake brewery association. Around November of the previous year, the sake brewery association surveys each sake brewery to determine how much and what varieties of rice to purchase for the following autumn harvest, and conducts a final survey in April. Based on the survey, the association adjusts purchases from the agricultural cooperative. However, this year, no clear figures have been received from the agricultural cooperative.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' planting intentions announced in April, the 2025 crop of rice for processing is set at 44,000 hectares, down 12% from the previous year.

President Koganei believes that if rice prices continue to remain high, the company will have no choice but to raise the selling price of sake as well, and said, "I hope the government will consider providing subsidies to farmers who produce sake rice."

Source - Yahoo

JG: This gives readers a better snapshot of the reality than just about any article out there, thus far. Of particular concern - and well described above - is the uncertainty of the situation. And that applies to both price and supply. It is all but impossible for brewers to plan for the upcoming brewing season under these circumstances. Let us hope for, first, clarity, and then resolution on several levels.

金井酒造店（白笹鼓）, 黄金井酒造(盛升）

Niigata- Meanwhile in Niigata Shunji Odaira, chairman of the Prefectural Sake Brewers Association, met with Governor Hideyo Hanazumi on July 16 to call for support for farmers and sake breweries. Odaira cited growing concerns about securing sake rice volume and rising prices. Specifically, the association requested subsidies for breweries' rice purchasing costs, the creation of a system to ensure that the price of sake rice is higher than that of table rice, and financial support for breweries. As the prefecture with the highest number of sake breweries in the country, one would expect Niigata Prefecture to lead the way when it comes to brewery support, however no commitments have yet been made.

Source - Newsdig

JG: Wow, in all seriousness and sincerity, those are some big requests. Financial support is big enough, but ensuring sake rice stays more expensive than table rice will surely be hard. Having said that, it seems on the surface to hold potential as a solution, but I find it hard to believe that everyone would be in agreement on that.

Tokyo- On a slightly more positive note, on July 14, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced that the government will create a new support program for rice used in sake production. The aim is to help breweries secure a stable supply of brewing rice.

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