Welcome to Issue #108 of SIN.
The calendar says we are two weeks into spring, but aside from the occasional plum blossom sighting, the only indicator that we are in spring is the spotting of spring sake in the liquor store fridges.
The seasonality of sake is one of its most appealing features, and something that can bolster its appeal to overseas drinkers.
If only the whole world was on the same calendar…Still, it does help in promoting the concept that there is a sake for every season.
And now for the news…
Everyone Relax! The EU Is Going To Be Okay!
Belgium- In our last issue we sounded alarm bells in the community with a report that sake imports into the EU could be in jeopardy after the European Commission made the announcement that new recycling crackdowns could put sake bottles out in the cold.
The original proposal stated that all consumable products would need to be packaged in recyclable vessels by 2030. This would leave the unique 720ml and 1.8L size bottles that are used for sake in a predicament that had the industry scrambling to look for a way around the new regulations.
However, European sake fans can take a big sigh of relief with the news that thanks to lobbying from the Japanese government, the EU members reached an agreement last week that will make sake exempt from the new regulations.
As you were…
Source - Sankei
JG: Somehow, I just knew that neither Japan nor EU sake lovers would let this happen. Having said that, I am impressed with the alacrity of the response. One less thing we need to worry about.
Sake: Harmless Gift Or Tool For Political Manipulation?
Niigata- Who would’ve thought sake could have so much political sway?
Sake was dragged into the world of political scandal recently when Mamoru Umetani, a member of the House of Representatives of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), was accused of unethically “distributing” sake in his hometown of Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture. Umetani has stated that the distribution was more of a “token of appreciation" and that it did not constitute an act of donation in his district, which would be prohibited by the Public Offices Election Law.
However, testimonies from local residents reveal that this was not the first time Umetani has been sharing the “sake love”.
On January 14 more than 100 residents had gathered for Dondoyaki, an annual New Year's event held in the region. At the event Umetani was seen handing over a gift-wrapped 1.8liter bottle of sake to the town council chairman.
Umetani has claimed the sake was a ceremonial offering to be offered to religious deities.
However, the Dondoyaki event does not require a participation fee, meaning the offering of sake could be considered an illegal donation.
Source - Asahi
JG: I have a suspicion that this kind of thing is fairly common, and am a bit surprised it has risen to the level of national news. That’s all I’m sayin’,
Olive Grows
Kagawa- Among the number of sake being produced with yeast strains sourced from fruits and flowers, one that has gained a fair amount of attention is the series of olive yeast sake from Kagawa Prefecture.
Kagawa is renowned for its Sanuki (the old name for the Kagawa region) olive growings and in 2020, four local breweries began brewing sake using yeast cultivated from these olives.
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