International Sake Stores – How True Sake Stacks Up To The Best Stores In Japan

Hey San Francisco? Hey Bay Area? Hey California? Hey United States, guess what? You've got it pretty good in the international sake world; actually you've got it really good. 

I just came back from touring Japan where I looked at and studied a lot of sake shops and stores (big and small), both local to many prefectures, and specifically in Tokyo. I can safely say that you have access to at least 80% of the sake that they are consuming in Japan. Yes, I said that! You have access to about 80% of the sake that are available to the average sake consumer living in Japan and Tokyo in particular.  

But, more importantly you have access to even more brews that get overlooked in Japan, because they are considered “big breweries” or not “sexy” or social media-driven. You have access to the newest/trendiest sakes, brews from literally all-over Japan, and some of the old stalwarts that have defined the international sake market.  In a word, you have access to more and different brews in San Francisco, California than you do in almost every other prefecture other than Tokyo, but we are very close to having the same brews in the very large Tokyo retail market. 

We at True Sake have an amazing selection, and we are extremely lucky and proud. It’s taken two decades with the tremendous efforts of our fabulous importers and distributors to create an international market that is rich in amazing sake choices. It is a time tested and an extremely intelligent selection that is so much wider and broader than the average sake shop in Japan. 

What I noticed is that the majority of the Sake shops that I visited had the big popular social media brews and for good reason, they are good sakes. But don't let social media drive your learning and understanding of the concept of Sake. We don’t! There are a lot of breweries out there, a lot and they are all excellent. Just because social media or sake influencers don’t focus on these breweries and their products that doesn’t mean that they are not worthy of being on a shelf! (In fact, we feel that they are more worthy!). 

The unique thing about True Sake is that we've adapted our portfolio in a western capacity. We have matched sake and styles of sake from many different prefectures to the cuisines and lifestyles of many San Franciscans, Californians, and Americans. We know and offer the brews that do well in a western-cuisine and lifestyle setting. And certainly the brews do well with Japanese cuisine, but they also rock with clam chowder, street tacos, dim sum, buffalo wings, chicken-fried steak, and a whole host of other foods that customers have asked to pair with the past 23 years. Our selection is intelligent in a global capacity!

Yes, pricing is different in Japan. It is what it is, but our pricing has been consistently the lowest and best in the United States and actually overseas in general.  Sure, there are some online concerns that slash prices, but how old are their offerings? We never sell old sake at a discount. And what about those online sites that offer free shipping? In a word, there is no such thing as free shipping. You're just paying higher prices for the same sake that we carry at lower prices.  Basically you're paying for your free shipping. Yes, sake is cheaper in Tokyo, but they don’t have a three-tier system in Japan. And they are way over there, which takes time, money, and much coordination. 

One of the best assets of True Sake is the team. Your team! Your team of guides, friends, and sake lovers who’ve worked their butts off to learn as much about sake and the sake market to make your purchasing experience the best. In a sense, we have to know even more about sake - the movement, the storage, the handling - than our counterparts in Tokyo. And we do! Of course we watch social media and see the customers who come into the store asking for a very select portion of sake, which is available at times, but we also know similar products that we can recommend and expand our customer’s horizons over and beyond what they see on Instagram. 

I sometimes forget to feel proud about True Sake, but when I see the, “the best shops in Japan,” it makes me realize that the passion, the international disadvantage, and our Sake learning determination has helped craft one of the greatest selections of Sake in the world. And you hold the keys. I'm so proud of our selection and I'm so proud of our amazing customers. And I am extremely proud of our team who all share my wish to have an amazing 2026 in this international sake market.