Chris’s Corner – Regional Sake Trends

Greetings Sake Fans and Connoisseurs,

Chris here back at it with another Chris's Corner. This time around, I wanted to talk about Japanese regional sake trends. What does that even mean? Anytime we get brewery visitors from Japan at True Sake, the number one question they always ask without fail is, "Which sake is most popular?" This is a tricky one to answer, as it really boils down to what kind of sake brands have you been exposed to during your sake journey.

For some people with limited exposure and experience, maybe all you have access to is Dassai. Or Hakutsuru. Or Kikusui. For some, these are the gateway brands at Main Street USA Wine Shop. But, what if you could have access to more? What if you are really nerdy about sake and want access to what's trendy in Japan? Well, look no further than the nerdiest sake store in America, True Sake.

I could get really philosophical and esoteric about this topic, as I wonder what makes something trendy? Is it trendy because it's limited and/or rare? Is it trendy because it tastes good? Is it trendy because we say so? These are clearly rhetorical questions, but it does make you wonder. What if (insert name of your favorite unicorn sake) was mass produced and was readily available. Would customers still want it? Is this trendy sake in question popular just in Tokyo? Or in all of Japan?

What is trendy right now in Japan? I went and scoured the Japanese website SAKETIME to dig for answers. SAKETIME is an online platform for Japanese sake showcasing reviews, rankings, tasting notes, etc. for sake enthusiasts and professionals. I've broken down my findings based on Prefectures, and I've highlighted sakes that are actually imported to the United States, and that have scored the number one spot in their home prefecture based on user reviews and scores.

• Kagoshima: Tenbu by Nishi Shuzo

• Saga: Nabeshima by Fukuchiyo Shuzo

• Ehime: Miyosakae and Seiryo by Seiryo Shuzo 

• Kochi: Kameizumi by Kameizumi Shuzo

• Tokushima: Narutotai by Honke Matsuura Shuzo

• Okayama: Gozenshu by Tsuji Honten Co.

• Tottori: Chiyomusubi by Chiyomusubi Sake Brewery

• Wakayama: Kid by Heiwa Shuzo

• Nara: Mimurosugi by Imanishi Shuzo

• Mie: Jikon by Kiyasho Shuzo

• Aichi: Kuheiji by Banjo Jozo Co.

• Fukui: Kokuryu by Kokuryu Sake Brewing Corporation

• Ishikawa: Yoshida Gura U (*this is the modern sister brand to Tedorigawa which got 2nd place) by Yoshida Shuzoten

• Shizuoka: Isojiman by Isojiman Shuzo

• Yamanashi: Shichiken by Yamanashi Meijo Co.

• Kanagawa: S. Tokyo by Matsumidori Shuzo

• Ibaraki: Morishima by Morishima Shuzo

• Niigata: Abe by Abe Shuzo

• Yamagata: Juyondai by Takagi Shuzo

• Iwate: Akabu by Akabu Shuzo

• Aomori: Denshu by Nishida Shuzo

And there you have it! We do our best to help bridge the gap and get you the customer in touch with the best sake in Japan. We are very grateful to our import partners for getting the best sake possible for us. Often, we get customers just getting back from the most recent trip to Japan, and they ask us if we carry [insert favorite sake from their favorite omakase experience in Tokyo]. The answer is sometimes "yes" but also sometimes "no." But check back in a year, and most likely an importer here in the United States has jumped on the opportunity and added the brand to their portfolio. Stay tuned!

Till next time,

Chris

*Voted 6th Best Sake Somm at True Sake