From Curiosity to Commerce: Transforming Sake from a Cultural Experience to a Business Asset
March 27, 2025 (Japan) — At ProWein 2025, held from March 16 to 18 in Düsseldorf, Germany, the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association set up a Kokushu Booth (“Kokushu” refers to Japan’s national alcoholic drinks including Japanese sake and honkaku shochu/awamori), where 11 companies (10 sake breweries and 1 shochu producer) promoted their products. This marked the fourth consecutive year of participation, and Nanoha Higuchi from the Overseas Operations Department noted a significant change:
“I felt that a certain number of visitors from the alcoholic beverage industry had moved beyond the stage of asking ‘What is sake?’ and had reached the point of considering ‘How can we use this beverage in business?’ In fact, many people attended our seminar, led by Julia Scavo (Dip WSET), which focused on sake umami and food pairing, indicating a strong interest in koji and umami. Going forward, knowledge and information on how to sell sake in restaurants and retail stores will become increasingly important.”
During this year’s ProWein, the JSS also received numerous inquiries from media outlets from various countries, with a particularly strong demand to include sake content within the wine industry coverage. Higuchi commented, “It seems that the media in the wine industry have started to realize that adding sake content can enhance their appeal to readers.”
In recent years, the JSS has strengthened its collaboration with the International Sommelier Association (ASI), conducting sake master classes for sommeliers representing various countries. Moreover, the JSS has continued to invite wine specialists to Japan, providing them with opportunities to visit a wide range of sake breweries, both large and small, and to experience firsthand the history, culture, and unique philosophies of each brewery.
Undoubtedly, there are still plenty of general consumers who mistakenly regard sake as a high-alcohol spirit. However, through the association’s continued collaboration with the wine industry, importers, sommeliers, and retail buyers worldwide have gained a deeper understanding of sake, and have started to see it as an essential portfolio item in the business landscape.
In fact, in 2024, the number of export destinations for sake reached a record 80 countries and regions, with the export value increasing by 6% compared to the previous year. Even during ProWein, there were inquiries from countries like Romania and Ukraine—places where sake consumption had previously been minimal—indicating that the number of export destinations is expected to continue growing.
Major Activities of the JSS in 2025
To further increase points of contact between sake and both trade professionals and general consumers, the association will continue its activities in 2025. At ProWine Tokyo in April, the association will set up another Kokushu Booth. Additionally, during the Osaka Expo, where around 30 million visitors are expected, the JSS will host a “Kokushu Fair” at ATC Hall (Asia- Pacific Trade Center) on June 14 and 15. This event, an offshoot of the world’s largest sake festival, “Sake Fair,” will feature tastings of honkaku shochu and awamori in addition to Japanese sake.
In collaboration with the wine industry, the JSS will hold a Sake Master Class at the ASI Boot Camp for young sommeliers in Singapore in July, conveying the latest trends in sake directly to top young sommeliers in Asia. Furthermore, in September, the Best Sommelier of Asia & Oceania competition will take place in Malaysia, where the association will once again offer a Sake Master Class to sommeliers representing countries across Asia and Oceania. ProWein offered a unique opportunity to recognize the shift in sake’s stature on the global stage by interacting with importers, media, and sommeliers from around the world. The JSS
will continue its activities throughout 2025 to further expand sake’s status in the global alcohol market, aiming to position sake as a business asset and ultimately as an essential item to enrich people’s lives.
