We’ve noticed a subtle but intriguing shift in perceptions of sake over the ten years we’ve been publishing Sake Today. It’s a shift among non-Japanese primarily living overseas and a harbinger for further appreciation of sake worldwide. It portends promise for the growing number of sake breweries outside of Japan as well as Japanese producers that export or benefit from consumption among inbound tourists, which are surging again. Perhaps it also speaks to the success of Japan’s initiatives to further extend its soft power internationally.
When we first published Sake Today, there was of course excitement among producers and individuals who had more than a passing penchant for the beverage–the latter included beverage industry professionals, folks who had taken some kind of certification course, and/or passionate advocates. But there seemed to be a gulf between this group and the general public outside of Japan. I can recall multiple occasions when I showed the magazine to people and they laughed, not derisively, per se, but as if it were kind of a joke or parody. Because who in the world would want an entire magazine devoted to something as obscure as sake?! (A comment I actually once received) Our steadily growing subscriber numbers answer that. The proliferation of websites and services for sake answers that. The growing number of people on social media who identify as voices for sake answer that. As an aside, I remember discovering that there is a beautifully produced magazine about… koi (carp). Why shouldn’t there be one for such a beautiful aspect of Japanese culture and, for many, a passionate hobby?
The reach of sake is much, much greater, needless to say. In Japan, it’s tied to religion, art, agriculture, geography, politics (yes, battles have been fought over sake, which we’ve covered in these pages), the economy, tourism, architecture, technology, and community. At the time, I realized I couldn’t fault people overseas for not knowing this, but now it seems more people do understand. Nobody laughs anymore. Quite the opposite, people engage and tell stories about their own experiences with Japan and sake. Maybe it helps that I now explain how we take a kind of National Geographic approach to covering sake (as opposed to tastings, ratings, etc) because it is such an inseparable part of Japan.
Mainstream media is getting it. Beverage media ignores coverage of sake at peril to its reputation. It’s encouraging to see media that typically deals with beer, wine, or spirits cover sake, even if the information is often rehashed with few insights. At least it raises public consciousness of sake and increasingly we read columns in mainstream newspapers and magazines that are thoughtful, accurate, and illuminative. Thankfully, you don’t see that awful term “rice wine” used so much anymore, perhaps because the sake police on social media chime in when this happens. We wouldn’t call wine something like “grape sake”. Just call Japan’s national beverage sake. It’s not so obscure anymore.
Most of the general public understands because so many millions of people travel to Japan these days, while Japanese restaurants continue to grow in popularity around the world. We smile when we see Japanese restaurants unexpectedly in small, rural towns outside of Japan–who cares if they’re not ‘authentic’ or always serving the best sake. They help create awareness and demand. Now, small breweries are popping up everywhere to fill the demand cultivated in part by these retailers, though they play a part, too, in accelerating the demand. In this issue, for example, we cover Proper Sake in Nashville, Tennessee. Its owner also commented that several years ago, his dream of a brewery was uncertain, but that enthusiasm for sake had grown considerably. It’s no laughing matter, unless these proprietors are laughing to the bank.
Meanwhile in Japan, you have brands like Chikusen, featured in this issue, that are creating excitement by seeking to export draft sake. Could Shichiken, also in this issue, raise the profile of sake by projecting its sparkling varieties as an alternative to champagne? Will we see kaku-uchi joints, as described in these pages, popping up overseas as the embrace of sake deepens? I already know of a few… Maybe the shift I described at the open hasn’t been so subtle; it’s just that it transpired over a decade. It must make us all excited for what the next decade will bring.
