This issue of Sake Today marks ten years of publication. It’s a significant milestone in this day and age for a magazine that exists primarily in print. Actually, it’s a significant milestone in the history of magazines! These statements may make it seem as if magazines are in their twilight. There’s ample evidence to suggest otherwise. The fragmented world of digital media, however, has certainly made magazine publishing more complex and, by extension, more challenging.
We’re both humbled and inspired by sake breweries, most of which are over a hundred years old, quite a few of them several centuries old. Sake breweries are among some of the oldest businesses in the world, along with wineries, beer breweries, and distilleries–notice a common theme? (Banks are in fact the most common businesses among the oldest by country around the world). If they can suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, we must, too.
Sake Today has endured and found relatively stable footing in the media world for several reasons. The most significant one has been the support of our sponsors. We absolutely could not have carried on for ten years without them. While they want to promote their products and services, we feel that they also want to support a publication that speaks for their community, their culture, and their potential in an increasingly global market. We always hope that you, readers, will take note of them and at the very least consider purchasing one of their products (and if you do, please post a picture somewhere!).
Next, of course, we must thank you for reading us, especially the subscribers among you, many of whom have been with us for years. A cursory look at our subscriber list indicates that there are quite a few of you that have been with us since the second issue, when we launched our subscription service following the success of the first issue (you’ve earned a virtual degree at this point). Many of you loaded up on a back issue set and launched a subscription at whatever point you dived into the stream later. If you’re an occasional reader or trial reader, please join the family; we’re a robust community. And if you’re reading us for the first time, welcome! We don’t think you’ll regret the time you spend on these pages. Hopefully, it will lead you deeper into a discovery of history, culture, technology, and geography–all through the lens of sake.
We focus on those aspects–the larger context–because we think that leads to deeper appreciation. I grew up reading National Geographic (my dad, also a publisher, had a large collection in his office) and after I became a publisher, I continued to admire the professional work that it did. After we started Sake Today and feeling our way through a few issues, I began to think, “What would a National Geographic of Sake look like?” That’s been the model in many ways for this publication. You may come for the sake, but hopefully you leave with a sophisticated body of knowledge.
When Sake Today launched, there wasn’t a wealth of English-language material out there. Co-founder John Gauntner’s published work and courses were perhaps the most visible in a somewhat sparse landscape, but now there are so many resources, both in print and digital, that it feels like a different era for sake. There are many people offering courses, seminars, and/or educational tastings. Sake social media has taken off. Even brewers and brewery owners–mostly the younger generation, admittedly–are getting their message out to consumers through various media. A different era? Maybe it’s the dawn of enlightenment. We’re proud to have been a part of that for ten years.
Lastly, I must express deep gratitude to our staff and contributors over the years, from our photographers and designers, to our writers, editors, and translators; from our office staff to our sales team. I’m grateful, too, to the industry folks with whom they interface–individuals who have provided time and resources to our cause, whether that be sourcing pictures or checking facts. This has often been fun and inspiring work, but never ‘easy’ work. It has required considerable effort and discipline to produce a standard of quality we hope people notice. Our subjects, sponsors, and readers deserve that. Sake deserves that. Its existence, you surely agree, is special.
