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The Future of Japanese Tradition

JAPANESE SAKE JAPANESE SAKE

Although it has been said that sake is booming, the situation around sake is still severe. The decline has been stopped, but the production of sake reached only 444 thousand kiloliters in 2013, while 1,421 thousand kiloliters was produced in 1973 at its peak. There used to be 4,021 licensed brewing facilities in 1955. By 2013 this number only reached, in other words a reduction by half. These numbers do not simply tell that the Japanese are not fond of sake anymore. First of all, the population of Japan is decreasing. As well, the annual consumption of liquor per adult has been decreasing – from 101.8 liters (the highest ever in 1992 at the tail-end of the bubble economy) to 82.8 liters as of 2013. There are many reasons for this which are related to alcohol consumption in general, such as increased health consciousness, changes of lifestyle, and a taste in younger generations for drinks with a lower alcohol content.

On the other hand, the production of tokutei meishō shu (sake with a specific class name, containing a higher amount of rice), such as Junmai, Junmai Ginjō, and Ginjō, has been increasing since 2011. Between 2011 and 2013, Ginjō grew by approximately 14%, Junmai grew by 8%, and Junmai-Ginjō grew by 27%. In addition, exports doubled from 8,270 kiloliters in 2003 to 16,316 kiloliters in 2014. The trade value tripled from 3.9 billion yen in 2003 to 11.5 billion yen in 2014. It has become evident that the sake is required as a high-class liquor. Following this line, in September 2016 a wine information magazine The Wine Advocate by Robert Parker published the first evaluation guide of Junmai Ginjō and Dai-Ginjō of Japan. Buyers from all over the world have been rushing to purchase these highly valued products.

On December 25, 2015, the National Tax Agency of Japan, by means of the Geographical Indication (GI) Act, designated Japanese sake as a geographical indication of national level. So-called Seishu is defined as a liquor made by the fermentation of rice, rice malt, and water (alcohol content less than 22%). Amongst the different types of Seishu, only those made out of domestic rice and brewed in Japan are allowed to be called Nihonshu, (literally, “Japanese Sake”). A liquor which is crowned with the name of our country has become Japanese at last. This is the time to look into the environment and people behind the production of every type of sake. In order to help consumers in choosing good sake to enrich their meals, the design can provide benefits in many more regions than ever before.

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Poster for Japanese Sake | 
Shin Matsunaga

“Japanese Sake” is traditionally and profoundly inseparable from the style of Japanese life and diet. Centering around sake, we look into the preservation of tradition, the expansion abroad, and the challenge of the unknown. Ten graphic designers, each with a distinctive character, have captured what sake is all about. Here we encounter something spicy, soft-bodied, dry/sweet, versatile, beautiful, fun, and inspiring.

Poster for Japanese Sake by ten designers

SAKE IN THE SPRING | Yukimasa Okumura

Cup Filled with Sake to the Rim | Koichi Sato

Delicious Family Tree | Taku Satoh

Happy Japan! | Nisuke Shimotani

Crane and Sake | Kazumasa Nagai

Hikifuda posters of Izakaya: Snow Viewing Sake | Hiroaki Nagai

Masayoshi Nakajo

My First Sake | Kazunari Hattori

Sake Responds to the Best Season | Kenya Hara

The Future of Sake Must be Peaceful and Prosperous | Shin Matsunaga