SAKE IN JAPAN
For those who are not familiar with Japanese sake, called Nihonshu in Japan, it is an alcoholic beverage made from rice, koji mold, and water. For thousands of years, Japanese brewers have been making this alcoholic beverage with fermentation and maturation techniques distinct to the nation.
It used to be drunk by most people over 30 years old but nowadays, it’s also popular among younger people. Thanks to social networks, more and more people are discovering and enjoying sake with their meals. Many varieties and flavors of sake are produced as well and it’s very popular among women.
You will find sake inside most Japanese restaurants and supermarkets in Japan but when it’s about overseas, how difficult is it to find Japanese sake nearby your neighborhood?
Is sake popular outside of japan?
First of all, let’s talk about its popularity outside of Japan to understand the impact of sake abroad. Japanese sake has always been related to Japanese food because it is traditionally something Japanese people would pair with their food. And the good news is that Japanese cuisine is very popular over the world, everyone knows sushi or ramen right?
Countries like the USA or Brazil who have a large number of Japanese immigrants make it easy to find Japanese grocery stores, restaurants, and therefore Japanese sakes!
When it’s about European countries, the number of Japanese people living there is much less compared to America’s continent. So naturally, you will find fewer Japanese products, especially sake. Your choice will be limited, even in big cities like Paris or London.
If you are located in Asia, naturally due to proximity to Japan, you will find more sake choices in countries like South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Singapore. But they are usually heavily taxed and your choice will still be limited compared to Japan.
Export volume and amount from 2012 to 2018 (image from Sake Times)
TOP RANKING OF SAKE EXPORTATION BY COUNTRY
1 USA
2 CHINA
3 HONG KONG
4 TAIWAN
5 KOREA
6 SINGAPORE
7 CANADA
8 AUSTRALIA
9 THAILAND
10 GERMANY
11 VIETNAM
12 MALAYSIA
13 NETHERLANDS
14 ITALY
15 FRANCE
16 UK
17 BRAZIL
THE NIHONSHU ONLINE SHOP
Whether for your personal consumption or for your restaurant, our online shop provides you with the rarest sakes from Japan at an affordable price. All the sakes we are selling are made from small producers mainly in Kochi, Osaka, and Nara prefectures.
We ship overseas through Japan Post with insurance in each of your packages. All our bottles are carefully packed and it takes around 1~2 weeks for our package to arrive at your doorstep.