All Japan News Blog
2026-10-28
The Origin of Japanese Sake
-Let’s take this opportunity to reflect on the history of Japanese sake-    The first sake produced in Japan was fruit liquor Traces of sake production are seen since the mid-Jomon period (14,000 – 3...
2026-10-21
For Summer Drinking, Your Body Comes Before Being a “Connoisseur” — A Recommendation for Cold Alcohol and Yawaragi-mizu
By Ryuji Takahashi   Around the world, I have heard that there are relatively few countries where people drink their alcohol cold. I don't know whether that is actually true, but some people even say...
2026-10-14
What Type of Japanese Sake is Tarusake
Generally, “tarusake” refers to Japanese sake sold in barrels. The (Japanese) National Tax Agency stipulates sake must be “stored in wooden barrels with wood aroma (including sake packaged in bottles...
2026-10-07
Sake Nation: “Japan’s Rice Crisis in the Reiwa Era: Challenges Facing Sake Rice Supply. Part 2”
By Kosuke Kuji   In the previous column, I explained just how difficult the situation surrounding rice for everyday consumption had become during Japan’s “Reiwa Rice Crisis.” The price of rice had mo...
2026-09-23
Japanese sake type – Classified into four types according to the concentration of flavor and aroma.
Dry/sweetness indicates the degree of sweetness while smooth/refreshing and rich/full flavor indicates the degree of richness. The stronger the rice flavor, the more easily the rich sake flavor is de...
2026-09-16
The Bigger the Mug, the Better
By Ryuji Takahashi   Some people say that large beer mugs are a bad idea because the drink gets warm or the ice melts and waters it down. But the simple answer is to finish drinking it before it gets...
2026-09-09
What is “Arabashiri” (“First Run”) for Japanese Sake?
“Arabashiri” (“First Run”) is the white, cloudy sake that results when first squeezing the aged moromi (fermentation-mash), also referred to as “freshly-pressed sake.” Squeezing the moromi (fermentat...
2026-09-02
Sake Nation: “Japan’s Rice Crisis in the Reiwa Era: Challenges Facing Sake Rice Supply. Part 1”
By Kosuke Kuji   In Japan, the "Reiwa Rice Crisis," which has become a major issue since two years ago, has caused the price of table rice to surge dramatically. Last year, the price of rice for ever...
2026-08-26
Japanese sake type – Classified into four types according to the concentration of flavor and aroma.
Dry/sweetness indicates the degree of sweetness while smooth/refreshing and rich/full flavor indicates the degree of richness. The stronger the rice flavor, the more easily the rich sake flavor is de...
2026-08-19
What to Cut, What to Keep: Managing Costs in a High-Inflation Liquor Store
By Ryuji Takahashi   Tokyo was already topping 30°C in May, making spring feel shorter than ever. As another hot summer begins, sake retailers face a familiar challenge: selling sake in the heat. Wit...