All Japan News Blog
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...
2026-08-12
What is the difference between sweet vs. dry sake?
Sweet Japanese sake is the sweet flavor you taste, while dry sake has the opposite meaning. The sweet flavor in Japanese sake is derived from the glucose and glycerin containing in the extract (the s...
2026-08-05
Sake Nation “Anime, Voice Actors, and Japanese Sake. Part 3”
By Kosuke Kuji   Tokyo’s Akihabara and Ikebukuro are widely known as anime “holy sites,” and at the center of Ikebukuro stands Animate Ikebukuro Main Store, one of Japan’s most famous anime retailers...