Sake Consumption during the Showa Period (1926-1989)
2023-09-20

However, the quality of Japanese sake was reviewed in the late 1960s, and consumers crusaded to demand the content of sake be labeled, as sake brewers started to actively brew “Honjozo” and “Junmai” sake.  

Also, the assignment of quota on sake rice was abolished, and various sake similar to wine and carbonated sake were released. Since enjoying peak sales in the late 1960s, sake sales slumped due to the increasing popularity of whiskey, beer, wine, and shochu. Although sake consumption is declining in Japan, each sake producer is engaging in various efforts to improve quality and diversify containers, while releasing a line-up of various sake products such as draft sake and Ginjo sake to increase sales. 

Adding preservatives to sake was banned in 1983, and The Sake Grading System of Japan was ended in April 1992. Since then, premium sake such as Daiginjo sake and Ginjo sake became mainstream and local sake increased in popularity. As more Japanese restaurants opened overseas, the sake boom was ignited in the U.S. Sake sales in the U.S. market, where many consumers enjoy wine, transition around ten percent in growth rate each year.   

昭和の酒 


しかし40年代の後半、日本酒の品質が見直され、また消費者運動の高まりから清酒の内容表示が要求され、「本醸造酒」「純米酒」等が積極的に造られるようになった。

また酒造米の割当て制度も廃止され、ワインタイプやガス入り清酒等様々なタイフの酒が現われた。昭和40年代後半をピークに、50年代以降ウイスキー・ビール・ワイン・焼酎等に押されて、清酒の消費は伸び悩んでいるが、清酒メーカー各社は品質の向上や容器の多様化を図り、また生酒・吟醸酒などバラエティーに富んだ製品を揃え今後の飛躍を図っている。

昭和48年には日本酒に防腐剤の添加が禁止され、平成4年4月より清酒の級別制度が、完全に廃止された。それにより大吟醸や吟醸のような特定名称酒などの現在のスタイルに変更され地酒ブームを迎えた。また、海外での日本食レストランの発展に伴い日本酒ブームに火がつき、特にワイン愛好家の多い米国では毎年10%以上の伸び率で推移している。