Wanting to Take on the Challenge of Exporting Namazake (Fresh Sake)
Featured in JAPAN FOOD JOURNAL!
Series / Overseas Japanese Food: A Watershed of Success / 195 https://news.nissyoku.co.jp/news/kwsk20240722044604156
Translated to English below;
It all started with a glass of sake he tasted overseas. “How could this sake, known in Japan for its mellow, sweet taste and fine quality, have deteriorated to such an extent?” “This sake” refers to a famous bottle produced by a long-established sake manufacturer founded in the Edo period. The place where he drank it was a foreign land, far away from the Japanese brewery. The anecdote that a famous person working to promote sake said this has been widely circulated in the overseas alcohol industry, including Thailand.
The story goes on further. This famous person then launched his own sake brand and aimed to export. He cooperated with the aforementioned sake brewery, of course. Through this connection, he also served as an advisor to the brewery when it expanded overseas. The company he launched became the de facto branding window, and strict export standards were established.
The standards that were established were “stricter than ever” (according to an alcohol exporter). The rule states that sake shipped from the brewery must be kept at a constant temperature of -5 to -10 degrees Celsius until it is on store shelves. First, it is sent from the brewery to a warehouse at the port where it is exported. Then it is sent inside the cargo ship. After arriving at an overseas port, the temperature must not change beyond a specified range until it is transported to an intermediate storage warehouse and then to a retailer. Moreover, unless this can be properly proven, export will not be approved. Those involved unanimously shook their heads. “We don’t require temperature control to that extent, even for wine. It’s impossible.”
However, an importer has appeared who has made this a reality. Bacchus Global is a liquor importer and wholesaler that operates import and wholesale, direct sales, and restaurants in Bangkok, Thailand. The owner is Koji Hara (55). He is originally from Aichi Prefecture. For over 10 years, he has been involved in the import and wholesale of liquor, as well as managing bars and restaurants, mainly in Bangkok.
Hara says, “Many of the famous sakes that are said to be mythical sakes in Japan are also very popular in Thailand, especially among wealthy Chinese people. I like them myself, and I knew that some of the sake consumed overseas has deteriorated. I wanted to take on the challenge of sending truly delicious sake overseas in a stable and consistent way, something that no one has ever done before, so I raised my hand.”
However, it is unrealistic to handle all of the logistics process on your own. There must be businesses that specialize in each of these. All that remains is to make money on foot. Thus began Hara’s two-year journey back and forth between Thailand and Japan.
The first place he found was a warehouse facility in Hyogo Prefecture. They repeatedly verified that the temperature could be kept at minus 5 degrees. They also confirmed that even at room temperature in the loading area, the work could be done in a very short time without affecting the cargo.
When loading the containers, it is necessary to arrange the bottles on the pallets in an orderly manner so that the bottles do not get scattered. Here too, they utilized the wisdom of the warehouse company. They were able to pack the bottles together with the pallets using stretch film that can be stretched. A similar warehouse operator was later found in Kanagawa Prefecture. The next step was to ship the bottles by sea. Then it was off to Bangkok.
During the two-week voyage, sensors installed in the refrigerated containers would manage the temperature. However, they could not board the ship. They had no choice but to wait patiently on the Thai side.
(Bangkok = Journalist Shinichi Kobori)
