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Japanese Products

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The Shifting Terroir

Burgundy’s Harvest: A Changing Agricultural Rhythm In France’s Burgundy region, the start of the harvest has moved forward by an average of roughly two weeks over the past 30 years. Bordeaux is seeing the same pattern. The vendange, once a quintessential October ritual, now often begins as early as late August.

AWARD : SHOCHU

At TWSC 2026, Two SHOCHU REPUBLIC Labels Win Awards

At the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition (TWSC) 2026, two labels from the export-only brand SHOCHU REPUBLIC earned awards in the shochu and awamori category. The sweet potato shochu Sweet Potato Robin received the Superior Gold Award, while the barley shochu Barley Bunny took home a Silver Award.

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Beyond the Price Tag

In October 2026, Japan’s beer tax will be reduced. While mainstream narratives often reduce this to a slight price drop for mass-market canned beer, the true beneficiaries of this reform may be Japan’s artisanal craft breweries, whose numbers have now surpassed 800 nationwide.

BORN

Born Tokusen Junmai Daiginjo Wins Gold at Kura Master 2026

Kura Master, the annual sake competition held in France, announced its 2026 results, with Born Tokusen Junmai Daiginjo (Katokichibee Shoten, Fukui Prefecture) earning a Gold Award in the Junmai Daiginjo (36–50% polishing ratio) category. Another label from the brewery, Born Ginsen, also received Gold in the same category. This recognition reflects an enduring commitment to quality. Born Tokusen Junmai Daiginjo previously received Platinum Awards in both 2021 and 2023, demonstrating a consistent resonance with juries of French sommeliers and gastronomy professionals over multiple years.

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Beyond Whisky

The presence of Japanese whisky on a back bar was once a mark of distinction. Names like Hibiki, Yamazaki, and Hakushu possessed a rare magnetism. Yet, as Bangkok's cocktail landscape has evolved, these revered spirits have become a distinguished standard rather than a revelation. For those looking toward the next chapter of Japanese distillation, a quiet shift is taking place: the emergence of Japanese craft gin.

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A Shochu by Nature, a Liqueur by Law

Asagiri, Kuma District, Kumamoto Prefecture. Founded in 1878, Tsutsumi Distillery introduced Gokujo Tsutsumi to the world, yet the label does not bear the word “shochu.” Under Japan’s Liquor Tax Law, this bottle is classified as a liqueur. And yet the base spirit is made from rice and rice koji. It is a traditional Kuma rice shochu distillate, aged for more than ten years in Oloroso sherry casks.

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An Unbroken Legacy

At the 2026 edition of Kura Master, the annual Japanese sake competition held in France, KID Muryozan Junmai Ginjo (Heiwa Shuzo / Wakayama Prefecture) was awarded a Gold Medal in the Junmai Daiginjo (36–50% polishing ratio) category.

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Crystal Bubbles, the Depth of Kijoshu

In a single glass, the methodology of Champagne meets the uniquely Japanese culture of kijoshu. SAKE HUNDRED’s “Shinsei” is a modern sparkling Junmai Daiginjo that unites these two design principles in one bottle.

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The Global Tapestry of Sake

In 2025, Japanese sake achieved a quiet yet profound milestone. Export value grew by 6% year over year, with volume gracefully climbing 8% to approximately 33,500 kiloliters. Today, sake reaches a remarkable 81 countries and regions, weaving its way into diverse global cultures.

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Crafting for the Global Stage

Kano Sake Brewery’s KISS of FIRE, the First Sake Selected for the Nobel Prize NightCap December 2012, Stockholm. At the celebratory NightCap party following the Nobel Prize award ceremony, a bottle of Japanese sake stood alongside Dom Pérignon and Moët & Chandon. It was the first sake ever to be officially selected for the party. […]

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Umami in the Glass

The Fifth Taste in Cocktails, and Kouji’s Place Behind the Bar in 2026 For generations, the architecture of a cocktail relied on four pillars: sweetness, acidity, bitterness, and saltiness. Today, umami｜the fifth taste｜is quietly establishing itself as a defining element within the glass. According to a survey conducted in early 2026 by the U.S. drinks […]

BORN

The 1963 Junmai Revelation

The Philosophy Behind Kato Kichibee Shoten’s “Born Dreams Come True” In Japan’s sake industry of the 1960s, a method known as sanbai zōjō｜literally “triple-volume brewing”｜was widely utilized. It involved taking sake originally brewed from rice and rice koji, then adding distilled alcohol, sugars, acidulants, and other ingredients to increase the final yield by as much as […]

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