Katoukichibee takes sake brand around the world, garnering prizes, gaining fans
1. History and Craftsmanship
- Founded in 1860 in Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture, Katoukichibee Shouten is a long-established sake brewery.
- Using premium-grade rice and natural water pumped from 180 meters underground, their sake is aged for over a year at sub-freezing temperatures to ensure high quality.
- The brewery produces around 50 varieties of junmai sake, maintaining a strong focus on craftsmanship.
2. Awards and Recognition
- Born-branded sake consistently receives multiple honors each year, including numerous gold medals at prestigious international competitions.
- Standout products include “Yume wa Masayume” (Dreams Come True), “Tenshi no Mezame” (Awakening of the Angel), and “Nihon no Tsubasa” (Wing of Japan).
- By achieving international recognition, Born has boosted its brand power and successfully expanded demand overseas.
3. Overseas Expansion and Marketing
- Katoukichibee Shouten began exporting Born in the early 1990s and now exports around 20% of its total production.
- Their sake is served in restaurants in cities like Paris and New York.
- In response to declining domestic consumption, the brewery pursued a strategy of winning awards at international competitions to raise its profile abroad.
- Rather than relying solely on local distributors, the president himself travels overseas around 40 times a year to build direct sales channels.
4. Prestige and High Esteem
- The brewery’s “Born Chogin” is famously enjoyed by the Japanese Imperial Family, and its sake is also provided to Japanese embassies abroad via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- It has been served on government aircraft, and in 2008, the sake “Yume wa Masayume” was presented to then-U.S. President Barack Obama.
5. Future Outlook
- As the Born brand gains worldwide acclaim, Katoukichibee Shouten has been registering its trademarks in about 100 countries to combat counterfeit products and protect its brand.
- The brewery aims to further expand its presence in premium department stores, restaurants, and other high-end markets overseas.
By blending time-honored brewing techniques with proactive international marketing, Katoukichibee Shouten’s Born continues to earn a strong global reputation for top-quality Japanese sake.
