Award-winning Born a global success

Katoukichibee takes sake brand around the world, garnering prizes, gaining fans The Japan Times 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.