SAKE blog
This year is 2020 when Olympic games taken place in Tokyo Japan!
Nevertheless, it is important to learn from the past as well.
On this page, we summarize what happen in Japan in 2019.
Please find the news summary of 2019 from below;
February
On 1st February, Economic Partnership Agreement(EPA) between Japan and European Union became effective. With the EPA, it stimulates trading between Japan and EU, and Japan expects Sake, EU expects wine to grow in the oversea market.
March
Seven Eleven Japan decided to terminate 24 hours operation on March, starting from some outlets. They carried out investigation since then, and 132 outlets will stop 24 hours operation by February 2020. We need to see how it affects Sake industry.
April
On April, there were elections for the prefectural governor and city mayor of Osaka and Matsui governor elected as mayor and Yoshimura mayor elected as governor. Their party, Japan Innovation Party push Osaka Metropolitan Initiative and it moves forward.
May
On 1st May, 126th Naruhito Emperor enthroned and the name of the era renewed to “Reiwa”. On October there was a ceremony took place.
July
On 9th July 2019, International Wine Challenge reward the trophies and medals to Sake breweries, and Heiwa brewery from Wakayama prefecture won as “Brewery of the year 2019”.
September
In this autumn, the typhoon season, there was a serious damage in East of Japan especially Kanto area. 2 typhoons passed over Kanto and even Sake breweries got damage by these typhoons.
October
From 1st October, consumption tax of Japan rise from 8% to 10%. To cover the down forcing effect in Japanese economy, the government introduce reward points if people pay with cashless payment methods such as cash card or cashless apps. It accelerates the introduction of cashless payment apps.
ikki will deliver valuable information to you in 2020 as well!
Please follow our Instagram for the updates to catch up!
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President & CEO, Kobayashi Junzo Shoten Co., Ltd.
Based in Osaka, I lead Kobayashi Junzo Shoten, a sake wholesaler founded in 1890. Through the cultural richness of Japanese sake, my mission is to connect people and bring smiles to dining tables around the world.
While technology continues to make the world feel smaller, the stories and traditions behind sake brewing can easily fade into the background. I see my role as a bridge—sharing the passion of brewers, opening doors for new audiences, and delivering sake in a way that feels more approachable and relatable.
I enjoy visiting sake breweries, learning about new rice varieties and brewing techniques, and spending time with toji (master brewers) and kurabito (brewery workers) to experience the spirit of sake-making firsthand. On this blog, I’ll share those encounters, my personal insights, and tips to help you enjoy sake even more.
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to connecting with you.
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