Historic Japan sake brewery offering courses for foreign sommeliers
OITA (Kyodo) -- A sake brewery in southwestern Japan with an over 150-year history has begun offering a seminar for foreign sommeliers on the traditional techniques for making the Japanese alcoholic drink, which were added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list last year.
The five-day seminar at Fujii Shuzo in Usuki, Oita Prefecture, is part of a course organized by the British-based Sake Sommelier Academy targeting experienced sommeliers, held in hopes of spreading awareness and appreciation about sake beyond Japan.
On Feb. 4, Andre Cis, a 40-year-old food and wine consultant from Austria, participated in steaming rice and placing it in a tank with rice malt and water. Describing the work as complex and intricate, he said he wishes to share his appreciation of the brewery's sake back home.
The seminar also welcomed a participant from Israel on a different date.
Toru Fujii, who heads Fujii Shuzo, said the seminar creates a "chance to garner attention from overseas."
While some in the domestic industry have told him they worry about it giving up its secrets, the 50-year-old was more concerned about the shrinking of the domestic market.
"This is not the time to be saying things like that," he said. "The value of Japanese sake can increase if it becomes a commodity that can be brewed in any country, similar to beer and wine," he said.
Fujii hopes opening up to people from overseas will eventually lead to exports to Europe, where the brewery currently has few sales.
Japan's domestic shipping volume of sake peaked at more than 1.7 million kiloliters in 1973 but has been declining due to the proliferation of other alcoholic beverages, plunging to about 390,000 kl in 2023.
However, the growing popularity of sake abroad has led to a recent increase in exports, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
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