" Sake Fair 2023 ", Japan's most extensive sake event, was held in Ikebukuro on June 16th and 17th, 2023.
Ueno, the bar master of Jyuku to Kan (sake matured), was the lecturer at a seminar titled "The History of Aged Sake and Proposals for the Future" held during the event.
Ueno began by reflecting on his career and summarizing the position and potential of matured sake in the sake industry.
"About 20 years ago, before I opened a bar specializing in this unique product, I worked as a hotelier and in the facility management department at a sake brewery. I observed a market situation where high-priced sake was scarce, and many sake breweries struggled.
Realizing that traditional pricing, based on cost and value standards tied to the Tokutei Meishoshu (Special Designation Sake) System, led to low sales, we searched for a new value axis. We came across matured sake lying dormant in the brewery because it was difficult to explain and, therefore, unsellable."
Ueno explained that while new sake provides the joy of receiving it, matured sake offers the joy of exploration. Neither is better or worse, but the appeal of matured sake lies in the universal value of time and the different layers of flavor.
Nowadays, matured sake is said to have a new value, but if we look back at history, Japanese people have always enjoyed matured sake. There are records of matured sake in documents dating back to the Heian period (794-1185).
So why is matured sake so rare in today's market? The answer lies in the policies and conflicts of the Meiji to Showa periods (1868-1945). In a bid to secure a steady tax revenue from liquor, the government altered the timing of taxation, leading to sake being taxed as soon as it was brewed rather than when it was shipped. This forced sake breweries to sell their product immediately after production.
There were even papers describing methods for making new sake resemble matured sake, but in the end, the culture of matured sake was put on hold, and the technology for crafting new sake improved dramatically.
Following the lecture part, the participants discussed what is needed for matured sake to become established in the market.
After listening to the participants' opinions, Ueno explained the significance of the existence of the Toki Sake Association.
He concluded by saying that for the future of matured sake, it is essential for sake breweries, liquor stores, and restaurants to have common knowledge and be able to make accurate announcements to drinkers and that in order to achieve this, it is essential to come up with definitions and unify the industry.