The Craft Sake Challenge Born from Japan's Sake Licensing Barrier

If You Can’t Get a Licence, Create a New Genre

In Japan, new licences to make seishu (sake) are in principle not issued, and it has been reported that no new licence has been granted for around 70 years. Shuhei Okazumi, who comes from Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, spent four and a half years learning the craft at Aramasa Shuzo in Akita Prefecture. In 2021 he then opened the Inaba to Agave brewery on the Oga Peninsula (Oga, Akita Prefecture), which juts out into the Sea of Japan in northern Honshu. He used the licence for “other brewed alcoholic beverages”. This licence covers drinks that are neither sake, wine nor beer, and anyone who meets the requirements can obtain it. With it, he began making “craft sake”, in which other ingredients are added to rice and koji and fermented together. The method is based on sake brewing, but because additional ingredients are used, it cannot legally be classed as sake. Through the activities of the Craft Sake Brewery Association, which he set up with like-minded brewers, new entrants have increased by 30, and sake breweries in Japan and abroad are now said to be starting to make craft sake too.

Hops, Grapes, Seaweed: More Than 50 Experiments

The flagship product is Hanakaze, made by fermenting rice and koji together with hops. The brewery has also used grapes, apples, tea, plums, seaweed and more, and has made over 50 varieties so far. Its products can have a waiting list of up to six months, and according to the company they account for roughly half of the craft sake market. Over the past year its export destinations have grown to 10 countries, including China, the United States and France, and exports have tripled compared with the previous year. Adoption is also increasing at Michelin Guide-listed restaurants and at bars named among the World’s Best Bars. The company plans to triple its production scale during 2026.

The Next Goal: a “Sake Special Zone”

As early as 2020, Okazumi had set the goal of obtaining a new sake licence. He is now calling for a new “sake special zone” under the Cabinet Office’s special zone system, which would make it possible to brew sake in Oga. There is opposition within the sake industry, but the government has set up a working group on deregulation and discussions have started to move. If the zone becomes reality, Okazumi believes, young brewers who want to make sake will gather in Oga.

When looking for craft sake in Europe, check the label for the words “Craft Sake” and for the names of ingredients other than rice and koji. Hanakaze, with its hop aroma, is an easy entry point for people who enjoy craft beer or natural wine. Its varied ingredients make it easy to pair with a wide range of dishes. Besides being served chilled and enjoyed for its aroma in a wine glass, some enthusiasts say it is also delicious warmed. Keeping an eye on how Japan’s sake licensing system changes in future will make the story behind each glass even more interesting.