Student-developed low-alcohol sake 'Tobira' aims to be a gateway for young drinkers

Wakamiya Shuzo, a sake brewery in Ayabe, in northern Kyoto Prefecture, has released a sake developed with students: “Nice to Meet You, Sake ‘Tobira’”. It comes in smaller bottles with a lower alcohol content, aimed at younger people who are unfamiliar with sake. It is an example of a brewer and educational institutions working together to tackle young people’s drift away from sake in Japan.

A product that began with young people’s assumptions

The “Young People’s Sake Project” began in the 2021 academic year, and this is its fourth product. Four fourth-year students from the seminar of Professor Tomohiro Taniguchi in the Faculty of Regional Management at Fukuchiyama Public University worked on product planning, marketing, and the concept for the name and label. Students from Kyoto Institute of Technology produced the label. The sake rice, Gohyakumangoku, was grown by pupils at the local Ayabe High School. Gohyakumangoku is a representative sake rice that is widely used across Japan.

The students first surveyed men and women aged 20 to 25. The results showed that young people assume sake is “strong and likely to get you drunk” and “something older people drink”. The survey also showed that young people value “easy drinking” and “convenience”. In earlier projects, the team also made sake meant to be mixed into cocktails with juice and the like. This time, the aim was for people to enjoy sake itself, undiluted.

Still tastes like sake at 12%

Sake typically has an alcohol content of around 15 to 16%. It is usually brought to that strength by adding water at the end of the process. Lowering the alcohol while keeping the character of sake is not easy. Wakamiya Shuzo used its brewing skills to bring the strength down to 12%, achieving both a fresh, apple-like aroma and a flavour that is recognisably sake. The demand for low-alcohol drinks is also growing in Europe, led by Gen Z, and new lower-strength products are increasing in Japan too.

The name carries the hope that the sake will be “the first door that opens onto the depth of sake”. At tasting events it reportedly went down well not only with young people but also with generations who drink sake regularly. It comes in two sizes, 500 ml and 180 ml, and is currently sold at the brewery.

A note for European readers

The primary source says nothing about Tobira being sold overseas. Even so, what stands out is that the brewer is trying to get past the barrier of “sake is too strong” through choices of alcohol content and bottle size. When choosing sake at a European shop, check the strength on the label and look for sake at around 12 to 13%. That is about the same as white wine, so it is easy to enjoy chilled in a wine glass with a light starter. A small bottle is a sensible way to try your first one.