Gifu sake meets overseas buyers at a trade meeting in Takayama
In Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, a trade meeting was held to introduce sake brewed in the prefecture to overseas buyers keen to source Japanese sake.
A trade meeting at a Hida Takayama museum
Gifu Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture in central Japan, north of Nagoya. The Hida region in the north is surrounded by mountains and is known for its harsh winters. In Takayama, the main city of the region, a trade meeting to present Gifu-brewed sake to overseas buyers was held at the Hida Takayama Machi no Hakubutsukan museum, in the city’s old townscape. According to the local newspaper Gifu Shimbun, overseas buyers keen to source Japanese sake were invited and listened to explanations about the sake produced in the prefecture. However, the part of the article that can be read for free does not say which breweries or brands took part, which countries the buyers came from, or what came of the negotiations.
A trade meeting is a gateway to exports
Most Japanese breweries are small, family-run businesses, and they do not often get the chance to meet overseas buyers directly. The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) has 76 offices overseas and 51 in Japan, and offers free information on regulations in each country, trade meetings with overseas buyers and other support. Such occasions give a brewery the chance to explain its sake and to learn what the other market is looking for.
Even so, a successful negotiation does not mean the sake will appear on shop shelves in Europe straight away. Most small and medium-sized breweries ship abroad through trading companies, agents or local importers. The importer takes on the risk of holding stock and handles customs procedures, storage, pricing and distribution. The sake must also comply with rules that differ from country to country, such as label wording, alcohol content and ingredient labelling. A trade meeting is only the first step on this long road.
Enjoying Gifu sake in Europe
If you are looking for Gifu sake in Europe, the place names “Gifu” or “Hida” on the label or in the product description are your clues. At specialist sake shops and importers’ online shops, you can often search by prefecture name. When choosing, also look at designations such as “junmai” and “ginjo”, which indicate the grade according to ingredients and brewing method. The “seimai buai” (rice polishing ratio) is a figure showing how much of the rice has been polished away; the lower the number, the more the rice has been polished, and the more floral and light the sake tends to be. We recommend first chilling the sake and checking its aroma in a wine glass, then letting it warm slightly to compare how the flavour changes. Deals born from trade meetings like this one may in time bring new Gifu brands to shops in Europe.
Sources
- Gifu Shimbun, “Gifu no Nihonshu Miryoku Shokai Kaigai Buyer Maneki Shodankai Takayama-shi” https://www.gifu-np.co.jp/articles/-/783581
- SAKE Street, “Seiko no Kagi wa ‘Oishisa’ yori mo ○○? JETRO ni Nihonshu Yushutsu no Gokui o Kiite Mita [Shien Seido List-tsuki]” https://sakestreet.com/ja/media/jetro-sake-export-interview
- SAKE Street, “Nihonshu Yushutsu Seiko no Kagi! Shinrai dekiru Partner o Mitsukeru Hoho” https://sakestreet.com/ja/media/sake-export-partner-guide
Sources
- 岐阜新聞「岐阜の日本酒 魅力紹介 海外バイヤー招き商談会 高山市」
- SAKE Street「成功のカギは「美味しさ」よりも○○？JETROに日本酒輸出の極意を聞いてみた【支援制度リストつき】」
- SAKE Street「日本酒輸出成功のカギ！信頼できるパートナーを見つける方法」
This article was written by The Sake Wire editorial team, summarising the public sources listed above. Images are our own.
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