GI Harima Heads to France, Land of Wine, Bearing the King of Sake Rice

Sake brewed in the Harima region of south-western Hyogo Prefecture is steadily building a foothold in the European market under the regional brand GI Harima. The local newspaper Kobe Shimbun NEXT is running a series following this European expansion, and the second instalment looks at the starting point: the 2021 trip to France.

An Overseas PR Campaign That Began on a Near-Empty Plane

In October 2021, the coronavirus pandemic was still ongoing, and the plane was almost empty. Yasuhiro Tanaka (73), chairman of the Harima Sake Culture Tourism Council, which brings together the four sake brewers’ associations of the Harima region, travelled to France alone for GI Harima’s first overseas PR campaign. A photograph published in the newspaper shows Tanaka presenting GI Harima at an outdoor event in the Bordeaux region. It was an attempt to introduce Japanese regional sake in person in one of the world’s leading wine-producing areas.

The “King of Sake Rice” Meets a Land of Gastronomy

GI, or Geographical Indication, is a system that protects, through its name, quality tied to a place of origin. It will be a familiar idea to EU readers who know Champagne or Parmigiano-Reggiano. In Japan the system is also applied to sake (seishu), and “Harima” is one of the designated names. Harima is known as a main production area of Yamada Nishiki. Yamada Nishiki is the leading variety of “sakamai” (sake-brewing rice), rice that has been bred to suit sake production. Developed in 1936 at an agricultural experiment station in Hyogo Prefecture, it has long been called the “king of sake rice”. Sake brewed from this rice is said to have a well-balanced flavour. The headline of the series suggests that the story of a region cultivating the king of sake rice is a good match for the French national character, with its devotion to food.

How to Enjoy GI Harima in Europe

When searching importers’ lists or Japanese grocery shops for Harima sake, look for the “GI Harima” mark on the label and for “Yamada Nishiki” listed as the rice used. It also helps to check the “seimai buai” (rice polishing ratio). This figure is the proportion of the grain that remains after the outer layers have been milled away. The lower the number, the more of the outside has been polished off, and in general the aroma is more fragrant and the flavour more delicate. To enjoy the balance that is Yamada Nishiki’s hallmark, we suggest serving the sake lightly chilled in a white-wine glass, alongside fish dishes or mature cheese. It will be worth following the rest of the series to see how far Harima’s challenge, begun in the land of wine, will spread.