C17 - The Global Sake Industry - working Flashcards

1
Q

what are the reasons behind the export of sake is increasing?

A

decline in local market and interest in sake outside of Japan

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2
Q

How many sake breweries in Japan comparing 1970s and 2014-15?

A
  • 3500
  • 1500
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3
Q

How’s the production volume of sake in Japan comparing 1970s and 2014-15?

A
  • over 7.5 million koku
  • 2.49 million koku
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4
Q

what is the structural problem among the sake brewing industry?

A

the industry is split between a few giant producers and many smaller producers, very little in between

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5
Q

what is the average (mean) production volume of sake in Japan now?

A

1500 koku

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6
Q

how’s production volumes per big, medium and small breweries?

A
  • over 80% is <1000 koku
  • more than 3% are over 10,000 koku
  • only 1% is approx. 250,000 koku
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7
Q

what is the determining factor of the price of a sake?

A

how much the consumer is prepared to pay for it

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8
Q

What made the price differences between sakes?

A
  • correlated to the costs of raw ingredients and production
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9
Q

what are the main factors affecting the cost of sake?

A
  • rice type (and grade)
  • rice polishing ratio
  • sake category (without jozo)
  • sake style (ginjo)
  • other methods used (kimoto, koshu…)
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10
Q

other than the factors affecting the costs, what else add up the final price of a sake?

A
  • gross profit for the brewery
  • labour and equipment
  • taxes and levies
  • distributors’ margins
  • further taxes in each layer
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11
Q

which 2 prefectures account for 1/2 of all sake production in Japan?

A

Hyogo and Kyoto

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12
Q

which prefecture ranked third in production volume but has the largest number of breweries?

A

Niigata

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13
Q

when did Nihon-shu became a G.I.?

A

2015

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14
Q

what are the 2 main reasons it’s so difficult to develop G.I. system in Japan?

A
  • ingredients
  • business trends

means a brewser in any location can make any style of sake in Japan.

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15
Q

why ingredients making G.I. development difficult?

A
  • rice can be sourced from anywhere
  • water’s mineral and nutrient content is permitted to adjust
  • yeast and koji-in spores are mainly supplied by the BSJ. Only a few suppliers outside of the BSJ
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16
Q

why business trends making G.I. development difficult?

A
  • expertise and skills now can be learnt from universities and organisations i.e. NRIB. rather from local guilds
  • brewers are increasingly seeking national or international markets
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17
Q

what are the rough styles of each region in Japan?

A
  • north-east (Niigata): lighter and drier
  • south-west (HIroshima): sweeter, more intense flavour
  • eastern-coastal (Miyagi): lighter, purer - for local-cold water seafood
  • central mountains (Nagano, Akita): heavier, more complex
  • west coast: richer, more intense
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18
Q

Iwate Prefecture (north-east) / toki guild / style

A
  • Nanbu Toji guild
  • pure, clean and light
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19
Q

Niigata Prefecture / toki guild / style

A
  • Echigo Toji guild
  • tanrei-karakuchi
  • light, dry and very pure
  • with a short clean finish (kire)
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20
Q

Nagano Prefecture (south of Niigata) / style

A
  • intense flavour, rich and slightly sweet
  • junmai
  • exact opposite to Niigata style
  • local yeast: Alps
  • local rice: Miyama-nishiki
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21
Q

Kyoto Prefecture / style

A
  • most delicately aromatic
  • elegant and refined
  • pair with sophisticated fine Kyoto cuisine
  • use low-mineral water
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22
Q

Hyogo Prefecture / style

A
  • firm texture
  • more intense flavours
  • higher umami
  • so-haze koji
  • mineral and nutrient rich local water
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23
Q

Hiroshima Prefecture / style

A
  • ginjo
  • using extremely low-mineral water
  • so-haze koji
  • slow, cold fermentation
  • higher acidity
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24
Q

Which prefecture is an exception of styles in the Shikoku region?

A

Kochi prefecture

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25
Q

what is the style of Kochi prefecture’s sake?

A
  • the driest and lightest
  • due to consumption in large volume
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26
Q

Saga prefecture / style

A

balance sweetness with high acidity

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27
Q

when was Toji guilds formed?

A

early Edo period, 1603 - 1868

28
Q

what is the original purpose of toji guilds?

A
  • members of the guilds share techniques and educate the next generation of toji and kurabito
29
Q

what is changed between toji and kuramoto?

A

today, kuramoto or their family members are closely involved in production, some even play the role of toji.

30
Q

what is changed in the way of recruiting kurobito?

A
  • a trend to employ kurabito locally, permanently and directly. it was a temporary seasonal team paid by the toji.
31
Q

where the kurabito learn the skills nowadays?

A

brewing courses or on the job training.

32
Q

what is the result of the toji’ guild’s role changed?

A

it’s now more flexibility how the kurabito and toji are recruited, trained and organised.

33
Q

what are the changes made many toji guilds disappeared or struggle to continue?

A
  • many breweries now employ a brewer trained up by the toji
  • the brewery staff now work full time throughout the year in various roles, this becomes a more attractive career to young generation
34
Q

who are the 3 more important toji guilds (sandai)?

A
  • Nanbu
  • Echigo
  • Tanbu
35
Q

Nanbu toji guild / Iwate

A
  • memberships has not dropped in recent years
  • base in north-eastern Japan
  • accounts for 1/3 of all toji and kurabito
  • excellent in brewing education and training for members
  • *an exam is needed to be qualify as a Nanbu toji
36
Q

Echigo toji guild / Niigata

A
  • emphasis use of tsuki-haze koji
  • lean, dry style (tanrei-karakuchi)
  • accounts for the consistancy of the Niigata style
37
Q

Tanba toji guild / Hyogo

A
  • intense flavours, high umami
  • high levels of enzymatic activities
  • influenced some of the largest breweries
38
Q

which organisations offer sake brewing courses?

A
  • Tokyo Agricultural University brewing college
  • Kyoto University
  • Japan Brewing Society
39
Q

what is also important in addition to learn brewing techniques from courses?

A
  • must watch and work alongside with other kurabito and toji
  • experience being highly valued
40
Q

What is the scope of NRIB?

A
  • conduct scientific research
  • improve modern brewing techniques
  • develop new technologies
  • help implement safety standards and quality control
  • ensure the sake trade continue to bring in revenue (tax)
  • research also covers other alcoholic beverages
41
Q

what are the recent ongoing research of NRIB?

A
  • understand and explain how sake tastes
  • identify and investigate the origin of sake aromas
  • how to minimise the risk of faults and defects
  • microbiology - including yeast and koji strains
  • factors determining the suitability of rice for sake production
42
Q

Which organisation started up the New National Sake Contest?

A

NRIB

43
Q

which year was the New National Sake Contest start up?

A

1911

44
Q

originally what was the purpose of grading sake in the New National Sake Contest?

A

the higher grades being more heavily taxed

45
Q

which organisation fund the New National Sake Contest now?

A

Ministry of Taxation

46
Q

who are the judges in the New National Sake Contest?

A
  • members of the NRIB
  • appointed by the NRIB and National Tax Agency
47
Q

when in a year the New National Sake Contest run?

A

when the brewing season is over

48
Q

how many sake per brewery can enter the New National Sake Contest?

A

one sake for each brewing licence

49
Q

what is the main purpose of the New National Sake Contest?

A
  • it helps identify trends and the impact of the year’s rice harvest
  • show the skills of the brewers
  • not much guidance of quality to consumers
50
Q

when was the Brewing Society of Japan established?

A

1906

51
Q

what are the functions of the Brewing Society of Japan?

A
  • support the development of Japanese brewers
  • by supplying pure yeast cutures
  • publish books on brewing
  • perform other related duties
52
Q

what kind of activities carried by the Brewing Society of Japan?

A
  • publish a monthly bulletin
  • research and development related to brewing
  • helping members to study and understand techniques and promote the practical use
  • collect, stock and distribute the generic resources of microorganisms
  • honoring brewing researchers and technicians
  • sale of sake treating materials
  • inspect the standard norm of sake treating materials
  • research and analysis by request
53
Q

the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association is sometimes referred to as:

A

chuokai

54
Q

JSS - the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association:

A
  • non-profit organisation
  • promote sake and shochu business
  • act as a liaison between brewers and the government
  • advise on laws related to the sake industry
55
Q

what are the scope of the JSS in advice on laws?

A
  • defining the different grades of sake
  • definition for terms used to describe styles and production techniques
  • labelling rules
  • taxation
56
Q

example of a successful liasion by JSS for taxation?

A

in 2013, JSS persuaded the government to extend a tax break for brewers producing less than 1300 KL a year.

57
Q

where the JSS get it’s funding from:

A

the Japanese government

58
Q

how JSS use the funding from the government?

A
  • covers the operation costs of the JSS
  • provide agricultural loans to small brewers
59
Q

how can a brewer join the JSS?

A
  • they must be first join an affiliated regional sake brewers’ association
  • majority of brewers in Japan are members of the JSS
60
Q

what is the scope of the Japan Sake Brewers Association Junior Council?

A
  • influence the government on policies and actions affecting the sake industry
  • promotes sake
61
Q

where’s the Japan Sake Brewers Association Junior Council’s funding come from?

A

the JSS

62
Q

how many voluntary members Japan Sake Brewers Association Junior Council’s has?

A

around 800

63
Q

The Sake Samurai Association was established by whom?

A

the Junior Council

64
Q

what is the scope of The Sake Samurai Association?

A
  • award annual Samurai titles to individuals for their outstanding contribution to sake (understanding, appreciation or promotion)
65
Q

what is the most significant event of The Sake Samurai Association?

A

collaborating with the IWC to introduce a sake category in 2017