{"id":40959,"date":"2026-02-26T11:50:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T02:50:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/icc\/?p=40959"},"modified":"2026-02-26T12:04:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T03:04:51","slug":"ecc-spt-report-2024-spring-2-2-2-2-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/icc\/news-en\/2026\/02\/26\/40959\/","title":{"rendered":"An Evening With Toshimaya Corporation : For the Sake of Tradition & Today – ICC The Living Tradition of Sake Participant Report"},"content":{"rendered":"
Kailyn<\/span> Huang<\/span>
\nCenter <\/span>for<\/span> Japanese<\/span> Language<\/span> and Culture (CJL)<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/h6>\n
\"\"

\u201cKamakura-ch\u014d: Toshimaya Sake Shop Selling Shirozake\u201d (\u938c\u5009\u753a\u8c4a\u5cf6\u5c4b\u9152\u5e97 \u767d\u9152\u3092\u5546\u3046\u56f3) in the Edo Meisho Zue (\u6c5f\u6238\u540d\u6240\u56f3\u4f1a), 1893 printing. Compiled by Saito Yukio (\u658e\u85e4\u5e78\u96c4), with illustrations by Hasegawa Settan (\u9577\u8c37\u5ddd\u96ea\u65e6). Source: National Diet Library.<\/p><\/div>\n

It<\/span> was a cold<\/span> winter<\/span> night, and an<\/span> intimate<\/span> crowd<\/span> had<\/span> gathered in Waseda University\u2019s<\/span> warmly<\/span> lit Garden Hall, the chill<\/span> lingering<\/span> just<\/span> beyond<\/span> its<\/span> glass<\/span> doors. Once the audience<\/span> had<\/span> settled<\/span> into<\/span> their<\/span> seats, the moderator<\/span> opened the January<\/span> talk<\/span> session at the Waseda ICC (<\/span>Inter<\/span>cultural<\/span>\u00a0C<\/span>ommunication<\/span> Center) with a simple question: \u201cWho here<\/span> is a fan of sake?\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>Only a few<\/span> hands rose at first<\/span>. <\/span>By the evening\u2019s<\/span> end<\/span>, <\/span>they<\/span> all<\/span> did<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a literal sense, sake (\u9152) means alcohol, but<\/span> traditionally<\/span> speaking<\/span>, <\/span>it<\/span> refers<\/span> to<\/span> nihonshu<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>(\u65e5\u672c\u9152), <\/span>which<\/span> is<\/span> produced<\/span> by<\/span> fermenting<\/span> polished rice. Although<\/span> scent and flavor<\/span> profiles<\/span> differ<\/span> markedly, rice, koji, and yeast are essential<\/span> ingredients<\/span>. <\/span>References<\/span> to sake appear in records<\/span> dating back to<\/span> antiquity<\/span>, <\/span>long<\/span> before the arrival of tea. Yet<\/span> domestic<\/span> consumption<\/span> today<\/span> is<\/span> steadily<\/span> declining<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For a brewery<\/span> whose<\/span> history<\/span> spans<\/span> over<\/span> four<\/span> centuries<\/span>, <\/span>however, the future remains<\/span> bright. Toshiyuki Yoshimura, president of Toshimaya Corporation<\/a><\/span>\u00a0and the ICC\u2019s<\/span> guest speaker, explained<\/span> why<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Generally<\/span> regarded as a \u201cniche\u201d product, sake\u2014unlike<\/span> its Western counterparts<\/span>\u2014<\/span>is<\/span> hard<\/span> to come by in global marketplaces<\/span>. <\/span>Despite the wide<\/span> variety in taste, age, and texture<\/span>, <\/span>overseas<\/span> selections<\/span> remain<\/span> scant<\/span>. <\/span>To Yoshimura, however, the status quo is<\/span> merely<\/span> an<\/span> indicator of potential<\/span> market<\/span> growth. He points<\/span> to a graph<\/span> illustrating sake exports<\/span> over the last<\/span> few<\/span> years<\/span>, <\/span>which<\/span> shows<\/span> modest<\/span> gains<\/span> that<\/span> contrast<\/span> sharply<\/span> with the steep<\/span> drop in domestic<\/span> demand<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This decline in consumer<\/span> appetite for sake reflects a broader shift in drinking<\/span> habits<\/span>: <\/span>people simply aren\u2019t drinking nearly as much as they used to.<\/span><\/a> Even<\/span> when<\/span> they are, sake is<\/span> rarely a first<\/span> choice<\/span>. <\/span>From<\/span> my<\/span> experience<\/span> working at a nihonshu<\/span> specialty<\/span> izakaya<\/span> staffed<\/span> by<\/span> certified sake connoisseurs, Japanese diners<\/span> both<\/span> young and old<\/span> most<\/span> often<\/span> call for beer and whiskey instead<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Historically<\/span> affordable, sake is<\/span> produced<\/span> through<\/span> methods<\/span> that<\/span> vary<\/span> by<\/span> brewery and require considerable labor. Without<\/span> sufficient<\/span> demand<\/span>, <\/span>production<\/span> becomes<\/span> difficult<\/span> to<\/span> sustain. In the worst cases, breweries<\/span> close<\/span>, <\/span>taking<\/span> with<\/span> them<\/span> generations of accumulated<\/span> expertise<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yoshimura proposes a deceptively simple solution<\/span>: <\/span>exposure. He takes a grassroots<\/span> approach<\/span>: <\/span>though the hour<\/span> is late, he remains<\/span> dressed for work<\/span>\u2014<\/span>not in a suit<\/span>, <\/span>but in a brown<\/span> ha<\/span><\/i>ppi<\/span><\/i>\u00a0bearing the Toshimaya crest. He speaks<\/span> to a roomful of international<\/span> students<\/span> while<\/span> handing<\/span> out<\/span> samples<\/span> from<\/span> his<\/span> family\u2019s<\/span> brewery<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Detail from \u201cKamakura-ch\u014d: Toshimaya Sake Shop Selling Shirozake.\u201d This scene features the brewery\u2019s kane-j\u016b trademark, a carpenter\u2019s steel square, which symbolizes hope for stability and prosperity, enclosing the character j\u016b (\u201cten\u201d), one part of the name of the Founder. Source: National Diet Library.<\/p><\/div>\n

Founded in Tokyo in 1596, Toshimaya prides<\/span> itself<\/span> on<\/span> its<\/span> locality<\/span>. <\/span>Its<\/span> famed<\/span> shirozake<\/span><\/i><\/a> appears as a cultural reference in novels and kabuki plays and is<\/span> depicted in Edo-period<\/span> \u201c<\/span>famous places\u201d ukiyo-e (<\/span>meisho<\/span><\/i> zue<\/span><\/i>) <\/span>prints<\/span>, <\/span>including a work<\/span> by<\/span> Utagawa Hiroshige.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since<\/span> Toshimaya<\/span> produces <\/span><\/span>shirozake<\/span><\/span> only<\/span> once per <\/span>year<\/span><\/span>, <\/span><\/span>guests<\/span><\/span> instead<\/span><\/span> sampled<\/span><\/span> three<\/span> representative <\/span>brews<\/span>. <\/span>The<\/span> evening<\/span><\/span> opened<\/span><\/span> with<\/span><\/span> Kinkon<\/span>, <\/span>the<\/span> brewery\u2019s<\/span><\/span> signature<\/span> sake and a fixture at <\/span>Shint\u014d<\/span><\/span> ceremonies<\/span> at <\/span>the<\/span> Meiji <\/span>Jing\u016b<\/span> and <\/span>Kanda<\/span><\/span> My\u014djin<\/span><\/span> shrines<\/span>. A <\/span>dry<\/span><\/span> honjozo<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>–<\/span>shu<\/span><\/span>, <\/span><\/span>it<\/span><\/span> is<\/span> light, <\/span>aromatic<\/span>, and <\/span>nutty<\/span><\/span>—<\/span><\/span>restrained<\/span> in a <\/span>way<\/span><\/span> that<\/span><\/span> feels<\/span><\/span> immediately<\/span> familiar. <\/span>It<\/span> tastes, as <\/span>one<\/span><\/span> Tokyoite<\/span><\/span> beside<\/span> me <\/span>put<\/span><\/span> it<\/span><\/span>, <\/span><\/span>like<\/span> a sake <\/span>that<\/span> \u201ctastes <\/span>like<\/span> sake.\u201d <\/span>Comfortingly<\/span> so.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Clear, clean, and crisp<\/span>, <\/span>Kinkon<\/span> is the mildest of the three<\/span>. <\/span>Drinking<\/span> it<\/span> feels<\/span> like a warm<\/span>—<\/span>if<\/span> room-temperature<\/span>—<\/span>welcome<\/span>. <\/span>Its<\/span> popularity at weddings<\/span> makes<\/span> sense<\/span> because<\/span> it\u2019s a real people-pleaser in a bottle<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But<\/span> its<\/span> cousin<\/span>, <\/span>Kinkon Edo <\/span>Sake<\/span>\u00a0\u014cji<\/span>, <\/span>is the drink<\/span> with a personality<\/span> that<\/span> sticks<\/span>. <\/span>Brewed<\/span> from rice cultivated in Tokyo<\/span>, <\/span>it<\/span> pours<\/span> dark and malt-like<\/span>, <\/span>with a depth<\/span> that divides opinion. I detect<\/span> pickle<\/span> brine and lactic<\/span> acidity. A bartender<\/span> from Chengdu tells me that<\/span> it<\/span> is<\/span> his favorite, explaining<\/span> that<\/span> it<\/span> reminds<\/span> him of festive family<\/span> gatherings. The contrast in reactions<\/span> is<\/span> fitting: Edo <\/span>S<\/span>ake<\/span>\u00a0\u014cji<\/span> resists<\/span> easy<\/span> categorization<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

A cask of Kinkon at the ICC event. Photo by the author.<\/p><\/div>\n

J\u016bemon<\/span>, <\/span>named for Toshimaya\u2019s<\/span> founder<\/span>, <\/span>occupies a middle<\/span> ground<\/span>. <\/span>Unfiltered and heat-treated<\/span> post-bottling<\/span>, <\/span>it<\/span> carries a faintly<\/span> fruity aroma: banana to<\/span> some<\/span>; <\/span>melon<\/span> to<\/span> others<\/span>. <\/span>Sparkling<\/span> acidity and gentle<\/span> sweetness<\/span> give<\/span> way<\/span> to a sharp umami finish<\/span>. <\/span>J\u016bemon<\/span> takes<\/span> you<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>on a ride, and it rounds out the tasting<\/span> by<\/span> illustrating the range<\/span> possible<\/span> within a single brewery<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although<\/span> these<\/span> brews are products of a modernized<\/span> process, Yoshimura suggests<\/span> that broader innovation is still necessary within the industry as a whole<\/span>, <\/span>beginning<\/span> with<\/span> globally<\/span> oriented<\/span> events<\/span> like<\/span> this<\/span> one. He envisions a future in which sake, like<\/span> wine<\/span>, <\/span>extends<\/span> beyond<\/span> izakayas<\/span> into Western establishments. The evening<\/span> tasting<\/span> reveals at least<\/span> one<\/span> truth: sake is a drink<\/span> that<\/span> takes<\/span> many<\/span> forms<\/span>. <\/span>How<\/span> to<\/span> best<\/span> pair<\/span> it<\/span> with<\/span> cuisine<\/span> remains a question for the wider<\/span> world<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Like<\/span> his<\/span> ancestors, Yoshimura follows the principle of <\/span>fueki<\/span><\/i> ryuk\u014d<\/span><\/i> (<\/span><\/i>\u4e0d\u6613\u6d41\u884c), <\/span>wise<\/span> words<\/span> from Matsuo Bash\u014d<\/span>. <\/span>It<\/span> is<\/span> continuity<\/span> with<\/span> change: for Toshimaya, \u201cpreserving<\/span> what<\/span> should be preserved<\/span>, <\/span>while<\/span> changing<\/span> what<\/span> needs<\/span> to be changed<\/span>.\u201d <\/span>Perhaps<\/span> we<\/span> could<\/span> all<\/span> take a sip of that<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kailyn Huang Center for Japanese Language and Culture (CJL)\u00a0 It was a cold winter night, and an intimate crowd […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":39990,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[95,97],"tags":[84,116],"class_list":["post-40959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en","category-other-en","tag-culture-en","tag-event-report-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/icc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/icc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/icc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/icc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/icc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40959"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/icc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40959\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40961,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/icc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40959\/revisions\/40961"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/icc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/icc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/icc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/icc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}