Welcome to Issue#145 of SIN… and Happy World Sake Day!!
For plenty of us, every day feels like Sake Day. Still, October 1st stands apart—it’s the symbolic start of the new brewing season for so many kura across Japan.
It’s also a chance to pause and show gratitude to the countless hands, skills, and traditions that bring sake into our lives. From rice fields to breweries to the glasses we raise, it’s the people who make it all possible.
Around the globe, October 1st has also become a day of gatherings, tastings, and festivals—a reminder of how wide and welcoming the sake community has grown.
So today, as we toast the brewers, let’s not forget to toast ourselves too! Being part of this world of sake—full of craft, connection, and joy—is something worth celebrating.
And now for the news…
Tactical Budgeting Helping Fukushima & Saga
Fukushima- On September 2, Fukushima Prefecture announced a general account supplementary budget proposal totaling JPY4.284 billion. The main pillars of the budget are economic revitalization and response to natural disasters, including support measures for sake breweries affected by the soaring price of rice, The budget has since been submitted to the regular prefectural assembly.
According to the prefecture, the price of this year’s rice is expected to rise by about JPY8000 per 60 kg unit compared to last year’s harvest. To mitigate the impact on sake breweries, the prefecture will invest about JPY217 million in support measures to subsidize part of the cost of purchasing rice as raw materials.
