Sake Nation: “Young Japanese consumers and Japanese Sake ①”
By Kosuke Kuji
In Japan, young consumers drinking less alcohol and sake is seen as a problem. One explanation, however, is that younger generations worldwide are drinking less alcohol in general. While there are several reasons for this trend, I believe this trend is not likely to change anytime soon.
In such circumstances, Japanese sake breweries have been trying over the past decade to entice young Japanese consumers to learn about sake, sample sake, and enjoy sake through various activities.
I would like to introduce several such activities in the next few reports.
First, I introduced this activity in a previous column as well. “Wajowaraku” is a private organization that collaborates with Japanese sake specialty shops and sake breweries to promote and popularize the Japanese sake culture, active under their motto, “from 0 cups to 1 cup.” “ASAKUSA JACK!” is a sake sampling event organized by Wajowaraku that targeted young customers who visited the Asakusa district, held for two consecutive years since the coronavirus pandemic ended. Surprisingly, the number of visitors who sampled sake in one day exceeded 1,000.
The price to participate in the sampling event was set economically for guests not familiar with sake, organized in the Asakusa district in an area with especially many young pedestrians, which helped to educate young people about sake. I was excited to welcome our young participants from the event who later visited our shop to let us know they bought a T-shirt of one of the sake breweries that participated in the event from the UNIQLO store, located in the building just behind the event venue; while another participant told us they were on their way to enjoy sake in a restaurant inside the building. This event made me realize the importance of getting young people to taste and enjoy the flavor of sake.
In such circumstances, Japanese sake breweries have been trying over the past decade to entice young Japanese consumers to learn about sake, sample sake, and enjoy sake through various activities.
I would like to introduce several such activities in the next few reports.
First, I introduced this activity in a previous column as well. “Wajowaraku” is a private organization that collaborates with Japanese sake specialty shops and sake breweries to promote and popularize the Japanese sake culture, active under their motto, “from 0 cups to 1 cup.” “ASAKUSA JACK!” is a sake sampling event organized by Wajowaraku that targeted young customers who visited the Asakusa district, held for two consecutive years since the coronavirus pandemic ended. Surprisingly, the number of visitors who sampled sake in one day exceeded 1,000.
The price to participate in the sampling event was set economically for guests not familiar with sake, organized in the Asakusa district in an area with especially many young pedestrians, which helped to educate young people about sake. I was excited to welcome our young participants from the event who later visited our shop to let us know they bought a T-shirt of one of the sake breweries that participated in the event from the UNIQLO store, located in the building just behind the event venue; while another participant told us they were on their way to enjoy sake in a restaurant inside the building. This event made me realize the importance of getting young people to taste and enjoy the flavor of sake.
酒豪大陸「日本の若者と日本酒①」
日本では若者のアルコール離れ、そして日本酒離れが問題にされて久しいです。しかしこれは世界で見ても、世界の若者はアルコールを飲まなくなっているとの話もあります。
理由は様々あると思いますが、この傾向は今後しばらく変わらないと感じています。
そんな中で、日本酒の蔵元は、この10数年で日本の若者に日本酒を飲んでもらおう、楽しんでもらおう、魅力を知ってもらおうと様々な活動をしています。
そんな活動を数回に分けてお話しします。
まずは、前にもこのコラムで少しだけ紹介したことがある、「0杯を1杯へ」の理念を掲げ、日本の地酒専門酒販店と蔵元がタッグを組んで活動する「和醸和楽」です。コロナが明けてから2年続けて「浅草ジャック！」と銘打ち、浅草に来る若者に対しての試飲会を開催しました。
何と、試飲した人は1日だけで1000人を超えました。
日本酒をあまり知らない人がとても試飲しやすい価格で、しかも浅草で特に若者が多いエリアでの試飲会でしたので、多くの若い方に日本酒を知ってもらう事が出来ました。
うれしかったのは、そのまま会場の後ろのビルにあるユニクロで販売されている酒蔵Tシャツを買ったよ、と店に来てくれたり、ビルの飲食店で日本酒を飲みに行くと言ってくれたり、若者にとって日本酒を飲む経験はとても大事なのだと感じました。