Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association | JSS
The Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association (JSS) is excited to announce the continuous increase in the growth of sake export in the 2022 (January to December) calendar year. The total value of sake export reached 47.492 billion JPY, once again surpassing the total of the previous year for the 13th consecutive year. In addition, the total volume of sake export achieved a record-high of 35,895 KL (Reference: Trade Statistics of Japan)
By country, China ranked 1st in contributing the most in total export value. Closely followed by the USA and Taiwan in 2nd and 3rd respectively. The top 3 countries accounted for 67.8% of the global total.
Furthermore, the growth rate of export value significantly exceeded the growth rate of export volume. The average export price per liter has doubled when compared to 10 years prior with trends showing a continuous increase in the popularity of exports of premium sake of a higher price range.
Reference: Trade Statistics of Japan.
China continued to rank first in export value by country, with approximately 14.16 billion JPY (137.8% increase year-over-year). The growth in China can be attributed to the continuous growth in the popularity of sake among younger generations and the upper class as a ‘high-end’ alcoholic beverage.
The USA continued to rank 1st in the total volume of export with 9,084 KL (102.9% increase year-over-year) and ranked 2nd in the total value of export with approximately 10.93 billion JPY.
Furthermore, record-high growth in export value can be seen in the majority of countries such as the total value of export in South Korea growing to 2.52 billion JPY (167.9% increase year-over-year) ranking 4th as an example.
In Southeast Asia, the Japanese sake market is expanding rapidly with export value increasing in countries such as Malaysia (187.5% year-over-year), Vietnam (236.6% year-over-year), and Thailand (201.7% year-over-year). With the continuous popularity of Japan with inbound visitors from Southeast Asia, the market is expected to grow even further in the future.
In Europe, the export value of sales continues to steadily grow to reach 25.51 billion JPY (125.3% year-over-year). Through the promotion of Japanese sake at globally renowned liquor trade fairs and events in France and Germany, JSS aims to further support the expansion and growth of the market.
Unit: Thousand JPY
Unit: Liters
Stretching from 2021, the export price of sake per liter is continuously increasing. When compared to the average export price of 633.0 JPY 10 years ago (2021), the price has more than doubled to 1,323.1 JPY in 2022. Currently, the value of exports exceeds 10% of the value of domestic shipments.
This trend can be attributed to a variety of factors driven by the revitalization of the economy such as the reopening and the increasing number of Japanese restaurants globally (approximately 159,000 restaurants globally in 2021), the widespread use of refrigerated shipping management ensuring quality preservation, and the increase in recognition of sake outside of Japanese restaurants as a high-quality versatile drink.
The export market in the USA, China, Korea, and Southeast Asia is expanding after the economic recovery from the Covid 19 pandemic. In addition, Canada can be seen as growing both in export volume and value.
Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand showed remarkable growth rates in both volume and value. Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, where high-priced sake is favored, are expected to be a market in which further market growth potential is projected.
JSS established a partnership with the Association of Sommeliers International (ASI) in 2022. Through this partnership, JSS participated in ASI events such as the Asia & Oceania Region Bootcamp in Malaysia. Most recently, the ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2023 was held in Paris between February 7th and 12th. JSS will continue to focus efforts on raising awareness of Japanese sake to the world’s most influential sommeliers in the gastronomy field. JSS hopes that their influence will further spread the joy of sake around the world.
Global Expo and Events
・Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris: February 13th to 15th, 2023.
・ProWein: March 19th to 21st, 2023.
Global Events and Seminars (For General Public)
・Food ＆Wine Classic in Aspen, USA: July 17th to 19th, 2022.
・Sake Future Summit 2022 (Online Event): January 8th and January 11th, 2023)
Global Events and Seminars (For Professionals)
・ASI Boot Camp Asia & Oceania 2022 in Malaysia: September 12th to 14th, 2022.
・Sake Master Class in Australia 2023: January 9th to 11th, 2023.
・ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2023 (Paris): February 7th to 12th, 2023.
Japan Sake and Shochu Information Center:
https://japansake.or.jp/sake/en/jss/information-center/
Sakagura Search
https://japansake.or.jp/sakagura/en/
Kokushu Digital Museum:
https://kokushu-museum.com/en/
