The Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association (*1) ran a booth at FOODEX Japan 
2019, an international food and beverage exhibition held at Makuhari Messe from 
March 5 to 8, 2019. The booth exhibited more than 650 brands of "honkaku shochu 
and awamori," which are national liquors of Japan, and promoted them to both 
domestic and international buyers by offering tasting and various other events.

(Images: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/release/201903254616?p=images)

Although both liquors are as popular as sake in Japan, they are still 
relatively unknown overseas. With the TPP-11 and EPA trade agreements taking 
effect, the country as a whole is taking this opportunity to expand exports of 
these liquors. As part of the activities, the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers 
Association has been working to increase overseas recognition of these liquors 
by various measures, such as holding a competition for hotel bartenders to make 
cocktails with a honkaku shochu or awamori base and collaborating with hotel 
bars in Japan, where foreign tourists tend to visit to drink, with the aim of 
raising awareness of honkaku shochu and awamori among people in other countries.

In the press event for foreign media, Mr. Christopher Pellegrini, a certified 
shochu advisor, talked about their taste and flavor characteristics by 
different ingredients (rice, barley, sweet potato, etc.); differences between 
honkaku shochu and awamori and other distilled liquors from other countries 
(e.g. Soju from Korea); and their pairing with foods, comprehensively 
describing the attractive world of them. The talk was also accompanied by a 
tasting session.

Next, Director Jin Utsunomiya of the association gave a briefing on their 
market trends and overseas expansion strategies, along with case examples, such 
as participating in international spirits festivals and bar events and 
proactively inviting famous mixologists to distillery tours.

Then, participants visited booths run by local producers, tasting them and 
listening to the distilleries describe the characteristics of their products.

Lastly, there was a cocktail show by Ms. Yumi Miyata, winner of last year's 
Honkaku Shochu and Awamori Cocktail Competition, made her award-winning sweet 
potato shochu-based cocktail and offered it to the participants for tasting.

Generally, most distilled liquors are enjoyed as digestives at bars and rarely 
drunk during meals. In Japan, however, they have been commonly enjoyed during 
meals. They are high-quality liquors rich in flavor and aroma of the 
ingredients and koji (malt).

The Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association is endeavoring to spread them 
around the world, made with regional-specific traditional methods as part of a 
collaborative project among breweries and manufacturers' associations from 
different areas by, for example, receiving a Geographical Indication (GI) brand 
(*2) and launching and developing Regional Collective Trademark brands (*3). By 
promoting them along with these valuable brands, the association believes that 
it can persuade the world that every honkaku shochu variety under the name of a 
made-in-Japan brand is of high quality.

(*1) The Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association is a liquor industry 
association with members consisting of makers of the national liquors of Japan, 
including sake, honkaku shochu and awamori. The association has been making 
efforts to boost the consumption of these liquors and promotes them both within 
and outside Japan, and as part of efforts it participates in FOODEX Japan every 
year.
 
(*2) Geographical Indications (GI): A geographical indication is a mark used on 
a product, specifying its geographical origin and showing quality and/or 
reputation that are derived from that origin. GI products are certified by the 
national government and protected as intellectual properties among WTO member 
countries. Typical examples of GI products include "Champagne," "Bordeaux wine" 
and "Scotch whiskey." Iki Shochu, Kuma Shochu and Ryukyu Awamori are specific 
GI products of honkaku shochu and awamori. 

(*3) Regional Collective Trademark brands: Under this system, a locally 
developed product that uses the name of its geographical region is protected as 
a nationally certified regional brand within Japan registered with the Japan 
Patent Office. It applies to Hakata Shochu, Oita Mugi Shochu, Miyazaki Honaku 
Shochu and Amami Kokuto Shochu. 


SOURCE: Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association