How to Taste Sake: What the Blue Circles Are For
Look, smell, sip, breathe out, wait. How professionals taste sake, and what the blue rings on the janome cup are really for.
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Arabashiri, Nakadori, Seme: What the Three Parts of One Press Mean
Arabashiri, nakadori and seme name the first, middle and last sake out of one press. Here is what each word means and why none is a grade.
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The Four Types of Sake: A Better Way to Choose Than the Label
Sake sorts into four flavor types: kunshu, soshu, junshu and jukushu. A plain-English guide to what each means and how to choose by taste, not label.
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How to Store Sake at Home Without Ruining It
Store unopened sake cool and dark, keep nama and ginjo in the fridge, and finish an opened bottle within a month. Here is what light and heat do.
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How to Read a Japanese Sake Label, Block by Block
A sake label has a short legal core: ingredients, alcohol, volume and maker. Here is what each block means and which parts are only optional.
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Sake Calories and What Is Actually in the Glass
Sake carries more calories per 100ml than wine, but real serving sizes narrow the gap. Here’s what the official data says and why.
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Japan’s Sake Trade Body Just Turned One Date Into a Nine-Day Festival — Sake News, week of 21 September 2026
Japan’s sake body turned 1 October’s Sake Day into a nine-day festival. Plus a first sake win in Kyoto, and sake events in London and San Francisco.
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GI Kyoto Sake: Granite Water, Fushimi and What the Mark Requires
GI Kyoto, designated 1 October 2025, covers the whole prefecture, not just Fushimi, and allows rice from anywhere in Japan. What the mark guarantees.
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GI Niigata Sake: The Rules Behind Tanrei Karakuchi
GI Niigata, designated 7 February 2022, requires Niigata water and Niigata brewing — but allows rice from anywhere in Japan. What the mark guarantees.
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Nada-Gogo GI: What Japan’s Five Sake Villages Actually Guarantee
The Nada-Gogo GI, designated in 2018, certifies water, rice and place rather than quality. What Japan’s five sake villages actually promise.
