I ran into Mr. Terasawa and his team at Summer JFEX 2026. What caught my eye was something that I had believed was Japanese plum wine. It wasn’t, exactly. The second thing I noticed was the curious logo, a dog wearing an umeboshi hat. Okay, plausible: almost anything goes these days. Then, there was the … Continue reading The Dog That Put the Boshi (Hat) into Umeboshi: Baidog Umeboshi Liqueur →

For those of a certain age, especially in the United States, knowledge and appreciation of Tequila is pretty much confined to shot glasses, Sunrises and Margaritas, and that afterthought of an instrumental from the 1950s by The Champs entitled “Tequila,” of course. The subject is far more interesting than a catchy tune and a couple … Continue reading Galindo’s Tequila: Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo →

Adding to Monaco’s cachet is its association with the most haute of cinematic icons to grace the silver screen or its tiny handheld counterpart—James Bond. This linkage owes its existence to the construction of the Casino de Monte Carlo in 1878 by Charles III. Personally, I have never been a big fan of public-works projects, … Continue reading Casino Cachet →

The status quo here is status; i.e., prestige. The Principality of Monaco has an international image that is unmistakably haute. Its name exudes luxury, discernment, and quality of the highest caliber. Given those indisputable facts, let us now consider what some of its citizens are doing with Japan’s national beverage. Well, how does the Monaco … Continue reading I’ll Be Your Mirror: Monaco Reflects Japan’s Finest, Part 2 →

Looking in a Mirror, Vigee Le Brun In the previous entries I have emphasized the importance of looking inward to facilitate the selling of sake to Japanese, but sometimes it is advisable to look outward in order to look in. This concept may best be understood by considering the opening lines of the Velvet Underground’s … Continue reading I’ll Be Your Mirror: Monaco Reflects Japan’s Finest, Part 1 →

Drinking Sake, Hokusai & Sakata Well, what have we learnt so far? First, as the downside of globalization becomes better known by the various publics that have experienced its negative impact on their lives, there will be greater respect and fondness for the national/local. This should galvanize sake breweries, sake retailers, and trade organizations to … Continue reading Advertising for a New Age →

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall This entry will not explore the phenomenon of declining domestic sake sales in great depth, nor will it contain the citations and academic references that characterize many of my blog entries. Anecdotal evidence suggests that in Japan the drinking of nihon-shu carries unwanted baggage for some Japanese youth. In short, … Continue reading Insurmountable Image Problem?: Hardly! →