EDITORIAL
Alcohol is a cure for all ailments.
TRADITIONAL JAPANESE PROVERB
WELCOME TO
THE WONDERFUL
WORLD OF SAKE
I was born into sake. My grandfather was part of a cooperative of sake makers in Akita
prefecture and my family had been brewing sake since 1655 - for more than three and a
half centuries, which is an incredible legacy. However, I didn’t always have a passion for
sake. Growing up, it was never really a part of my life. In Japan it seemed nobody under
the age of 35 drunk it, and I didn’t feel connected to it. It wasn’t until my early twenties
when I brought some friends from the American university I was studying at to visit my
family brewery in Akita that I suddenly realised how special sake was.
After my studies, I returned to Japan and started working in a company in Tokyo, in one
of the city’s many office blocks. I might have remained in the corporate world of business
had my grandfather not fallen ill. Although he has now recovered, his illness prompted
me to reflect on the ‘incredible legacy’ that my grandfather was protecting. He was always
so proud of his sake; it was something very special that had been passed down over all
those years. And I started to think about what would happen if all that was to be lost.
I therefore trained in sake, and have been working in this wonderful world. In September
2009 I moved to the UK in order to heighten my understanding of the overseas sake
market, and improve the understanding of sake abroad. I worked as head sake sommelier
at ROKA in London before setting up Museum of Sake in 2012.
The front cover shows the family of ‘sake’ kanji characters which consist of 酉 (tori) symbols,
that signify traditional sake carafes. There are 62 kanji characters with these symbols,
and each of them tells stories of historical sake relationships with medicine, currency,
and many more. This shows the depth of sake culture and how it has deep connections
with Japanese everyday life.
Our key aims are to dispel misconceptions, enthuse people about sake and devise new
ways of enjoying sake that will get British drinkers and foodies excited. It is with great
pleasure then that I introduce you to the Museum of Sake Journal - our new quarterly
publication that I hope will instil in you as much passion about sake as I have. Kampai!
NATSUKI KIKUYA
DIRECTOR & CURATOR, MUSEUM OF SAKE
MUSEUM OF SAKE JOURNAL 3