Sake, Japan's traditional brewed alcoholic drink, has been steadily trending overseas for some time. Sure, the painstakingly crafted rice wine gained a boost last year when the knowledge and skills required for traditional sake-making were recognized by UNESCO as an intangible world heritage asset. But even without the distinction, Japan had seen sake exports climbing steadily.
In 2024, 31,000 kiloliters of sake were transported overseas, up by more than 100% from the previous year. That generated revenue of more than 43 billion yen ($287.9 million at current exchange rates), up 105.8%. Companies like Takara Holdings, an acclaimed sake maker with offshore offices the world over, have seized the opportunity to expand their North American operations and work with European food and beverage companies.
