Kenbishi, Japan’s oldest sake brand, leans into tradition to revive the drink’s popularity
Kenbishi Sake Brewing uses traditional methods and equipment to make drinks it believes will become trendy again
Although Japan’s sake industry is facing a crisis thanks to falling domestic consumption, Kenbishi – the country’s oldest sake brand – remains unbending in its commitment to the old ways, seeing it as the best guarantor of quality.
At the brewery of Kenbishi Sake Brewing in the Japanese city of Kobe, a bottle of sake is set on the table in the dining room to accompany the staff evening meal. In the kitchen, more sake is warmed in kettles.
Tradition is everything – brewing always takes place during the winter season. Starting in October, 60 brewers stay on-site for six months, eating together in the dining room. By season’s end, they will have consumed around 1,500 bottles of sake, according to Shirakashi.
The consumption of sake is in decline across Japan. Drinking habits are changing, particularly among the young. In 2022, sake consumption had dropped to less than a third of its peak in the early 1970s, according to data from the National Tax Agency of Japan.