Evolving Through Setbacks: A Sake Company Shows the Way

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When I was invited to try Dassai sake brewed in New York, it was an offer I couldn't refuse, coming from one of Japan's most renowned brands. I'd like to say I boarded a flight to Manhattan, but instead, I went to a tasting event in an izakaya just a short walk from Tokuyama Station in Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

The event, held for local liquor shops and media representatives, took place ahead of the domestic release of Dassai's American-brewed sake. The sake went on sale in Japan on August 1.

In June, the company changed its name from Asahi Shuzo to Dassai and set an ambitious goal of ¥100 billion JPY (about $680 million USD) in annual sales, roughly five times its current revenue. The company declared its aim to become a truly global brand.

From Yamaguchi to New York

At the heart of that plan is the New York brewery, which opened in September 2023. It produces Dassai Blue, a sake crafted for international markets using local water and Yamadanishiki rice.

"This sake was created with the hope that it will one day surpass Dassai brewed in Japan," said Chairman Hiroshi Sakurai, 74. "But it isn't finished yet. What matters most is that it continues to evolve so more and more people can enjoy it."

Why hold the event in Yamaguchi rather than Tokyo? When asked, Sakurai explained, "I wanted this sake to spread across Japan starting from liquor shops here in Yamaguchi."

After all, it was in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, that Dassai first created the Junmai Daiginjo, which put the brand on the world stage. For Sakurai, it also seemed like a way of returning to his roots — embracing change, taking risks, and refusing to grow complacent.

'A Glimpse of the Future'

And how did the sake measure up? Attendees noted aromas of "apple, pineapple, and nuts," a flavor that was "clear yet complex," and "a glimpse of the future of sake brewing in the United States." With local shop owners and even an American sake sommelier taking part, the event felt more like a lively wine tasting than a conventional sake launch.

Global interest in sake is also on the rise. In December 2024, UNESCO recognized Japan's traditional sake brewing as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. With enthusiasm for Japanese culture reaching new heights, sake may well be on its way to achieving a status similar to wine.

Learning from Setbacks

Encouraging news for Japan has also come from outside the world of sake. In August, one of the most-read articles on JAPAN Forward reported that the Australian Navy had chosen a Japanese design over a German one for its next-generation vessel.

*Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani (right) meets with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles on the sidelines of a defense forum in Singapore. (©Sankei via Shusuke Takenouchi)*

Japan Secures Landmark Frigate Deal with Australia in Export Breakthrough

With conflicts escalating across the world and China signaling moves to seize the Senkaku Islands in Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, the Indo-Pacific security situation is growing more tense. In this context, Australia's decision was particularly welcome.

Evolving Through Changes

Japan has stumbled in the past with major defense exports, losing bids to supply submarines to Australia, US-2 rescue aircraft to India, and P-1 patrol planes to the United Kingdom.

But, after learning from those setbacks, it succeeded in exporting air defense radars to the Philippines. Now it appears to have broken through with its largest-ever defense equipment deal.

So what is the secret behind these victories? At first glance, sake and defense may seem to have nothing in common. Yet in both cases, success has come by learning and evolving through repeated failures. Put simply, without setbacks, there can be no real progress.

The world is in turmoil. In the midst of it, JAPAN Forward seeks to boldly take on the challenge of creating a new kind of Japanese media, unafraid of failure, as it strives to forge its own path to success.

Watch for the next issue on September 15.

JAPAN Forward is a small media outlet driven by an unparalleled passion to advance the future of Japan and its role in the world. For inquiries, please call 0570-033-433 (Sankei iD) or email us at info@japan-forward.com.