Sake Labels: Terms and Indications
The terms on a sake label are defined by the Japanese tax laws and include mandatory as well as optional elements:
Mandatory elements on sake labels are ingredients, production date, storage/serving hints, country of origin, producer name, producer address, container volume, sake indication, alcohol percentage, and underage drinking warnings.
Among the optional sake label elements are various production-related terms like “Namazake” (unpasteurized sake), the region of origin, and the storage/aging period.
Sake Label Structure
Most sake bottles have a front label with basic information like the brand name and sake category. In some rare cases the front label does not include text, but only illustrations. In that case, all the mandatory information outlined in the following must be provided on the back-label.
What needs to go on a sake label is defined in the “酒類業組合法” Alcohol Industry Law which is managed by the National Tax Agency of Japan.
What elements are mandatory on a sake bottle label?
The following elements are defined by the Japanese alcohol law as mandatory items on each sake label:
Ingredients: all ingredients used to make the sake have to be listed (except for water). In the case of premium sake, the polishing ratio together with the sake rice has to be provided on the sake label.
Production date: at least the production year and month have to be provided. For containers smaller than 300ml the dates can be abbreviated with just the numbers. Interestingly, you cannot find a best-before-date on sake bottle labels. For sake that is stored at the brewery for some time the date when the sake is released from the brewery is the date, you can find on the sake labels.
Storage and drinking hints: for example in the case of unpasteurized sake (“Namazake”) the brewery must provide storage and serving tips, like storing the sake in the fridge and consuming the sake as quickly as possible after opening it.
Country of origin: for sake products that are imported from other countries to Japan, the country of origin is mandatory. When both Japanese sake and sake that are produced outside of Japan are used, the foreign country and the mixing ratio have to be indicated.
Brewery name: the official company name of the producing sake brewery cannot miss on every sake label.
Brewery address: the brewery address is also mandatory.
Bottle size: the sake bottle size can also be found on every sake label. Here one can often see 1.8l on big sake bottles, 720ml and 300ml written on smaller sake bottles.
Sake indication: it seems to be straight-forward, but on the sake label the product category, either “清酒” (Seishu = Refined Sake) or “日本酒” (Nihonshu = Japanese Sake), must be indicated. This helps the consumer to separate sake-based liquors or other similar product categories like “濁酒” (Doburoku = Unfiltered Sake) from the actual Nihonshu products.
Alcohol percentage: as an alcoholic beverage the alcohol percentage of the sake must be also provided on the sake label. Sometimes you might see ranges of alcohol percentage e.g. 15-16% on the label. Since April 2011 it is allowed to have a deviation of 1% to the actual alcohol percentage. For a 15% sake, the brewery could choose to write 14%, 15%, and 16% on the sake label. This is due to the fact that the alcohol level might slightly change over the course of time.
Underage drinking note: on all labels, you will find small notes regarding the consumption of alcohol above the legal drinking age. For example “お酒は二十歳になってから” which stands for “Alcohol is for people over 20 years old” is commonly seen on sake bottles.
What elements are optional on a sake bottle label?
There are also some optional elements that you will often find on sake labels. Most of them are related to certain production steps along the sake brewing process and can be displayed depending on certain conditions.
Rice type: when over 50% of one rice variant is used, the rice type name and the usage ratio can be shown on the sake label. On some bottles, you might find for example “100% Yamadanishiki”.
Region of origin: when everything of the sake is produced in one region, the production region is also optional. For blended sake that is made up of different sake from different regions, this is not possible.
Storage years: if the sake is stored for more than 1 year at the brewery, the storage duration can be indicated in full years. If the sake is a blend of different years, the youngest sake defines the displayable storage duration on the sake label.
Dilution: during post-processing in some cases, water is added to the sake. When the sake is not slightly adjusted by adding water, the brewery can show this on the label with “原酒” (Genshu = Undiluted Sake).
Pasteurization: during post-processing in most cases sake is pasteurized in order to stabilize the sake. For unpasteurized sake, you can find “生酒” (Namazake = Unpasteurized Sake) on the label.
Unpasteurized storage: for sake that has been stored unpasteurized at the brewery and then ultimately pasteurized when releasing it from the brewery is called “生貯蔵” (Namachozou = Unpasteurized Stored Sake).
Cask sake: a specialty sake is “樽酒” (Taruzake = Cask Sake). Here the sake is stored in wooden casks (traditionally made out of Japanese cedar), which give the sake a unique aroma and flavor profile.
Quality indications: in order to differentiate sake bottles within one brand from the same brewer there is the possibility to give the consumer indications about the sake’s quality and use words like superior or premium.
Awards: sake awards are a common practice in the sake industry. If the brewery has received an award or certificate for the sake, they can display it on the sake label to help to promote the sake towards the consumer.
Beyond the above-mentioned sake label elements, there are various other optional things that can be found on sake labels. The brand name and the premium sake category are also optional elements. Some breweries tend to provide sake enthusiasts with more detailed product specifications like the Sake Meter Value, acidity, yeast type, or koji type among others.
What elements are not allowed on a sake bottle label?
In general, any language and phrases that could mislead the consumer are not allowed. Expressions like “The best” or “The representative”, which indicate the ultimate product compared to other breweries are one example. Advertising pretending to have the accreditation of an official institution and the alike (Royal warrant of appointment) is also forbidden. Lastly, for sake not in the premium category one cannot use similar expressions of which are used for the premium categories.
Sake Label Design
What needs to be taken into consideration for exporting sake?
There are two options to go with. One is to stay with the Japanese sake labeling and just stick a secondary label with the necessary local information on top. It is important to check beforehand what changes are necessary and what information might be added to the label to conform with the local alcohol (food & beverage) laws & regulations. In some countries a special trade number becomes necessary and in other countries, there might be only the importer's name and some contact information required.
Another option is to make an export-exclusive sake back-label, which conforms with the local regulations and is applied directly by the brewery in Japan before shipping the sake bottles out. Here it is helpful to add tasting notes, details about the brewer, and other helpful information in the local language so that the consumer can understand the product better by studying the back-label.
What sake categories can I put on the label?
The above-mentioned mandatory and optional sake label indication rules are not binding outside of Japan. The rules are stated in the Japanese Alcohol Tax Laws and are not applicable to other countries. In each country, the local regulations around selling & promoting alcoholic beverages apply. Therefore, it is possible to name and categorize sake differently compared to the Japanese standard. Nevertheless, most sake is sold with the Japanese standard terms like “Junmai” or “Daiginjo” for branding and marketing purposes.
In another article, we have described the difference between private label and white label sake and how having an own sake product out there can become possible. Read more here.
