SB-004Shop Basics
How to scan a sake shelf without panic
A beginner's guide to reading sake shelves using visible cues like label words, bottle size, and regional names.
SB-004Shop Basics
- Section
- Shop Basics
- Updated
Sake shelves, labels and seasons explained
Saketen Journal
Saketen Journal is a reading guide to the shelves, labels and seasons of Japanese sake retail. Each article takes one practical question about sake shops and answers it in plain language for newcomers and longtime drinkers.
- 14entries
- 3Section
- Updated
Latest guides
SB-003Shop Basics
What kinds of sake shops exist in Japan
A practical guide to the main types of sake shop in Japan, from tiny neighbourhood liquor stores to department counters, and how their range and advice differ.
SB-003Shop Basics
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- Shop Basics
- Updated
SB-002Shop Basics
Bottle Sizes and Storage Basics to Know Before You Buy
Sake bottle sizes and home storage basics worth knowing. How capacity differs, how to handle a bottle before and after opening, and how to decide what to buy.
SB-002Shop Basics
- Section
- Shop Basics
- Updated
SB-001Shop Basics
Junmai, Ginjo and Other Label Words
Learn what junmai, ginjo, and other sake label terms actually tell you before you taste, with a practical decision checklist for shoppers and enthusiasts.
SB-001Shop Basics
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- Shop Basics
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All entries
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Section
SB
Shop Basics
How sake shops are organised and how to read what stands on the shelf.
LS
Labels and Seasons
Decoding bottle wording, regional naming and the rhythm of seasonal releases.
RC
Retail Culture
How small-shop curation and tasting practice shape craft beverage shopping today.
Elsewhere on the shelf
Entries kept by other desks, each read before it was shelved here.