Sake shelves, labels and seasons explained
Sake shelves, labels and seasons explained
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.
RC-006Retail Culture
What is different about buying sake at a duty-free counter before a flight out of Japan, what to check before you commit, and how this shopping channel compares with buying online or at a neighbourhood shop.
LS-006Labels and Seasons
A plain-language guide to nihonshudo (sake meter value) and san-do (acidity), the two numbers shoppers sometimes see on a sake label, and why they describe method rather than predict taste.
SB-004Shop Basics
A beginner's guide to reading sake shelves using visible cues like label words, bottle size, and regional names.
SB-003Shop Basics
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
How sake shops are organised and how to read what stands on the shelf.
LS
Decoding bottle wording, regional naming and the rhythm of seasonal releases.
RC
How small-shop curation and tasting practice shape craft beverage shopping today.
Pages kept on other stacks, each read before it was listed here and named for what it holds.
