Sake World NFT, the world's first NFT marketplace exclusively for sake, was finally launched on December 2023, 12. The trigger for a Kyoto publisher to start a new business called sake x NFT was an encounter with aged sake.
From the time the business was conceived, there were many questions: Why sake? Why NFT?
A conversation between Sake World NFT business manager Hama and Kyoto Matsui Sake Brewery CEO Jiemon Matsui to understand the concept and business details of Sake World NFT!

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Matsui Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. Representative Director and President Jiemon Matsui, XNUMXth generation

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Located in Demachiyanagi, Kyoto, this is the oldest sake brewery in Rakuchu, founded in 11. In 1726, he joined his family's Matsui Sake Brewery. After training as a sake brewer in Fushimi, he became president and representative director in 2006. With the theme of tradition and innovation, they brew ``Kagura Kagura'' and ``Fuji Chitose.''

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Leaf Publications Co., Ltd. Managing Director and Vice President Hiroyoshi Hama

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Born in Osaka. He is a graduate of the University of Tokyo Faculty of Engineering/The University of Tokyo Law School. Since 2014, he has been working as a lawyer in large-scale disputes involving listed companies, M&A, shareholder meetings, etc. Since 2020, he has overseen all of Leaf Publications' media, alcohol, etc. businesses.

Hama　“SAKE WORLD NFT” started on December 2023, 12. We at Leaf Publications Co., Ltd. have been publishing Kyoto's local information magazine "Monthly Leaf" for 13 years, and we have held many food-related events to enliven Kyoto, but we are particularly focused on sake. I have put it in. However, as all food events have been canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, we are desperately trying to find ways to provide essential support that will directly increase sales and improve value for the sake industry in addition to holding events. , the idea was "SAKE WORLD NFT".

The outline of "SAKE WORLD NFT" is as follows: 2) Users can age and freeze their own sake 2) It can be distributed secondary within the NFT market 4) Royalties from the increase in value through secondary distribution go to the sake brewery XNUMX) Sake breweries have crowd fans There are four points: to provide an environment where people can use the brewery for drinking purposes and try new ways to make sake.

Click here for Sake World NFT MarketplaceSake World NFT

1. A bottle of aged sake sparked an idea

Hama　In fact, what got me started was Matsui Sake Brewery's aged sake ``Ikutose.'' The first time I met Mr. Matsui was...
(I.e.　How many years ago was that? "Assemblage Club(*) Is it time to start up?
Hama　Greetings at that time.
(I.e.　Yes, I remember that day.
Hama　I had never tried aged sake before, but when I tried it here for the first time, I thought, ``Ah, it's delicious!''
(I.e.　Thank you smile).
Hama　I was impressed and realized that sake has great potential for aging. That's what gave me the idea for this business.
(I.e.　It's a great honor. thank you.
Hama　With the consumption of sake declining, how can we support sake breweries? When I thought about what I could do to make myself want to buy it, I realized that it was aged sake. Wouldn't it be great if you could see for yourself how the taste changes and matures over time and year after year? Moreover, if we create an environment where sake can be given as a gift or given between individuals, the number of people who drink it and enjoy it will increase, and the distribution of sake will increase. That's how I got started.
(*)Assemblage Club/ A sake assemblage (blend) project realized with the cooperation of Masuda Tokubei Shoten, Kitagawa Honke, and Matsui Sake Brewery. Currently, you can enjoy it at a limited number of restaurants.

2. minus 5 degreesSub-zero agingThis will add depth to your sake.

(I.e.　Would you like to have a bite?
Hama　It's amazing...it's very deep. What I think is distinctive is the scent. I have had more opportunities to drink various types of aged sake, but I feel that the aromas of the ones that have been aged at room temperature or heated can be too strong for a beginner like me. Some people like that, but I'm more of the type who likes the aroma of raw sake, and I feel like it lingers to some extent with a faint aroma. However, I was impressed by how deep the flavor was.
(I.e.　That's exactly what I was aiming for (lol). There are various ways to age sake, and the common method is to pasteurize it once and then let it age in a quiet room at around 1 degrees Celsius.This method makes it a grain-based liquor, so it is often used for Shaoxing sake in China. It's getting closer. I think it's a delicious drink, but I really wanted to preserve the Japanese sake flavor. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to experiment with various things, and I decided to leave the raw sake in a room at minus 15 degrees Celsius where it can be aged for 5 years, resulting in Ikusai. We have created an interesting type of sake that has been aged while retaining its Japanese-like character, so we are offering it for tasting only here (at the Matsui Sake Brewery store) for everyone to try.

Hama    You mentioned that it is aged in a room at -5 degrees Celsius, but why is it set at that temperature?
(I.e.　In the case of raw Japanese sake, basically if you keep it at that temperature, it won't ripen excessively, and it will mature slowly. For a sake brewery like ours that primarily produces unfiltered unprocessed sake, it is important to maintain a low-temperature environment. As a result of various experiments, I found that at minus 5 degrees Celsius, the product stays in good condition for a long time without much off-flavor, so I keep my refrigerator at that temperature for long-term storage.
Hama　The ice-cold warehouse where we store the sake entrusted to us at "SAKE WORLD NFT" is also set at -5 degrees Celsius. I'm sorry to say this, but it's a complete imitation of Mr. Matsui (lol). However, I visit various sake breweries and listen to their stories about the importance of temperature control for sake and the commitment they make to sake brewing.

3. The fun of aged sake is to drink it while thinking about the past years.

Hama"SAKE WORLD NFT" can be stored for up to 25 years, but what do you think the aged sake will taste like after 25 years?
(I.e.　We're only 8 years old, so I might be embarrassed to talk about the future (lol), but I'm sure the edges will be removed and the sake will be round, and I think the person who will be drinking it will be the one who will drink it, not the machine. Since it is drunk by humans, it will be drunk while thinking about the past 25 years. I think it will make the taste even more special. The unfiltered raw sake we make is a race against time. I think I'll be able to enjoy it within a month. If this type of alcohol has a future of 1, 5, or 10 years, I feel like time will be on my side this time, which will be fun, and I think there will be a lot of possibilities.

Hama　I would also like to try Matsui's sake at Sake World NFT.
(I.e.　Well, many of our sakes, such as Junmai Sake and Junmai Daiginjo, have fruity aromas, so we would like to see how they develop over time. I want to serve that kind of alcohol.
Hama　Sorry for sounding like an advertisement (lol)

4. Royalty income supports sake breweries

Hama　Once again, please introduce Matsui Sake Brewery.
(I.e.　We were founded in 1726 in the town of Kasumi in northern Hyogo Prefecture. I moved to Kyoto in the late Edo period and first brewed sake in Takeyamachi, Kawaramachi, but in the Taisho era, when the streetcar came through and the road was widened, I moved to this location. Ta. Furthermore, about 40 years ago, the Keihan Electric Railway was scheduled to extend its line to Demachiyanagi and go underground, and there was a possibility that if there was major underground construction, the well water would no longer come out or the quality of the water would change. It was around the same time that sales of sake were declining, and the sake brewing business here was temporarily closed during my grandfather's generation.
After that, when I graduated from university in Tokyo, my father, the current chairman, told me to come back because he was going to revive Matsui Sake Brewery here. At that time, I didn't know anything about sake, so I went back to Fushimi and trained there. The brewery was revived 14 years ago.
Hama　What did you think when you were asked about the “SAKE WORLD NFT” business?
(I.e.　I've always been interested in NFTs, and I thought this looked interesting and would definitely like to participate. I think there were two answers for us (lol).
Hama　Thank you smile).
What do you think about this system, where sake breweries receive royalties when the value of alcohol increases through secondary distribution?
(I.e.　The current thinking is that the resale of sake is not allowed due to liquor licenses, but with NFTs, that has been cleared, and we are now witnessing a change in the times, with people asking, ``Now, what will happen from now on?'' . It's fun to be able to see the changes from the best seats.

Hama　thank you. I was worried about how sake breweries would react to the fact that the conventional rule of not being able to sell sake without a liquor sales license would now be possible through interpersonal transactions and secondary distribution through the introduction of NFTs. . From a different perspective, I think that the price of Japanese sake is lower than other alcoholic beverages. By adding the added value of aging and generating royalties from secondary distribution, sake breweries can create another source of income. At the stage of putting together the business, I was concerned about how much of this would be beneficial to the sake breweries and what they would think.
(I.e.　Not just us, there are many Kansai merchants who have been taught the virtue of ``selling good products at low prices'' while growing up. Recently, when sake is expanding overseas, people often say, ``You should add more value and sell it at a higher price,'' but that's the thing I'm weakest at and the most difficult thing to do. So when I was thinking about what to do with it, I ended up cutting the bottle into a faceted piece or turning it into a Venetian glass. It is interesting that adding value can be done naturally by using NFT. There are many sake breweries that aren't afraid of change and can enjoy it, so I think they'll be more than happy to participate.

5. Sake crosses borders with “SAKE WORLD NFT”

(I.e.　What kind of people are expected to use "SAKE WORLD NFT"?
Hama　Just as wine is drunk by people all over the world, I think sake has the same potential, so I think the key is to make the situation global. The advantage of NFT format is that it can be purchased by people all over the world and can be globalized, so I hope it becomes a system to promote sake beyond national borders.
(I.e.　What kind of alcohol would be interesting to exhibit?
Hama　It's interesting when sake comes out that shows off the characteristics of the sake brewery. We want everyone to recognize or understand the "SAKE WORLD NFT" business, and we ask breweries to make alcohol that they think would be interesting to use on this system. I think that's what's interesting about this market. We would appreciate it if Matsui Sake Brewery could continue to cooperate with us.
(I.e.　of course! I feel like people are discovering new aspects of sake. It's a completely different field than what we've been working on so far, so it's really fun to be able to do new things there. There is a phrase "second founding", and I think it will be something as impactful as that. We would like to do our best so that more and more people can enjoy our sake, so that the value of Japanese sake continues to increase.