The "World Expo, Japan" (Osaka-Kansai Expo (hereinafter referred to as Expo)) will be held from April 2025 to October 4, 13.
One of the main features of the event is that pavilions from all over the world are exhibiting, introducing the cultures of each country. In addition, it is a rare opportunity to showcase Japan's latest technology and attract attention from overseas.

During the event, a large number of inbound (foreign tourists) visitors are expected, which is likely to have a major impact on not only the venue, Yumeshima, Osaka, but also on surrounding tourist spots. Although positive ripple effects are expected, measures must be taken. Kobe Shushinkan in Hyogo Prefecture held a press conference to explain the specific initiatives it is taking.

Japan's best sake producing region in a quiet town

Kobe Shushinkan is well known internationally, as its flagship brand "Fukuju" is provided for official Nobel Prize events. At its headquarters in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, its directly managed stores, such as the brewery shop "Toumeigura" and the brewery restaurant "Sakabayashi," are popular tourist spots.
The head office is located in Mikage-go, on the west side of Nadagogo, Japan's number one sake-producing region, in a quiet area of ​​Kobe city, which boasts a population of nearly 150 million.

The nearest station is Ishiyagawa Station on the Hanshin line. Kobe Shushinkan is about a 10-minute walk south.
By the way, only local trains stop at Ishiyagawa. The next station, Mikage, is the station where the fastest direct express train stops, but this station is located in the middle of a curve, and there is a large gap between the train and the platform inside the station, so it is a "difficult spot" where you need to be careful of where you step.
Heading south from the station, there is the factory of Kobe Steel, a major steel manufacturer, and beyond that is the sea. Although the traffic volume on the Harbor Highway is high, from my perspective as someone who used to live along the highway, I would say that access is not good.

Despite this, Kobe Shushinkan is one of the top tourist spots in the Japanese sake industry. This announcement is likely to have a significant impact, and many representatives from major media, including local media, attended the event.

The ultimate in local production and consumption

The first person to take the stage was President and CEO Takenosuke Yasufuku, who began by proposing the concept of "sustainability transformation."
A literal translation would be "transformation towards sustainability," but according to Yasufuku, he would like to apply it to the two axes of "sake" and "tourism."

As for sake, they aim to cooperate with local farmers in brewing. Hyogo Prefecture is a major producer of Yamada Nishiki rice, which is suitable for sake brewing, and they are already practicing sake brewing using Miyamizu water.
Yasufuku wants to take his approach one step further. In addition to using 100% locally produced materials, he plans to also work in areas such as renewable energy and recycling sake bottles.
This could be called the ultimate in local production for local consumption, and as a first step, they have announced "Fukuju Mirai e no Hitotsuki" (A Drop for the Future), which uses 100% organic JAS-certified rice from Hyogo Prefecture. It is a sharp, dry sake brewed using a method that reduces the environmental impact.

Each "special experience"

Yasufuku went on to describe the company's strengths as its "brand value" and "attractiveness as a tourist facility." This is backed by Fukuju's international reputation and the fact that its restaurant, Sakabayashi, located within the building, is ranked highly in the popularity rankings of sake brewery restaurants, and is backed by a solid track record.

The highlight of this initiative is the renovation of the popular spot "Tominagakura," which has over 2000 reviews on Google. The following five points are the focus of the project.
(1) Improving visitor comfort
(2) Considerations for beginners
(3) Enhanced multilingual support
(4) Limited-edition products unique to sake breweries
(5) Utilizing digital technology

What is particularly noteworthy here is (3) the extensive multilingual support.
Kobe Shushinkan previously had two staff members who could speak foreign languages, but they have now increased their staff, meaning they can now provide service in English, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, and Portuguese.
By the way, there are leaflets at the entrance that are translated into 16 languages. The increased staffing and consideration for beginners, which has been brought about by the facility's global perspective, can be said to be the result of this.

As part of broadening the base, they are also working to make the product more premium. According to Yasufuku, starting this spring, they will be releasing a tour product that combines a tour of a sake brewery with a Japanese cuisine experience.

There are two plans: the "Premium Ginjo Experience," which combines tasting with an English guide and kaiseki cuisine, and the "Luxury Daiginjo Experience," which uses the highest quality Fukuju sake and the local specialty Kobe beef. They are offered for 2 yen and 3 yen, respectively.
The plan is a result of the brewery's efforts to materialize its "specialness" following the registration of "traditional sake brewing" as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO at the end of last year. This plan was created in collaboration with "by food," a gourmet platform for inbound tourists, and reservations can only be made through the website.

At first glance, this may seem like a fairly challenging endeavor, but on the other hand, it is expected that the attributes of the inbound tourists who will be coming to Japan for the Expo will be very diverse. This means that the special experiences that will be offered will need to have a certain "breadth."
Kobe Shushinkan's approach of aiming to increase visitor numbers by expanding multilingual support while also creating loyal customers from those visitors makes sense in an inbound market that has now reached 8 trillion yen.

Sake / Sake

After Mr. Yasufuku's presentation, Vice President Mr. Kubota took to the stage. Multilingual staff also took to the stage and gave speeches in various languages.

My Sake World, a facility that allows visitors to experience making their own original blended sake, recently opened in Kyoto City and now offers services in English as well as Japanese. In a way, this is a natural move for Kyoto, one of the world's leading tourist destinations.
However, Kobe Shushinkan offers service in five languages, which is more than the number of languages ​​spoken. Although the methods of providing the service differ, this is not an easy task from the perspective of securing personnel.

After Miss SAKE 2024 Grand Prix winner Yuri Minami finished her speech, Yasufuku returned to the stage for a commemorative photo. From there, the group moved to Tomei Brewery, which is scheduled to reopen the next day (March 2025, 3).
In a corner of the museum that was unveiled early, the digital technology introduced by Yasufuku could be seen.

Named "KAORIUM for Sake & Wine," it implements everything from attributes such as taste and mood to occasions such as gift demand. After tapping and answering the questions that appear, the system will ultimately introduce recommended brands. Diagnostic functions have existed for some time, but it will be interesting to see how visitors will react to using AI functions to guide them to specific sakes.

The multilingual staff also served good fortune.
This time, the event was aimed at members of the press, so support was provided in Japanese, but it is likely that in future the event will be more international in nature.

Kobe Shushinkan, or Fukuju, is one of the most prominent sake breweries in the Nada Gogo region. However, there are many other prestigious sake breweries in the area, including Hakutsuru, Kikumasamune, Sakuramasamune, and Sawanotsuru. The area is one of the most competitive areas for sake in Japan.
As sake has evolved from a mass product into a luxury item, sake breweries can no longer survive by simply producing and selling sake.

In this context, Kobe Shushinkan's approach will be one to watch in the future, both within Nada, in inbound tourism strategies, and above all within the sake industry.