The era where anyone can become a sake creator!
Producer Kenji Kamiyama responds to the concept of [My Sake World]
Sake World, which has expanded the possibilities of sake through new technologies such as web3.0 and NFT, will open an original sake experience facility, My Sake World Oike Bettei, on January 2024, 1. It is an experience-based facility where you can create a one-of-a-kind taste by "blending" multiple brands. Sake World producer Kenji Ueyama answers about My Sake World's vision and goals for 23.

- Proposing new ways to enjoy sake
"Sake World" started its sake business with the catchphrase "Sake to the world."
Starting with sake media, there is "Sake World NFT," which incorporates the latest NFT technology, "Assemblage Club," which proposes new sake blends, and "My Sake World," which will launch in 2025.
"My Sake World" is an experiential facility where you can make your own sake by blending it yourself. By blending the sake yourself, you can customize the taste to your liking and create your own original blended sake, "My Sake." In addition, the recipe for the sake you made with your original blend will be stored on "Sake World NFT" as "My Recipe," so you can order it at any time. The appeal is that there are many ways to enjoy it even after the experience, such as ordering it as a gift for a loved one.
Sake World producer Kenji Kamiyama talks about the concept behind the sake blend, "My Sake World."
*Orders are scheduled for March 2025. As long as the brand of sake used in the blend changes and the brewery has stock.
I spoke to this person

- Leaf Publications Inc. Sake World Producer Kenji Ueyama
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ProfileHe is the producer of Sake World and was selected as the 2024 Mr SAKE Grand Prix winner. He is a certified sake sommelier and is involved in product development for the Assemblage Club as the chief blender.
A facility where anyone can become a sake creator
-Please tell us what we can experience at My Sake World.
Ueyama: "My Sake World is a facility where you can make your very own one-of-a-kind 'My Sake' blend. From the 1 types of sake available, you can choose one primary (your favourite) and two secondary (your second favourite) drinks, for a total of three, and then blend them as you like.
The 40ml blend will be made twice, and the final one will be delivered to your designated address at a later date. The blend recipe will be stored as an NFT, so you can purchase it at any time. This is a facility where anyone can create their own original sake, whether it be to serve at a gathering with family or friends, or to make it as a wedding gift.

12 types of sake to be blended are lined up
-Is it okay if I don't have any knowledge of sake?
Ueyama: "The navigator will provide explanations before blending, so anyone can enjoy the experience. The 12 brands are divided into "ginjo sake" with a fruity aroma, "junmai sake" with a strong umami flavor, "modern sake" with a strong acidity or white wine-like characteristics, and "aged sake". After tasting them all, you can choose the aroma and flavor that you like best.
We will also start with a simple lecture on the basics of sake production and its historical background, so even those who are not familiar with sake can participate with confidence."
-Is there anything that makes it different from a regular sake bar?
Kamiyama: "I won't go into too much detail, but I think what sets us apart is that you can learn a little bit about sake in a systematic way before tasting. At a bar, they won't tell you things like, 'This is the aroma of ginjo.' With just a little knowledge of things like 'rice polishing ratio' and 'yeast,' you can taste the sake as a whole and improve the resolution. By tasting the sake while feeling like you are creating your own creation, you can also experience a creative feeling through the process of blending the sake. The 12 brands we offer will change depending on the season, so you can enjoy the experience of new blends over and over again."
Creating new flavors through blending
-What prompted you to introduce the "blending" experience?
Ueyama: "Originally, we did not have a brewing license, so we could not brew sake from rice. But we still wanted to make our own sake, and came up with the idea of blending existing brands to create a new aroma and flavor. At the time, when sake sales were low due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we thought it would be a waste to let the sake sit dormant, so we considered adding new value and "Assemblage Club" was born. With the cooperation of three long-established sake breweries in Kyoto, we succeeded in creating a new flavor that is unique to blending. None of the breweries had the know-how, so we started out feeling our way around, but recently people have started to pay attention, saying, "It seems that the era of blending sake has arrived." The root of it all was that through the development of "Assemblage Club," we tried it ourselves, and it felt like a science experiment, and it was a lot of fun. We felt the fun, the deliciousness, and the hidden possibilities of blending, and we wanted to share the joy of "making a one-of-a-kind, unique sake" with all sake fans. That's what started it all.

Tools used for blending: measuring volumes with a graduated cylinder and mixing in a flask.
-Is it unusual to blend sake?
"From the Edo period to the present day, blending has been practiced to equalize the flavor of the sake produced in each tank. Some breweries make strict adjustments to the flavor. For example, at Nada's famous sake brewery, Kenbishi, there is a job of blender who mixes multiple sakes together to create the sake. The rich flavor you get when you drink it is the result of the blending."
-Have you ever created a blend that went beyond the boundaries of the brewery?
"In the Edo period, sake breweries delivered the sake they produced to sake shops in barrels. Customers would take a sake bottle, which the sake shop would lend out, and pour sake from the barrel and sell it to them. At that time, the shop owner would sometimes mix the sake to suit the customer's taste. My Sake World is a modern-day version of this process, and it will be an experiential facility where customers can have fun and customize their drink to their liking."
-Was it difficult to get permission to blend with other breweries?
"Actually, that's not the case. When we opened My Sake World, we contacted many sake breweries. As a result, we were able to get permission from most of them. At the time, we received many supportive comments such as, 'That's interesting,' and 'The world of sake will expand.' We currently have permission from about 40 breweries, and we expect that number to increase in the future. I feel that this flexibility will help the sake industry grow even more."
-Why hasn't sake blending become more popular?
"Blending is common in the wine and whiskey industries. In particular, most Champagne and Bordeaux wines are made by blending. Since the quality of the grapes has a big impact on wine, this process is necessary to make the taste uniform in cool regions where the grape quality is unstable. Against this background, it is thought that blending was born out of the instability of the raw liquor.
On the other hand, I think a big part of sake is that the aroma and flavor can be adjusted through sake brewing techniques. Even if the quality of the rice varies from year to year, the toji can create a consistent flavor. One of the distinctive features of sake is that there is no need to blend."
-What are your plans for future store expansion?
Ueyama: "The experience offered by My Sake World can be expanded beyond sake to other alcoholic beverages such as wine and whiskey. Since it's a world where flavor adjustment is done through blending, the expansion itself should proceed smoothly.
As part of the Sake World business, we acquired a sake brewery in Okayama Prefecture in November 2024. We outsource the production of Assemblage Club to the brewery, but as we were unable to keep up with the increase in orders, we decided to handle it in-house. As the brewery has a history of nearly 11 years, we want to retain its DNA while also expanding our functions as a blending brewery, such as accepting orders for recipes created through My Sake World."
The blending experience offered by My Sake World is truly "active drinking." Rather than simply drinking the finished product, there is the fun of creating something with your own hands. It's not difficult to make your favorite dish, but I never thought I'd be able to have a similar experience with sake. As a facility that meets the needs of those who want to "make their favorite sake," this will surely attract a lot of attention from both within Japan and overseas.
By blending, they can carefully consider the aroma and flavor of each brand and discover unexpected aspects that they had not noticed before. My Sake World is a special place where one-of-a-kind bottles can be created, and it is sure to continue adding new value to sake.
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- Become a sake blender today! Original blend sake experience facility from Kyoto [My Sake World Oike Bettei]
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Writer: Yuki Arai
Born in Shiga Prefecture, living in Kyoto City / Sake Master, SAKE DIPLOMA, SAKE certification instructor, Wine expert
Due to his love of alcohol, after graduating from university he got a job at a liquor store in Kyoto. After that he worked in sales for a food manufacturer before becoming a freelance writer. His specialties are traditional cuisine and alcohol. He will continue to work hard to spread the appeal of Japanese sake through his articles.

My Sake World Oike Bettei
- Address
- 123 Fukunagacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto PrefectureOpen with Googlemap
- TEL
- 075-600-9226
- Opening hours
- 11:00~12:30、13:30~15:00、16:00~17:30(各回90分制)
- Closing days
- Irregular