While overseas demand for sake continues to show steady growth in exports, inbound consumption is showing signs of slowing.
According to Trade Statistics of Ministry of Finance, sake export for January–June rose 12% year-on-year. Although the U.S. market was flat due to inflation and other factors, China rebounded significantly as excess inventories in circulation were optimized. Meanwhile, while the number of foreign visitors to Japan is on pace for a record high, their consumption remains sluggish. Sake sales are trending below the prior year, although airport officials explain, “Compared with pre-COVID levels in 2019, sales have more than doubled.”
Dassai Exports Driven by Asia
Sake exports seem to be on a long-term uptrend. After falling 13.5% in 2023, the first decline in 14 years, they recovered by 6% in 2024 and turned positive even compared with two years earlier in 2025.
The U.S. saw a slight increase, with demand holding firm even under inflation, but concerns remain about the impact of additional tariffs. While many expect an inevitable decline in consumption, others comment, “High-priced items are luxury goods, so the impact is limited,” or, “We want to adjust price hikes depending on the product.”
China was up about 30%. While partly a rebound from a 20% drop in the prior-year first half, it was still up 7% compared with two years earlier. Contributing factors include the clearing of bloated inventories that had persisted through mid-2024. However, with China’s economy still sluggish, many observers note that “real demand is still in recovery” and that “shifts toward lower-priced products are evident.”
Dassai’s exports for January–June rose about 30%, driven by a 40% gain in its main Asian market (including China), while Europe also posted double-digit growth. Duty-free sales, which rose sharply last year, were flat year-on-year, but combined exports and duty-free still grew about 20%. The company noted: “We expect only limited impact from additional U.S. tariffs, but prices will rise regardless. We also want to focus on sales of the locally produced ‘Dassai Blue.’”
Hakutsuru’s sake exports grew about 10% for January–June. North America held the same as prior year, while China, Taiwan, Canada, and France added incremental growth. Duty-free sales rose about 30%, driven by premium-grade sake. “Although there are many uncertainties, especially in the U.S., the popularity of sake seems stable. We want to strengthen communications to maintain a positive trend,” the company said.
Takara Shuzo International also steadily expanded sake exports, with sparkling sake “Mio” driving growth in the U.S., Hong Kong, and the U.K., while in Korea, the “Subaru” 900 ml pack was newly introduced at mass retailers.
Lineups with Airport Shops Perspective
As inbound consumption levels off, product lineups for sake are also shifting. At Haneda Airport Terminal 3, while sales have not reached the elevated levels of the previous period, results remain more than double compared with 2019 before COVID.
Takayuki Higurashi, General Manager of the Duty-Free Business Department of Japan Airport Terminal’s Retail Sales Group, explained: “As one of Japan’s major hub airports, we offer a full range of sake brands from across the country. In recent years, we have expanded high value-added products to meet foreign customer demand, intentionally raising the price range.”
Best-selling brands include Dassai, Kubota, Hakkaisan, Yoshinogawa “Minamo,” and SAKE DRESS, as well as story-driven products such as “IWA5,” crafted by Dom Pérignon’s former chief winemaker, and “Link 8,” sold by Pernod Ricard Japan.
Masashi Shimizu, Manager of the Duty-Free Business Department, added: “As Japan’s gateway to the world, we curate our lineup from a different perspective than ordinary liquor shops. We also want to communicate the pride and craftsmanship of the brewers themselves.”
