Official

The first time I learned about the "Japan's prestigious Sake Association" was an advertisement for "Summer Sake" in "Sake Sales News" (a specialty paper in the liquor industry) received from President Kashimaya Hirooka last June.

The advertisement was filled with a wide range of brands from sake brewery, a member of the prestigious Japanese Sake Association, and was truly fresh enough for early summer.

And at that time, I would like to interview you someday about what kind of activities the "Japan Famous Sake Association" is doing, and half a year later, I met President Iida for the first time at the Taru Sake Festival, and a long-awaited interview was realized.

First of all, Okanaga Co., Ltd. was founded in 1884 by the first generation, Eikichi Iida (my great-grandfather). This year marks the 140th anniversary of our founding, and I will be the fourth president. In 1975, my father, Hiroshi Iida, launched the "Japan Famous Sake Association" in 1975 to create a sales network for locally brewed sake.

Until then, we had a lot of food. There were many special contracts with major food manufacturers, and we also wholesaled many products to supermarkets. I've heard that food was probably more sales than sake, and it was very busy. And during the period of high economic growth, the more busy, the less profitable, and if you notice, nothing left at hand.

Looking at my father's diary at this time, I think that there was a lot of the word "Happo blocking" and I didn't know what to do.

Under such circumstances, wholesalers are originally an information industry, or they want to create such a "shape" that holds information on sake from all over the country and wholesales it to liquor stores. , "Japan's prestigious sake association" has been launched.

Left) "Okamoto Yanagayoshi Shoten" (the predecessor of Okanaga Co., Ltd.) on January 2, 1906. It seems to have been filmed in the New Year's Day the year following the end of the Russo-Japanese War, with the second president Monjiro Iida (leftmost, then 18 years old) and the first president Eikichi Iida (next to that, then 49 years old). You. (Provided by President Iida)

Right) The current head office of Okanaga Co., Ltd., Okanaga Building (1-7-3, Nihonbashi Bakurocho, Chuo-ku). On the first floor, there is "Okamoto Yanagayoshi Shoten", which has a standing drinking space.

I think there were the following three thoughts in launching the "Japan Famous Sake Association".

The first is the revival and reconstruction of sake. The peak domestic shipment volume of sake was 1973 (1973), and the situation continued to decline from that point, so I wanted to revive and rebuild it.

Next, the alcoholic beverage industry at that time was dominated by beer and whiskey, so as a place where distribution can take the initiative, focusing on sake and creating a strong specialty store (sake retailer) centered on sake. I want to go.

And thirdly, I would like to create an organization that can spread sake firmly (enlightenment activities).

At first, my father walked all and communicated with Mr. sake brewery. There were some brands that I originally knew, and there were also introductions from various people. Also, at that time, there seemed to be teachers of agricultural chemistry who were familiar with alcohol, and they were introduced by such experts.

In the meantime, the number of comrades who supported us increased, and sake brewery had about 12 brands and dozens of liquor stores. At first it started with a small number, but then the number gradually increased and the activity grew. In this way, nationwide expansion has begun, and it has become the current "form".

Currently, sake brewery has about 120 companies nationwide and about 1,500 liquor stores.

In many cases, I met a new Mr. sake brewery at a tasting party and became a member.

Tasting events are held all over the country. In Tokyo, there was an Akita sake tasting party (Akita Sake Brewery Cooperative) in Ebisu the other day, but we always go to such a venue to check the taste and introduce Mr. sake brewery from various people there.

Recently, there is not much more large Mr. sake brewery, but little Mr. sake brewery is increasing little by little.

I've been using this slogan since I was the first generation. It literally means "I want good people to drink good sake." I thought it was natural, but to explain a little more in detail, I think it was a message that tried to express the meaning of the original distribution of "I want good sake to good people through good shops" .

And when I say the element of "good stores" in terms of "famousness" of "Japan's prestigious sake society", it is said that "the local food culture is supported in the long history and tradition nurtured in the land, such a thing that seems rooted in it, and that it is also appearing in people before sake, it is exactly the dignity of the person who makes sake."

When dealing with the new Mr. sake brewery, of course, as well as the sake we are making now, I think it is important that the sake has a future potential. I think that "famousness" is a word that expresses such a thing in total, including the creator's philosophy, management policy, philosophy, and so on.

Usually speaking of sake wholesalers, Shinkawa is, but in our case, there was a shop called Okamoto-ya in this place whereJapanese shop curtain was divided from that store.

And since my great-grandfather was named "Nagayoshi", it became "Okamoto Yanagayoshi Shoten". It's the same as the name of the store that is now on the first floor.

From there, it became Okanaga Co., Ltd. and began to handle miso and soy sauce, and now it has become a wholesaler mainly focusing on sake. We have been doing business in this area since our founding.

Okamoto Yanagayoshi Shoten is located on the first floor of the Okanaga Building.

"Okamoto Yanagayoshi Shoten" is located on the first floor of our Okanaga Building, but in fact it is the same place on the first floor, from the first year of Heisei (1989) to the year 2018 (Okanaga Club). I was doing a salon. It is a sake-centered membership club that you can join if you pay an enrollment fee of 5,000 yen. It was a completely opposite closed style of opening a heavy door and entering the store.

There are hotels and condominiums in this area now, and people are walking at night, but at that time after 6 o'clock in the evening, there were no children. So, if you open a store normally here, it would not prosper, so we decided to make it a membership-based store and create a network of members.

There were always thousands of members. When we held the event, we guided them around. Until then, we had nothing to do with ordinary customers, but since we started playing the Okanaga Club, we have been able to interact with such customers.

However, as the times progress and the city changes, the membership club is as expected, and the style of opening and entering that heavy door is not suitable for the present era, especially for the last few years I felt so.

So, what to do, I just had a son, so when I consulted with my son, I was told that I wanted to do something different, so I decided to create a retail store for the first time. Then, we created a drinking space in the back of the store and made it an open style shop. It's the opposite idea.

The concept is an antenna shop that sells goods related to tidbits (delicacy) and sake from all over the country along with alcohol like a showroom.

Even if you drink alcohol, if you don't buy goods, you won't be a real showroom. In that sense, we are making various efforts to become a showroom of the present era.

Taste tastings are also held frequently, so liquor stores from all over the country come to visit, and after the tour, they always drink and return.

Inside the store of "Okamoto Yanagayoshi Shoten". In addition to the selected sake, there are goods related to tidbits (delicacy) and sake from all over the country. And there is a standing drinking space in the back of the store. It's an irresistible space for sake lovers!

In the refrigerator, there were many kinds of "Muku no Sake" where you can enjoy the special taste of freshly squeezed young sake and "Harunagomi Zake" which colors spring in Japan.

It has the following three features.

First of all, you can easily drink a cup at a time and drink and compare various alcohols. You can drink it easily by yourself.

Secondly, tidbits's products are all sold by liquor stores affiliated with the prestigious Japanese Sake Association, allowing you to eat various delicacies from all over the country little by little.

The third is that all the products are replaced depending on the season, so you can enjoy seasonal sake.

You can order your favorite liquor and tidbits at a counter since the days of "Okanaga Music Club" and drink and compare them slowly at the table.

Left) Three kinds of "inno-no-shu" comparing drinking. From left, Nakurayama (Fukushima / Aizu Wakamatsu), Shinano Nishiki (Nagano / Ina), Kaika (Tochigi / Sano). All of them were unfiltered, raw undiluted sake pure rice Ginjo sake, with fresh sourness and pure sweetness.

Right) 2024 solid sake lineup. The label is also very beautiful and attractive! (Reprinted from Japan's prestigious Sake Association website)

We support the creation of customers throughout the year through our 52-week life proposal.

We are making a catalog called "Famous Sake Hyakuhana" (upper photo below) for sake retailers, and among them, the "Basic Sheet" (lower photo below) proposed the activities of liquor retailers for 52 weeks a year.

There is a red line graph on the sheet, which shows the trend in the sales of sake, and there is the highest yama at the end of December, how to raise the yama, and for that purpose The content is to make a solid image of how to work in the year, and to make an annual plan and sell it.

And there is another big yama in February, which is the yama of "Riharu morning squeeze".

"Ritsuharu Morning Squeezing" is our specialty project in which liquor is squeezed on the morning of Ritsuharu and delivered to customers who made a reservation on that day. Normally, in February, sales are sluggish, called "Nipachi", but by doing this project, this day was the day when sake moved the most in the year.

This is our privilege, and when we become a merchant, we will be able to participate in this project and, depending on our efforts, we will sell a considerable number of people. For example, a liquor store that sells only two couples sells about 500 bottles a day. This means that we can speak to at least 500 customers and have contact points, so this is the basis in many ways. It is also an important event in the sense of sharpness for one year. By the way, this year it was held in 43 warehouses and sold 274,000 bottles.

A catalogue for sake retailers, “Famous Sake Hyakuhana” (top) and “Basic Sheet” (bottom) (provided by President Iida)

"Summer Sake" will start in earnest from now on. There are a lot of cool liquors to see. (Reprinted from Japan's prestigious Sake Association website)

After the "Riharu Morning Squeezing", the next event is "Summer Sake" that has already started this month.

As a product, we will serve both "summer sake" that does not burn at all and "Natsusuzumizake", which burns only once, but "summer sake" is mainly used.

"Summer sake" has become a little mellow after a while since it was squeezed. And it has a slightly reduced alcohol content, and it has a refreshing feeling. It is a mild and refreshing liquor suitable for summer. I hope you can cool it well and drink it according to the summer ingredients.

As an ingredient, for example, sweetfish is good. It has a little bitterness and a scent, and I think it fits very well with such a thing. Also, I think green soybeans and sora beans are also good. Beans and alcohol are very compatible.

As for the movement of sake retailers in the future, we will start preparing for purchasing and hold events such as tastings at stores.

During the event, we will conduct a questionnaire to liquor stores and vote for the popularity of liquor. And we will publish the results, so you can see which liquor is supported now. As a result, liquor stores will also develop various products, such as purchasing this. In this way, it is most important to hold an event in a planned manner.

Seasonal proposals are usually made in the retail industry, especially in supermarkets, but I don't think it was very common for sake. In the past, I think there were many cases where the sales and assortment of sake were "waiting". However, from now on, it is not such a style, but we will go to get a reservation from here, appeal from here and gather, in that sense, it is an event, a method of reservation sales, etc. I think it will be important to increase the number of customers.

[Site of Summer Sake]

　https://www.meimonshu.jp/modules/xfsection/article.php?articleid=88

"Okamoto Yanagayoshi Shoten" will open at "Meat Festival" held in Odaiba during GW (April 26-May 6).

This is the first time we have opened a store at the Meat Festival, and we are looking forward to your arrival by splitting soda, rocking, and straight sake from Ichinokura, Miyagi Prefecture.

"Himezen" is a fruity and juicy new sense of sake, and I think that its refreshing aroma and flavor full of fruit will surely match delicious meat.

After eating gutsuri meat during GW and early summer, how about cool down at Himezen?

[Meat Festival 2024 World Selection TOKYO]

　https://www.nikufes.jp/2024/

According to the philosophy of the "Japan Famous Sake Association", it is important to revive and rebuild sake, that is, to have various people drink it in this era, and to have the next generation drink it well. I think it's my best mission.

And for that purpose, I think we have to start by getting people to know and experience sake.

Also, Mr. sake brewery will take over the local culture firmly in the region, and with the concept that he is such a liquor, I think that sake will spread as a culture.

I believe that our job is to spread value in a "shape" way, and wholesale work is the only thing. Without it, it will not spread, and I don't think it can be passed on to the next generation.

Of course, the work I'm doing now is important, but I want to continue doing a job that allows me to imagine how it will lead to the future.

Through this interview, I was able to hear Mr. Okanaga's long-standing sales know-how, and once again realized the importance of annual plans and that sales based on evidence are very important.

Especially when making an annual plan, sake made from rice and water is made, so we will make various kinds of sake in spring, summer, autumn and winter according to the four seasons of Japan, and think about the sales method according to the season together with evidence, I thought that this is exactly the process that is indispensable for spreading sake.

We are born in Japan with four seasons, and you can enjoy seasonal sake every day while feeling the four seasons of Japan. How wonderful is it? Through this interview, I felt strongly about that many times.

[Japan Famous Sake Association]

https://www.meimonshu.jp/

The headquarters is located in Okanaga Co., Ltd.

[Okanaga Co., Ltd.]

https://www.okanaga.co.jp/

Head Office
〒103-8380 1-7-3, Nihonbashibakurocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
TEL 03-3663-0335 FAX 03-3249-3570

Tokyo Branch
〒103-8380 1-7-3, Nihonbashibakurocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
TEL 03-3663-9100 FAX 03-3663-9115

[Okamoto Yanagayoshi Shoten]

https://www.okanaga.co.jp/okamotoya/

Address
1F, Okanaga Building, 1-7-3, Nihonbashi Bakurocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Business hours
[Mon-Fri] 12:00 - 22:00 (Chino Tsunouchi L.O. FOOD 21:00, DRINK 21:30) [Saturday, Sundays and public holidays] Regular holidays

※ The interview will be held in early April, and the photos inside the store will be taken at that time.