Introducing the "Luxury Concept of Sake": Brewing Local Sake with Environmental Conservation and Community Creation at its Core.

February 19, 2025

A research group led by Associate Professor ISHIZUKA Chikako of the Faculty of Economic Sciences, Niigata University, has published the paper of newly-defined concept1 of "luxury", suitable for the specific contexts of locally brewed sake, in the international academic journal Luxury: History, Culture, Consumption.

Luxury can be explained as sumptuous or extravagant. While sake has become commercially promoted as a luxury item, no academic definition of luxury exists. On the other hand, wine studies have identified six key requirements for a wine to be considered luxury: legitimacy, style consistency, commitment to quality, relationship with place of production, method of production , and concious downplaying of commercial considerations. Through case studies, this study demonstrates that while local sake brewing encompasses these requirements, it fundamentally differs from wine. The core of authenticity, which is crucial for luxury wines, lies in the product itself. In contrast, the core of the local sake lines in its environmental conservation and community creation (left wine, right local sake). The unique luxury concept of sake is exemplified by local sake. This research is among the few that compares the contextual values of wine and sake, highlighting the distinctiveness of local sake.

 

Key points

  • We are the first to propose the concept of luxury for sake in an international academic journal specializing in luxury.
  • We proposed that while the core of luxury in wine is in the product itself, the core of luxury in sake lies in its environmental conservation and community creation.
  • Aspects of Creating Shared Value (CSV) that brewers have often overlooked become apparent.
[Term explanations]

1. Luxury concept
Although researchers have no consensus on the definition of luxury, commonalities emerge in studies of its consumption. For instance, luxury refers to goods beyond functional necessities, symbolizing prestige and wealth, offering aesthetic value, and providing emotional satisfaction. In the context of luxury alcohol consumption, drinking extends beyond its primary function as nourishment, incorporating aesthetic elements and pleasure. This image stimulates customer delight before purchase, leading to a higher willingness to pay a premium.

Publication Details

Journal: Luxury: History, Culture, Consumption
Title: Luxury Concepts for the Future of Tradition-Bound Products: Cases of Japanese Saké Breweries
Authors: Chikako Ishizuka, Kuo-Che Tseng, Hiromi Sato
Doi: 10.1080/20511817.2024.2437904

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