NEWS
JAPAN HAS FILED G.I. PROTECTION APPLICATION FOR JAPANESE SAKE IN INDIA
By Tony Zhu
19-10-2022
Credit: Julien Miclo/Unsplash
Japan has filed an application for Geographical Indication (G.I.) protection for nihonshu or Japanese sake in India, this is the first time that a product from Japan has filed for protection to the Indian G.I. Registry.
According to a report in The Hindu newspaper, the application document, which is filed by the Japanese Embassy in New Delhi, said that drinking sake it is an integral part of the lifestyle and culture in Japan.
It said Japanese people traditionally drink sake on special occasions, such as festivals, weddings or funerals, but it is also consumed on a daily basis. The sake market is the second largest brewed liquor market in Japan.
The document also elaborated the hierarchical Toii system where sake brewers or Toiis are trained in the traditional Japanese guild system.
It said the Toii has full authority for the production of sake at breweries and leads all the workers. In addition, the Toii plays an important role in training young apprentices by imparting upon them their techniques and experience. Through this system, the techniques of making are being passed on to the present day.
The Japanese government embarked on a campaign to promote sake to the world in 2020, with an aggressive target of increasing sake exports tenfold on the volume of 2019.
One of the strategies is to push through G.I. protections for sake both domestically and internationally.
So far, Japan has gained recognition from the European Union for protection of G.I. for sakes from Hakusan, Nihonshu and Yamagata.
G.I. protections normally applied to products that have a specific geographical origin and have characteristics that are related to that particular location.
It is interesting to see if Japan can win G.I. protection for the generic term of nihonshu or Japanese sake in India.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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