NEWS
EXPORTS OF JAPANESE SAKE GREW 6% IN 2024 DRIVEN BY INTERESTS IN WESTERN MARKETS
By Susan Lewis
10-2-2025
Credit: Credit: Pamela Manning/Unsplash
Exports of Japanese sake defied gravity and grew by 6 percent by value in 2024 reaching ¥43.5 billion (USD386m), export destinations reached a record 80 countries and regions.
According to data from the Japanese Sake and Shochu Makers Association, sake exports also grew by 6 percent year-on-year reaching 3.45m cases.
Since 2020, the number of export destinations has grown by 19. The average price per unit was ¥1,050 yen per 750ml.
The best performing market is North American showing 27 percent year-on-year growth. Accounting for 29 percent of the total value of sake exports, the growth in North America is mainly led by an increase in sake sales in fine dining settings.
Western European market saw a 18 percent growth in the period, accounting for 7 percent of sake’s total export value.
Other markets that saw growth included Central and Eastern Europe, Oceania, the Middle East and Latin America.
The overall Asian market, which accounts for 61 percent of the total export value of sake, saw a 3 percent drop in 2024.
This was largely driven by the 6 percent fall seen in the Chinese market, which accounts for 44 percent of the region’s sake export value.
Other major Asian market did not do well as well, with Hong Kong and Singapore seeing drops in export value too.
However, South Korea saw significant growth with an increase of 29 percent, helping the Asian sake market slightly.
Export value declines were also seen for the African sake market.
In December 2023, Japanese sake was awarded the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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