Happy New Year to the CSP/ASP community,
May it find you well, healthy and prosperous, not to mention safe and happy for good measure.
As mentioned in the last newsletter that went out in early December, I really do want to my best to keep this community tighter and better informed. As such, I will try to get at least a little bit of a newsletter out to you each month.
Upcoming courses, information, industry news et al will be provided in little digestible doses, so to speak. May it be useful and enjoyable.
And be sure to check out the free download of the Kanji Flashcard PDF below!
Warm regards, and again, all the best to you all in 2013,
John
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Sake shipments likely to end up for the year, but huge challenges remain. Only a small bit, but we will take what we can get.
It looks like sake consumption will end the year up for the second straight year in a row, something that has not happened in close to 30 years. Yes, it will be less than five percent, and that is barely clear of margin-of-error range. But we will take what we can get!
The better news is that premium grades continue to do well. Junmai-shu, and all four types of Ginjo-shu are close to an average of double digit growth in Japan. They still combine to be less than ten percent of all sake made, so overall we are still not talking about much, but let us relish any good news that we can get.
Formidable Challenges in 2013
However, there are some very formidable challenges in the year ahead.
First and foremost, the government changed hands. It went from the DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan) back to the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party of Japan) and almost
immediately the “Office for National Strategic Planning” was eliminated. Oh Johnny, we hardly even knew ye. Naturally, right then and there, the “Enjoy Japanese Kokushu” project disappeared as well. Focused on domestic and overseas increases in consumption of sake and shochu, the project generated much positive media attention despite having no real budget. Just how much, if any, negative effects will result remains to be seen. Some say little; but I thought the efforts and awareness were positive and helpful.
Then there are the politics. Namely, "Special Clause 87," a tax clause giving breaks to smaller brewers, is due to expire and currently there is no plan to extend it.
There will be critical meetings in early January, but if it is not extended the industry will likely lose a large number of breweries that will not be able to continue to exist. Some estimates say hundreds of the remaining 1300 could disappear; others are far less pessimistic.
Related to SC87 (my own nomenclature, mind you!), as you might imagine many big brewers are no so interested in how that goes, as they do not have a horse in that race, so to speak. But many say the very kura it would help are the local brewers, and that helps local industries (true) which is good for the economy in many other ways. An informant I have who is deeply involved in the workings of the sake industry and the government expects that SC87 will be extended, but will not be made permanent, as is being requested. Also, we can expect across the board price increases, long overdue actually, due to this and to rice shortages of recent. Those rice shortages are caused by the 3/11 earthquake, tsunami, and damage from radiation to fields and rice itself. While it will improve, the effects are still very vividly seen.
But finally, on a good note, the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers’ Organization, or “Nihonshuzo Kumiai Chuokai,” or “Chuokai” as I refer to them in CSP courses, is one of the few players in the sake salvation department that does have some budget and some plan. And a rep from there told me, “Enjoy Japanese Kokushu Project or not, we intend to do our best and work quite hard on the promotion front this year, so everyone’s cooperation will be appreciated!”
Let us support them; we all know how!
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KANJI CHARACTER FLASHCARD
New Material Added to ASP Test
Starting this year, we will include reading Japanese sake labels as part of the ASP level testing. In truth, it will be perhaps one or two questions, reading characters that indicate on the labels the grade of sake in the bottle. Junmai-shu, Daiginjo, Nama-zake: those kinds of things. All these kanji characters are listed together in the CSP manual on one page.
Also, in order to help those taking the ASP course this year, I created a set of flashcards for the applicable and relevant characters (basically the kanji characters
listed in the manual (on or about page 20). It is a simple pdf file you can print out and fold over to make flashcards. And, you can download it for free here:
http://www.sake-world.com/html/reserved.html
Because we will not and cannot test retroactively, current ASPs may want to study these for their own personal edification, and as part of their own “personal education program.” (Y’all got one of those, right?) While that line admittedly makes me snicker, if you have the wherewithal, it can only help your sake-related efforts.
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FUTURE COURSES
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Upcoming Courses in Japan
CSP Course in Tokyo, Japan January 2013
Less than two weeks away! The Japan-based Sake Professional Course with CSP testing for 2013 will take place January 21 to 25, 2012 in Tokyo and Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe.
Currently, there are 14 individuals that have signed up for the course. I can handle as many as 22 and as such there are about eight seats remaining open. Should you
know anyone that is in dire need of the best sake education on the planet, and does not mind a bit of spontaneity in their lives (as it is less than two weeks away!)
by all means, please do let them know!
More information about this year’s course can be found here:
http://www.sake-world.com/html/spcjapan.html
If you expected your name to be on that list and it is not, please let me know asap. If your name is here and you do not plan on attending, please let me know that as well.
ASP Course in Tokyo, Japan February 2013
The 2013 Advanced Sake Professional Course, also known as “Level II,” will be held in the Tokyo area from February 11 to February 15. More about “Level II” can be found here:
http://www.sake-world.com/html/lii.html
The course is basically full with about 24 participants. You should be in contact with Etsuko Nakamura and myself about details if you are one of the “twenty four.” If not, let me know.
CSP Course in New York City, May 2013
I am currently planning a CSP course in May in New York City, but the exact dates and venue are currently being considered. More will be announced as soon as information is available. And, in fact, I am quite to to committing to the period between May 6 and May 10.
CSP Course in Dallas, TX, August 2013
Currently, the one CSP course that is firmly scheduled for 2013 will take place August 8, 9 and 10, just before TexSom, in the Dallas, Texas area at The Four Seasons Resort in Las Colinas. While details have yet to be hammered down, the dates are set, and I am taking “soft” reservations at this time.
Other CSP Courses
There remains a possibility of another course in the fall, as well as one in Europe if enough interest exists and if enough support can be mobilized. We will indeed keep you posted!
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In Closing,
Happy New Year to all ASPs and CSPs everywhere!
We hope you are well, where ever you are, and enjoying sake in some capacity.
By all means, all CSP and ASP readers are encouraged to submit content for the SEC newsletter. Don’t be shy!
If you are no longer involved with sake, God forbid, or for any other reason you prefer to not receive this email, then please let us know.
Sake Education Council
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