Japanese for Sake and Wine Professionals
If you import, sell or serve sake, or sell wine to Japanese buyers, a little Japanese goes a long way. The most useful start is the label vocabulary (純米, 吟醸, 大吟醸, 精米歩合, 生酒), the people (蔵元, the brewery owner, and 杜氏, the head brewer), tasting words such as 辛口 (dry), 甘口 (sweet) and 香り (aroma), and the polite business Japanese for emails, tastings and visits. Many small breweries have little English, so being able to ask questions and say thank you in Japanese builds trust quickly. This guide covers the vocabulary and situations that matter most.
Sake label vocabulary
- 純米 (junmai): made from rice, koji and water only, without added alcohol.
- 吟醸 / 大吟醸: premium grades made from more highly polished rice.
- 精米歩合 (seimai buai): the polishing ratio, the percentage of the rice grain remaining.
- 本醸造, 生酒, 原酒, にごり酒: other common styles and terms.
- 日本酒度 and 酸度: figures some labels give for sweetness/dryness and acidity.
- 酒米, 酵母, 麹: sake rice, yeast and koji.
Tasting vocabulary
- 辛口 / 甘口: dry / sweet
- 香りが華やか: a fragrant, fruity aroma
- すっきりしている / コクがある: clean / rich, full-bodied
- キレがいい: a crisp finish
- 冷や / 常温 / 燗: chilled / room temperature / warmed
Wine terms are often katakana loanwords, such as ボディ, タンニン, ミネラル. See katakana loanwords.
Common situations
- Brewery visits (酒蔵見学): asking about rice, water and process, and thanking the brewer. See interpreters for buying trips to Japanese producers.
- Trade fairs and tastings in Japan or abroad. See exhibiting at a trade show in Japan.
- Emails with breweries and buyers about samples, prices and shipping. See Japanese business email.
- Serving Japanese guests in a restaurant or wine bar abroad. See Japanese for staff serving Japanese visitors.
- Menus and tasting notes in Japanese. See translating a menu into Japanese.
Phrases for visits and tastings
- 本日はお忙しいところ、ありがとうございます。Thank you for your time today.
- この中でどれが一番人気ですか。Which of these is most popular?
- どんな料理に合いますか。What food does it go with?
- サンプルを送っていただくことは可能でしょうか。Would it be possible to send samples?
How Hanabuddies can help
Our native Japanese tutors teach one-to-one online, in English, and can build lessons around your work in the drinks trade: label terms, tastings, visits and emails. For brewery visits, trade fairs and negotiations, we provide English–Japanese interpreters online or in person in Japan and abroad (you cover the interpreter’s travel). We aren’t an importer or sourcing agent. Your first 15 minutes of lessons are a free trial.