Fukuju embraces ‘sustainable luxury’ with organic release
The sake producer has furthered its sustainable credentials with its new Junmai Daiginjo, which is certified organic and made to be carbon neutral.
To mark Earth Day last week (22 April), sake producer Fukuju released its latest expression, Fukuju Organic Junmai Daiginjo Yamada-Nishiki, which combines a premium positioning with carefully managed sustainable production. According to the producer, it is responding to increasing consumer demand for both eco-friendly and higher quality products.
“This sake is more than simply an organic product; it represents our vision of sustainable luxury,” explains Takenosuke Yasufuku, president of Kobe Shushinkan, Fukuju’s producer. “By bringing together environmental responsibility and uncompromising quality, we aim to offer a new standard of value to high-end markets worldwide.”
The brewery has already won plaudits for its green initiatives. In 2020, it was one of the winners at The Green Awards, recognised for its water management practices that eliminate waste.
That waste-minimising approach has now been extended across its operations. The new Junmai Daiginjo expression uses renewable energy and city gas (a fuel source whose carbon impact is offset) to achieve a carbon-neutral expression.
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Arguably more impressive, however, is Fukuju’s sustainable sourcing. The sake is made with organic rice, a rarity as the wet, labour-intensive agriculture often means that organic production is simply impossible.
Moreover, to secure its premium positioning, Fukuju has sourced organic Yamada-Nishiki. This rice variety, often hailed as the ‘king’ of sake rice, is ideally suited to Junmai Daiginjo production, where the rice is highly polished and so the quality of the raw material is particularly important.
The rice, 100% organic certified to the JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standards) system, is sourced from Hyogo prefecture, the main production area for Yamada-Nishiki.
With refinement and elegance at the core of both its taste profile and its minimalist packaging, Fukuju is further positioning itself as a premium, clean, responsible producer as global markets increasingly pay attention to sustainability.
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