Refined sake production volume in Japan FY 2013-2022

In fiscal year 2022, the production volume of refined rice wine (sake) in Japan uncreased to 328 million liters. Major domestic sake manufacturers include Hakutsuru Sake Brewing Co., Ltd., Gekkeikan Sake Co., Ltd. and Takara Holdings Inc.

Trade of Japanese sake

Japan is well known for its strict regulations in the production of high-quality sake, bringing a much sought-after product to the export market. Domestically produced rice wine accounted for the third highest export volume of alcoholic beverages from Japan, outperforming other major products like whisky and wine.
The export destinations of rice wine included the United States and large liquor markets close to the Japanese archipelago like South Korea, China, and Taiwan.

Liquor market in Japan

Liquor in Japan encompasses a number of brewed, distilled and fermented alcoholic beverages. While sake has a long history within the Japanese drinking tradition, the most popular alcoholic beverage among consumers was beer. In recent years, beer has established itself as a staple product in domestic liquor production, accounting for a quarter of the alcoholic beverage output in the country. Sake, however, retained its role as the national beverage despite the shrinking annual output, playing a role in ceremonial events.