One of Japan's most esteemed Sake brewery, Yamagata Prefecture's Kojima Sohonten which produces Toko Sake, has brought a more environmentally friendly boxed format Sake to Japan!

Introduction to Toko Sake

Toko is one of the oldest active Sake brewers in Japan and is a highly regarded one at that, having been established in 1597 - no small feat in a country that has some of the world's oldest establishments, and with Sake breweries aplenty. 

The brewery has been here since even before the Edo period, and it was only six years after its establishment that the Tokugawa shogunate was established. An early mastery of Sake brewing allowed the brewery to be appointed as the primary purveyor of fine Sakes to the Uesugi family, which at the time was one of the most powerful Samurai clans. They even called its chief the Dragon of Echigo.

Toko Fresh Sake Server

For wine drinkers, this should be a format that is not unfamiliar with many wineries selling their wines in large cartons with a bag-in-box format.

Toko calls this the Toko Fresh Sake Server, and is part of the brewery's efforts to raise their sustainability efforts, having been recognised for their green initiatives last year when the brewery won the top prize in The Drinks Business Green Awards.

The Toko Fresh Sake Server comes in a pouch that is to be fixed in a reusable carton box. The carton box is designed to be compact enough to fit in the fridge - a big concern for many in Japan who have lamented the lack of space in their homes, with recyclable goods only collected once to twice a month - and at the same time can hold up to 3 litres of Sake, the equivalent of four 720ml sized Sake bottles.

With a nozzle attached to the pouch inside the box, Sake can be poured directly from the box in the fridge or take outdoors with easy portability. The container is also designed to be airtight to prevent oxidation and is opaque to block out light from damaging the fresh Sake. This ensures that there is no reduction in the quality of the Sake, which the brewery has confirmed with a survey conducted on the new design, demonstrating a 91% customer satisfaction rating for the new product.

Already available for purchase, the new format will offer two different types of Sake expressions currently produced by the brewery, each also coming with the box or simply as a refill pouch. The Toko Junmai Fresh Sake Server Set is priced at 4,290 Yen (US$27.55), with the Junmai Refill priced at 3,960 Yen (US$25.25), whilst the Toko Super Dry Junmai Ginjo Fresh Sake Server Set is priced at 4,708 Yen (US$30), with the Super Dry Junmai Ginjo Refill priced at 4,378 Yen (US$27.90). The standalone Box can also be purchased separately for 330 Yen (US$2.10).