Sakeology A (Introduction), Sakeology B (Practical), and Sakeology C (Practical examples of research) for FY2024 were launched.

Sakeology A (Introduction) was the first face-to-face lecture in five years since 2019, and was offered from April 10 to July 31. The lectures began with an explanation of the origins of Sakeology and covered a wide range of topics related to sake, including basic scientific knowledge of sake production processes, the history and culture of sake, the sake tax system, economics and management aspects of sake, sake etiquette, food pairings, the relationship between alcohol and the brain, comparisons with other alcoholic beverages such as beer, the globalization of Japanese alcoholic beverages, the state of sake overseas, and other aspects of sake. Lecturers were not only faculty members of the Sakeology Center but also experts in various fields from within and outside Niigata University. There were nearly twice as many requests for enrollment out of a capacity of 358.

Sakeology B (Practical) is a two-day intensive course for students over 20 years old who have earned credits for Sakeology A. This year, the course was held on August 6 and 7.
On the first day, the course was held at the Sakelogy Center with lecturers from the Niigata Prefectural Sake Research Institute and a cooking expert. They gave an introductory lecture on sake tasting, after which students tried it as a practical exercise. In the lecture on food pairing with sake, students were introduced to a variety of dishes that go well with sake, providing a hands-on learning experience.
On the second day, with the cooperation of Ishimoto Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. (Kitayama, Konan-ku, Niigata, Japan), students visited there and received lectures. The executive director and the toji (master brewer) gave lectures on the company’s history and initiatives, followed by touring sake brewery, where they gave detailed explanations of the brewing process and facilities. In the afternoon, lecturers from the Niigata Sake Brewers Association gave lectures titled “Regional Revitalization through Sake,” followed by a lively discussion between the lecturers and students. The two-day course was concluded with a lecture on the sake drinking manners (drinking etiquette) by Mr. HIRATA Dairoku, former principal of Niigata Sake School. Fourteen students attended the course.

Sakeology C (Practical examples of research) was offered from June 12  to July 31. Four specially appointed faculty members from the Sakeology Center and one extramural lecturer gave lectures on the latest research in various fields related to sake. The final lecture was titled “Consideration of Sakeology,” in which the five lecturers answered questions from students to deepen their study of Sakeology. Over 250 students applied for the course out of a capacity of 100.

For more information on each course, please visit the education page of the Sakeology Center website.

Sakeology A

Sakeology B at Ishimoto Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.

Sakeology C