Sakeology activities began when Niigata Prefecture, Niigata Sake Brewers Association, and Niigata University entered into a tripartite agreement aimed at establishing Sakeology as an academic discipline covering a broad variety of cultural and scientific fields related to sake and establishing and developing an international hub of Sakeology.

Sakeology Center was established in April 2018 within the Institute for Research Promotion of Niigata University and made a new start in January 2020 as a University-wide Organization for Research and Education, reporting directly to the President. We have appointed faculty members, including specially appointed assistant professors, set up three units of “Brewing,” “Society and Culture,” and “Health,” as well as “Promotion Office” which manages these activities, constructed laboratories and other facilities, and obtained a Sake Brewing License (experimental brewing) in order to build a structure for enhancing Sakeology initiatives.

To date, we have conducted a wide range of activities, including Sakeology lectures for undergraduate students, Sakeology Course for graduate students, open lectures for the public, Sakeology symposiums, the conclusion of an inter-university agreement with the University of Bordeaux, France, and the University of California, Davis, USA which are renowned for oenology, and the conclusion of a collaborative agreement with the Institute of Enology and Viticulture, University of Yamanashi; and Education and Research Center for Fermentation Studies, Kagoshima University. We will continue to pursue new initiatives, including reaching further agreements with overseas universities, developing certificate programs, offering lectures in English, and facilitating overseas internships.

In the aim of becoming a global educational and research hub for Sakeology, we will develop further activities underpinned by internationally recognized Education, Research, Information Dissemination, and International Exchange, as well as Niigata University’s unique role as a hub for systematic study of sake.

We look forward to your ongoing support and cooperation.